F1 Fanatic

With Dan Wheldon and Henry Surtee’s tragic deaths, and Felipe Massa’s impossibly near miss covered cockpits are being discussed due to be discussed between the techincal working group, and the GPDA. Now, with hindsight, it’s easy to say that cockpits would have had a chance of reducing harm to all three of the above drivers, however, there are also possible risks accociated with the device.

In a high impact situation, inevitably at some point there will be a situation where the cockpit jams, what happens if the car is on fire, or approaching an explosion. There are also those who say it will drive a barrier between fans and drivers, this I don’t personaly beleive to be true, so long as the racings good and the cars are as fast as is resonable with different drivers indentifiable, a covering shouldn’t be too different to a helmeted head.

Having seen numerous fiery accidents in the 60′s, the drivers who got out of the car I don’t think would have made it fussing with a canopy on top of their problems, or the track workers working in flames to unlatch the canopy to get the driver out. F1 cars seem very easy for drivers to exit quickly compared to Indy, that a big plus up for us.
Racing is inherently dangerous, 200 plus at Vegas, 500 plus at Reno, the end results are often the same. Earnhardt was killed in a tank of a car, totally enclosed, probably one of the safest cars around, there’s times when there’s nothing anyone can do.

With modern F1 cars, 60′s style inferno’s are incredibly rare. The car which Wheldon was driving was old, if you look at the gallery of his career in the guardian it’s the same car as in 2003, saftey alterations won’t have been massive. F1 cars have raised and shaped the area sourrounding the driver in an attempt to cover potential risk and the cars currently do seem to have some sort of removable semi covering at the moment anyway, which needs to be removed to exit and enter the car.

If there was to be something simular to that but with a full head covering I don’t think exit and entry time would be materially altered, it would also reduce the last big area of preventable risk to the drivers, lowering the chance of fatalities.

Seeing as there is already a form of canopy in F1, I reckon the big question is more asthetic, and much as i love the idea of open cockpit racing, if canpy’s can prevent a death I don’t think my yearning for the spirit of motor racing is particularly important.

@Scribe it isn’t purely aesthetic though. There’s a greater sense of connection when the drivers is exposed. It makes it more personal, like you’re watch a person driving rather than just a car.

@matt90 I felt like that till I started watching GT1, partly I guess because of the in cockpit camera’s the connection was still there, and you can always spot your favourites.

But I do know exactly what you mean and totally agree, all I’m saying is, if it prevents a death or a life changing accident I’m not sure it’s whats most important.

@W-K very good points. I wonder what would happen if the cockpit were to partially break mid race. I’m sure thats the sort of thing for the technical group to consider. Maybe wipers and fairy liquid compartment ;) or pure space fairy liquid to keep F1 “at the pinacle”.
I just don’t know, helmets certainly have their advantages.

@Asanator, fair enough, but if canopy’s were to be mandated I assume they’d come under the same strict regulation, with multiple release mechanisms.

The two big issue’s I think canopy’s have is what happens when the car lands upside down, and the visibility issue with dirt and distortion as mentioned by W-K.

Fires that could burn the drivers are very rare now in F1 and other motorsport, more rare than moments that put the driver’s head at risk.

If you count the near misses like
Liuzzi vs Schumacher @ Abu Dhabi
Trulli vs Chandhok @ Monaco

They would not be near misses if there was a strong canopy over the drivers, and surely that’s a good thing.

The need to get out of a car quick is not as important these days.

Also on the subject of fire, but not really F1 anymore, in Brazil 2009 Kimi got a face full of fire from a fuel hose. A conopy like a jet fighter would have protected him, and indeed any racing where could be fuel flying about.

Weighing things up, I think fighter canopies are the next step forward in safety.

Oh, an they might even wear different, or reduced helments under a fighterjet style canopy. Imagine seeing Alonso’s pudgy face contorted with fury at another backmarker holding him up.

We could have in cockpit camera’s.