Groups

Tecpro vs Tyre Barriers (25 posts)

Viewing post 1 to 15 (25 total posts)

1 2 →

Ned Flanders said 2 years, 11 months ago:

For all the people who seem to think that tecpro barriers are the perfect solution to the issue of safety in F1, you might want to read this quote from Mark Webber after his crash yesterday:

“I knew there was a lot of run-off down there, so that was good. I was also happy it was a tyre wall and not the Tecpro stuff because that is not as good as the tyres. After Singapore, what happened last year, this was a nicer cushioning hit for me.”

I’ve always been a bit sceptical that tecpro barriers were really that much of an improvement on tyre barriers. Also, bear in mind that Natacha Gachang broke her leg after hitting the tecpro barriers at Abu Dhabi earlier this year. Perhaps then there is some more work to be done on creating more suitable crash barriers.

#
Scribe said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Bump due to relavance, hope this gets raised at the GPDA an to FOTA an FIA. Seems pretty damn important.

#
SoLiDG said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Was interresting to read indeed.
I tought that techpro stuff was looking good, maybe not :)
Very important issue!

#
ajokay said 2 years, 11 months ago:

I doubt the front of Natasha’s Ford GT is as immensely strong as the front crash structure of the Red Bull, but point taken.

The fact that after the initial crash, the roll, the skid (all on a very hard surface), and then a high-speed impact with the tyre wall, the car was still easily identifyable as a car, just keeps on speaking wonders.

Maybe Tecpro barriers are better suited to slower parts of the track where barriers may be closer, and tyre walls are still more suitable hidden away at the back of large run-off areas through high-speed sections

#
George said 2 years, 11 months ago:

I think the main advantage of tecpro barriers is that in head on crashes the car doesn’t bury itself in them, and as I said in comments the other day, Webber’s impact with the barrier wasn’t that hard.

Here’s a good article on the development of tecpro from the FIA http://www.fia.com/oldautomotive/issue6/sport/article4.html

#
SoLiDG said 2 years, 11 months ago:

Good point there about the drivers getting underneath a tyrestrap.. look at Burti a few years back! You don’t want that ever happening.

#
Ned Flanders said 1 year, 12 months ago:

OK, I think this thread has become relevant again. Today was the first time an F1 car has had a major coming together with a tecpro barrier. It’s still a bit too early to make a judgement because we don’t know how the extent (or existence) of Perez’s injuries, but I still have a suspicion that these barriers aren’t all they’re cracked up to be. Might a tyre barrier have proved safer?

#
Calum said 1 year, 12 months ago:

Don’t know what would be safer, but the TecPro did it’s job as well as the Sauber crash structure. As far as I know, Perez is alive and has no broken bones. When I saw his head ricochet side to side my first thought was of the Ratzenberger’s fatal accident back in 1994.

When I saw Rosberg glance the TecPro I wasn’t convinced the ‘peninsula of barrier’ looked safe, but the fact Perez is OK seems to have proved it is.

#
Doance said 1 year, 12 months ago:

I think at that speed, tecpro wont slow the car down enough before the next barrier, judging by the Perez crash. Tyres seem better to me. Tecpro seems more of a sudden impact, tyres seem more of a cushiony deceleration.

#
GeeMac said 1 year, 12 months ago:

We could definitely see the progress in F1 saftey today. In 1994 Karl Wendelinger had that same crash, the armco was guarded by water filled barriers and he went into a coma for weeks. Tyres v Tecpro is a debate for people far smarter than me, all I can say is that I’m glad Checo is ok.

#
Dan Thorn said 1 year, 12 months ago:

I actually think the TecPro did it’s job well – the problem is that it doesn’t look entirely reusable. The problem with tyres is that the car slides under them, as with Kovalainen in Barcelona 2008. I can’t think of anything else that would have done any better…

#
damonsmedley said 1 year, 12 months ago:

I think in a Mark Webber – Valencia situation, where the car is going head-on into the wall, I’d want to see a tyre barrier as it really softens the blow and spits the car back out. If there’d been TecPro instead of tyres in Mark Webber’s situation, I am sure it would have been much nastier. But as for a side on crash, I think I’d rather the TecPro. I think it did a pretty good job today.

But if I had to choose one over the other, I’m afraid tyre walls get my vote.

#
Ned Flanders said 1 year, 12 months ago:

Sometimes I wonder whether giant marshmellows could be the perfect solution

#
Icthyes said 1 year, 12 months ago:

The solution would be to remove that ridiculous piece of metal pointing towards any accident that comes its way. After all the hype about DRS in Monaco it was the nature of the track, having to break downhill and having the car slide out from underneath you that caused this weekend’s biggest accidents. We need another Jackie Stewart to stand up and say “this place is not safe” just like he did with the Nurburgring, a race which it was unthinkable to ban at the time. Sadly none will and after all their “concerns” for the DRS the silence will be deafening.

#
Calum said 1 year, 12 months ago:

Trulli and Barichello say things about safety but are just ridiculed and people say they are past it if they can’t cope with it.

#