Closed cockpits now appear 'inevitable' for Formula 1 in future

Duke · 3 Sep 2012 at 09:52

Closed cockpits now appear to be inevitable in Formula 1, with technical chiefs set to ramp up efforts to bring them in following Fernando Alonso's lucky escape in the first lap crash at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Romain Grosjean's Lotus flew over the front of Alonso's cockpit in the pile-up, and it was fortunate that the Ferrari driver did not suffer any impact on his helmet.

The good fortune served to highlight the biggest weakness in the modern safety design of F1 cars, and comes as the FIA and technical figures continue work on closed cockpit concepts.

McLaren technical director Paddy Lowe thinks the first corner crash will serve as a reminder about how important this work is and increase a push being made to change cockpit designs for as early as 2014.

"I think 2014 is intended, as we started the project a year ago," said Lowe, who has been involved in work on the cockpit project. "Personally I think something is inevitable because it is the one big [safety] exposure that we have got.

"You see it time and time again and think 'that was lucky'. One day it won't be lucky. At the same time it is an open cockpit formula so we have to protect that, but it should be technically possible one way or another."

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/102213

I think we knew closed cockpits were coming, but not for maybe 7-10 years but I get the feeling they will be brought in quicker now.

I don't think it is really a bad thing, it will be very different. Looking at the F1 Fanatic article from a week ago or so (http://www.f1fanatic.co.uk/2012/08/22/cockpit-canopies-covered-wheels-future-f1/), that in my eyes is what an F1 car should look like soon, rather than the ugly nose ones we have now.

It just looks "cool" imo and closed cockpits are one step towards this design.

MooMoo444 · 3 Sep 2012 at 09:57

That concept looks sexy.

I just hope the drivers can get out quickly if they need to, with the closed cockpits.

Mr Men · 3 Sep 2012 at 09:57

Good grief no thanks.

They won't be having a canopy cockpit anyway as the article says, I could probably live with some sort of protection but the pic above no way, and closing the wheels? that is not F1.

dannyjo22 · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:18

They get paid for the risk. Why pay them more than 5k per week as it's going to more dangerous to horse ride (probably is even now

)

Why react to accidents that haven't happened. Two freak head injuries in 20 years. F1 is hardly a dangerous category of motorsports to the driver.

smr · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:21

It will look daft and put me off.

smr · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:23

And what's going to happen when the car sets on fire and the cockpit canopy is stuck shut. Clever thinking there !

Skeeter · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:27

Closed cockpits have risks too. They are different to open cockpit risks, but they are seriious none the less.

With an open cockpit the roll hoop is designed so that when the car is upside down the driver can always get out. With a canopy it will always have to move in a direction to open, and there is the possibility of the car laying with that direction against the floor.

The closed cockpit idea is always a knee jerk reaction to any incident like this, but after a while it settles down as people realise its not a magic solution.

ci_newman · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:27

smr said:
And what's going to happen when the car sets on fire and the cockpit canopy is stuck shut. Clever thinking there !

And now there is no refuelling, when was the last time we actually saw a fire in the cockpit area of the car?

MooMoo444 · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:34

ci_newman said:
And now there is no refuelling, when was the last time we actually saw a fire in the cockpit area of the car?

Maldonado has fire in his eyes every week.

Duke · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:35

Maybe further increasing the height of the side protection on the drivers head would be simpler solution?

MooMoo444 · 3 Sep 2012 at 10:40

Duke said:
Maybe further increasing the height of the side protection on the drivers head would be simpler solution?

Reducing visibility is probably the last thing you want to do if you're trying to prevent accidents and increase safety.

Duke · 3 Sep 2012 at 11:09

MooMoo444 said:
Reducing visibility is probably the last thing you want to do if you're trying to prevent accidents and increase safety.

They barely move their heads left and right how it is, so making the sides higher won't change it. The mirror size could be made a bit bigger though and/or make them not vibrate so much or something, so they become useful.

Kevin Clark · 3 Sep 2012 at 11:35

Duke said:
They barely move their heads left and right how it is, so making the sides higher won't change it. The mirror size could be made a bit bigger though and/or make them not vibrate so much or something, so they become useful.

Indeed. Why not just say the mirrors have to be double the side and with a certain diameter holder so they don't vibrate.

Or maybe some sort of wrap around TFT screen in the car with cameras

GravyMonster · 3 Sep 2012 at 12:10

I'm no expert, but wouldn't adding a canopy and covering the wheels drastically increase straight line speeds? Something the FIA have been keen to hobble for the last 15 years. If this does happen we could see a drop to ~500hp 1.4l engines (which is where the original plans for 2014 were heading), with a minimal drop in performance compared to today's cars.

Daze · 3 Sep 2012 at 12:13

It looks like a hotwheels car I had when I was about 5. Cool how all of the futuristic things you see in movies etc eventually come to fruition.

Skeeter · 3 Sep 2012 at 12:24

Spunkey said:
I'm no expert, but wouldn't adding a canopy and covering the wheels drastically increase straight line speeds? Something the FIA have been keen to hobble for the last 15 years. If this does happen we could see a drop to ~500hp 1.4l engines (which is where the original plans for 2014 were heading), with a minimal drop in performance compared to today's cars.

Yep. Just look at the straight line speeds of Le Mans Prototypes. And the ACO are really trying hard to rein them back.

The 1.6 engines for 2014 are only going to have around 600bhp.

opstrat · 3 Sep 2012 at 12:27

This would we cool. a canopy witha heads up display showing talemetry and a map of the track, also a rear view camera?

Skeeter · 3 Sep 2012 at 12:45

IndyCar style rotating roll hoop cameras set to automatically track Maldonado's position.

EddScott · 3 Sep 2012 at 12:48

Canopy is going to be very unlikely. Most likely some sort of protective bars going from somewhere along the nose to the base of the air intake. Problem then is what do you make it out of so its not going to get snapped off and spear the drivers head. Do you then send it down the lower formulas?

El_Watcher · 3 Sep 2012 at 13:14

ci_newman said:
And now there is no refuelling, when was the last time we actually saw a fire in the cockpit area of the car?

OK, when was the last time a driver was actually hit in the head by another car during a crash?

Why don't the drivers just sit in the garage with a remote control?