Motorsport Off Topic Thread

Glaucus said:
I think ScarbsF1 closed cockpits look amazing. Even nicer than open cockpit.
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I think that's quite a flattering view of his design, I'd be interested in a lower side profile. But I do agree, it looks very sleek, very modern.

Not sure on the front roll hoop either. I don't think it's worth it for the compromise on driver visibility. Putting metal in-front of the drivers head doesn't sound good to me.
 
Closed cockpits....really?

I mean, really?

It's Grand Prix racing (allegedly). How about we just have the drivers all stay in the pitlane and put remote controls on the cars? That'd be safe for them....
 
JRS said:
Closed cockpits....really?

I mean, really?

It's Grand Prix racing (allegedly). How about we just have the drivers all stay in the pitlane and put remote controls on the cars? That'd be safe for them....
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Drivers don't even need to travel to the races. All the teams have simulators *well, except Caterham at the moment* back at base.
 
They dismiss the quite wide blockage of the forward view caused by the little roll hoop right in the drivers, but it's a massive issue. I know there are pitot tubes and aerials in the drivers eyeline at the moment, but these are at most 1cm in diameter. The width of the forward rollhoop support would several centimetres. Almost like having your hand in front of your face at arms distance. Then there is also the glare issue from the canopy - especially in wet to dry races, drivers' overheating, extrication when upside down....

Closed cockpits just won't work.
 
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JRS said:
Closed cockpits....really?

I mean, really?

It's Grand Prix racing (allegedly). How about we just have the drivers all stay in the pitlane and put remote controls on the cars? That'd be safe for them....
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Its not just about safety, there were some other good ideas in the video but expect you didn't watch it.
 
Rybo89 said:
Trapped upside down, burning car. No thanks.
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Frankly the chance of a fuel fire these days is very slim, to the point where if there is a fuel fire from an impact, I'd hazard a guess the forces involved would have killed the driver first.

I'm not saying that makes it OK of course, but is the bigger risk injury to the head or injury from being unable to escape a burning car?

The last crash where fuel was spilled was in 1989 and we've had some monstrous crashes since then (Imola 94, Schumacher at Indianapolis, Villeneuve at Melbourne, Kubica at Montreal, Burti at Spa, de la Rosa at Monza, etc) where to my knowledge no fuel was spilled.
 
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Spunkey said:
They dismiss the quite wide blockage of the forward view caused by the little roll hoop right in the drivers, but it's a massive issue. I know there are pitot tubes and aerials in the drivers eyeline at the moment, but these are at most 1cm in diameter. The width of the forward rollhoop support would several centimetres. Almost like having your hand in front of your face at arms distance. Then there is also the glare issue from the canopy - especially in wet to dry races, drivers' overheating, extrication when upside down....

Closed cockpits just won't work.
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They can work, but it would me a redefinition of what single seaters are.

The smallest workable canopies in race cars are in the LMP categories, and they are significantly larger that the cockpit area of F1 cars. The entire philosophy of narrow single seater cars would be changed.

Then there's the lower formulas. Do the FIA mandate all single seaters to be closed? Who pays for that? And if they dont, why not? Are only F1 drivers heads worth protecting? That wouldn't go down well considering the most recent death from a head impact was Henry Surtees in Formula 2.

It could be done, but it would mean throwing away the rule book and redefining something like half of all global motorsport.
 
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this_is_gav said:
The last crash where fuel was spilled was in 1989 and we've had some monstrous crashes since then (Imola 94, Schumacher at Indianapolis, Villeneuve at Melbourne, Kubica at Montreal, Burti at Spa, de la Rosa at Monza, etc) where to my knowledge no fuel was spilled.
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Pedro Diniz wasn't it. The sun headline of 'diniz in the oven' will haunt me forever. :D
 
Closed cockpits are a solution to a problem which only occurs maybe once a season, and even then only causes severe injury once every 1-2 seasons.

Unless they can find a solution which introduces no change to anything within the visibility inside the car, and the speed of exit of the car, it is not worth the change.

There are other issues which need to be looked at before this one, including pay drivers which probably cause more accidents and danger than open cockpits :p.
 
dannyjo22 said:
Pedro Diniz wasn't it. The sun headline of 'diniz in the oven' will haunt me forever. :D
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That wasn't a crash though. It was a stuck valve in the refuelling mechanism and fuel was just spilling out, which is what he spun on.

Given that refuelling is banned that wouldn't be an issue.
 
Skeeter said:
So... did Susie Wolff win a chess competition or something?
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The Race of Champions has been going around since the 60s in one form or another, and even then you had customer drivers and paying drivers. It's got nothing to do with champions in any way other than the competition name, and never has.
 
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