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| Formula One Racing has always been associated with speed. F1 immediately conjures up images of fast cars, glam girls, speeding cars, besides the almost deafening sound of roaring engines from ear to ear. While this may s |
| und interesting, even fascinating, it is something that cannot be considered when driving on the roads. But contrary to popular belief, F1 is not a dangerous sport, but it is actually amongst the safest sports as it supported by scientifically researched and tested safety measures. In fact, if you violate a safety requirement in the sport, you pay a penalty. However, on the streets, the biggest penalty paid could be your life |
After spending so many years in the speeding tracks, to be honest, I really grew up in
the DTM paddock. I remember my father’s last race very clearly when he drove at
Hockenheim in front of 100,000 people and I was sitting next to him on the roof of his car
and cheering to the fans. Having seen the sport so closely first with my Dad and
then myself as a driver, I have noticed that a lot of safety measures have been introduced
over the years. I am convinced that Formula One is one of the safest forms of motorsport.
What’s more important is that the sport has also benefited the wider society with
its research and development of safety devices such as the seat belt, fire-retardant
clothing and the monocoque or ‘safety cell’ design.
As F1 is one of the most visible laboratories for technical innovation, it cannot be
overemphasized that Formula One helps to increase safety on public roads. Since I have
been an ambassador for safety with Allianz and closely worked with the Allianz Centre of
Technology (AZT), I was impressed about how some of the safety measures used in F1 is
visible on the streets.
The track organizers in Nurburgring, Germany have invested about 50 million Euros in
improving the safety of drivers and spectators in recent years. Safety fences around the
circuit have been increased in height to 3.8 m. The technicians from the FIA take a great
deal of effort at every Grand Prix to check that all the cars comply with the safety
regulations. The checks start with the Technical Approval before the race each Thursday
and the final checks take place on the starting grid. The first Safety Car in F1 was used
in 1973 at the Canadian Grand Prix. A special high-speed barrier has been developed to
improve the safety at particularly fast tracks and in corners with limited run-off zones.
The new impact protection complements the conventional tyre stacks and is able to absorb
the energy of a collision at 200 km/ph.
The safety of the spectators at Formula 1 races is provided by around 150 security
officials in addition to approx. 130 medics and doctors. There are also 2 ambulances and a
helicopter manned by a doctor, two paramedics and a pilot standby throughout the race. A
second helicopter is kept ready outside the circuit and four additional ambulances are
posted along the race track. In case of fires especially in the vicinity of the pit lane,
at least 5 fire engines manned by four firemen each are on stand-by around the circuit.
The FIA prescribes fireproof clothing in Formula One since 1975. Back then, it used to
consist of five layers of a fire-resistant material, as also used b NASA for space suits.
Nowadays, the overalls that are tailor-made to fit the drivers perfectly are made of two
to four layers of material made of Nomex fiber 1. The fireproof suits guarantee that
drivers can survive for 11 seconds in temperatures of 840 degrees Celsius. Since 1997,
every Formula One car has an accident recorder, similar to the black box in an
aircraft.
Safety Improvements 2011
To reduce the speed of Formula One cars and to facilitate overtaking, the double
diffusers used since 2009 and the F-ducts developed in 2010 are prohibited. This leads to
a significant reduction in downforce.
The FIA prescribes minimum dimensions for the roll-over bars in order to preclude the
development of extremely slim components. The wheels of the Formula One cars have to be
fastened to the uprights by two tethers in future to prevent stray tyres on the track
after an accident.
The outside mirrors may only be attached to the sides of the cockpit in a strictly
prescribed area in order to improve the driver’s rear view visibility. In recent
history the mirrors had been mounted on the outside, to the sidepods, for aerodynamic
reasons, which made it difficult for the driver to look into the mirrors.
Finally, the new helmets will feature an additional safety improvement – the
addition of a Zylon strip across the top of the visor. This is intended to reinforce the
weakest point of the otherwise tough racing helmets. The polycarbonate visor is more
vulnerable than the overall shell, but the addition of the Zylon strip now doubles its
impact performance.
