Every sport comes with a certain amount of risk. The risk that can be life-changing; might even end one's career- ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) injuries, hamstring injuries, spinal cord contusion causing paralysis, muscle tears, compound fractures- to name a few. Precautions are taken at every step to avoid such injuries but are they enough?
On Sunday, Lewis Hamilton's victory over Max Verstappen in the Bahrain GP was side-lined as the horrific accident in the first lap took headlines. The crash took place when Romain Grosjean's Haas collided with Daniil Kyvat's Alpha Tauri on turn three, rammed into the barrier- splitting the car into two. The fuel tank was ruptured, due to which a fire broke out and engulfed the car into flames. Due to the accident, the race was red-flagged; everyone had to return to their pit.
Romain Grosjean's Haas after the collision
This lead to a restarted race where Daniil Kyat got involved in the flipping of Lance Stroll's RP20 after a wheel-to-wheel contact in the eighth turn (Daniil Kyat got hit with a 10-second penalty for causing the collision; he was frustrated with that decision). The accidents that took place in the Bahrain GP is a testimony of the amount of risk associated with F1 racing. In a race where every second matters, the drivers need to have a quick reflex to avoid any possible mishaps.
Lance Stroll's RP20 after the flip
Romain Grosjean's crash is the most horrific F1 crash in almost three decades. Due to the modern safety measures and protocols, he managed to escape the fireball with minor burns on the hands and intact bones! He survived the 221 Kmph crash due to the "halo"; without which his helmet would have hit the barrier. Moreover, the survival cell-monocoque remained intact even after the 53G force impact of the collision. The HANS (Head and Neck Support) device prevented the horrible neck and back injuries that helped Grosjean to remove himself from the survival cell in few seconds and leap the guardrail to safety. The flame-resistant Nomex clothing made sure that the flames did not reach the inside of the suit as it can withstand the temperature of 800 degrees Celsius for more than 11 seconds.
Medical delegate Dr. Ian Roberts and medical car driver Alan van der Merwe providing aid to Romain Grosjean
What is "halo"?
Halo is the three-legged griddle placed in front of the driver's cockpit. The concept of halo came into the picture after the sad demise of Jules Bianchi- who met with an accident at the 2014 Japanese GP and died nine months later due to the head injuries suffered in the crash.
Mercedes came up with the halo concept in the year 2015; initially made up of steel that could survive a 20kg tire fired at a speed of 225kmph. In 2016, a lighter prototype made out of titanium was manufactured and tested for over two seasons. The titanium probe could withstand a force of 116 KiloN from above, 83KiloN from the front, and 93KiloN from the side. (1 KiloN= Force exerted by 100kg weight). It is capable of withstanding the force of a double-decker bus without even bending!
The halo was made mandatory in 2018. The addition of halo increased the survival rate of the drivers by 17%; the only safety concern was that it would take drivers 2 seconds longer to get out of the cockpit. Many F1 drivers did not like the design and were sceptical about the structure but little did they know that the halo will eventually become their saviour!
THE MONOCOQUE
The monocoque, widely known as the survival cell is the principal component of the car's chassis. They are made out of 12 layers of carbon fibre with a final layer of Carbon, Zylon (Heat and flame resistant synthetic polymer), and Kevlar. In case of a huge crash, the front and the rear segment of Formula 1 cars are designed to break apart so that the driver is strapped securely in the monocoque enclosed by the rollhoop.
The monocoque of an F1 car
FUTURE CONCERNS:
The fire that broke out after the collision is a concern. Since the introduction of Safety bladder fuel tanks in 1970, there hasn't been any major fuel tank fire at an F1 race (The last incident was that of Gerhard Berger's Imola crash in 1989 and the death of Ricardo Palletti in Canada in 1986).
The white shaded portion depicts the fuel tank in an F1 car
The fuel tanks are constructed with military-grade ballistic material Kevlar- reinforced with rubber. They are a single puncture-proof bladder that can only be manufactured by certain FIA approved companies. This bladder is encased within a crushable structure that can withstand very high impact loads. The fuel lines are equipped with a self-seal breakaway-fuel coupling system so that fuel doesn't leak when the chassis and engine get separated due to an accident. Even after so many modifications, the fire broke out after the car hit the barrier.
Secondly, the barrier failed to do its work. When Grosjean's Haas hit the guardrail at an angle with a speed of 221 Kmph, it could not withstand the tremendous force and entrapped the monocoque. Grosjean's monocoque got trapped in the barrier, engulfed in flames. A TecPro barrier or a reinforced railing would have been a better option. It was for the first time that an incident had occurred in the turning where Grosjean hit the barrier.
The pierced barrier
FIA is waiting for a full investigation report so that they can understand the main reason for the massive accident. They have promised to make the necessary changes in the existing safety protocol to avoid such accidents in the future.
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