Lowe: offering better protection to drivers is “inevitable”

For several months now, the FIA has been testing systems to better protect the driver’s head in the event of an impact with an object, as it is very exposed given that Formula 1 is a single-seater championship. The governing body of Formula 1 had notably tested a bubble system from an F-16 (an American fighter jet) or a roll bar to deflect a potential object’s arrival.

This desire was notably prompted by the accidents of Felipe Massa at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, who was hit by a spring in the helmet, and of Henry Surtees in Formula 2, the British driver having lost his life after being struck by a wheel.

For now, the experimental work on the possible implementation of a cockpit or elements to better protect the driver continues. But after the first corner crash at the Belgian Grand Prix, where the wheel of Romain Grosjean’s Lotus E20 came very close to Fernando Alonso’s helmet, some believe that further measures are necessary.

This is particularly the case for Paddy Lowe, who has been involved in the project to find a solution for better cockpit protection and therefore for drivers: « I think 2014 is in the pipeline because we started this project a year ago. Personally, I think it’s something inevitable because it’s one of the biggest risks (in terms of safety) we have at the moment. »

The technical director of the McLaren team believes it’s time to act: « You see this (accidents) again and again, and each time you think we’ve been “lucky.” One day, that won’t be the case. At the same time, we are also in a championship with an open cockpit, so we must protect that, but it is technically possible to find a solution. »

Lowe also disclosed that the implementation of a closed cockpit, using a bubble in particular, had been abandoned in favor of a roll hoop: « We tested the part, especially structurally with several types of impacts, such as with wheels on fire, and it was a success. We now need to understand certain parameters in terms of the necessary angles and the strength of the parts. The work currently underway evaluates visibility, and we have done simulator work with our solution as well. »

If overall, all team leaders agree on the need to work to find a solution to prevent a serious accident, some, like Stefano Domenicali, believe that each solution must be thoroughly studied before making a decision: « We are working with the Federation on a protection system, because from what we have seen during tests and our studies, we can encounter several problems – such as moving the protection during a fire or worse. So we must be very careful with all these systems. »

The director of Scuderia Ferrari also suggested yesterday at the end of the race that driver education could be undertaken from a young age, in the lower categories, so that they are ready once they reach F1: « What is certain is that it would be better if, starting with the youth categories, the rules related to on-track behavior are applied inflexibly, so that drivers are the best prepared when they reach the highest level of motorsport. »

Shared analysis by his driver, Fernando Alonso: « I think some drivers should try to take fewer risks at the start; it’s a bit of a trend in the junior categories, but it would be better if, from the beginning of their careers, they were accustomed to more strictly adhering to the rules concerning behavior on the track. »