How would one get out of it, stuck inverted in a crash and fire, lacking time by rescue workers getting to the wreck? Does that fuselage have side pod doors??

I think that rendering is gorgeous. However, I think we will have 18" wheels before we have closed cockpit cars. Its no secret Pirelli want out of F1 and Michelin won't enter unless there is a move to 18s.

There's the rub. It would need to be a true survival cell, with on-board fresh air and capable of withstanding fire and hard impact.

It's be cool if they could pull it off, though!

Question. In lieu of wipers could air jets clear a wind screen if an air supply could be properly engineered to last a race distance?

I was wondering this too... how do fighter jets clear their windshields in the rain? I presume they are going so fast the rain just doesn't stick?

It would be interesting to see how F1 used tech to solve this problem.

force field:
McLaren's ultrasonic force field to replace windshield wipers
‘Ultrasonic force field’ to replace windshield wipers | Ausauto

phazers and warp drive is next

They could save weight by getting rid of all that ghey electric kinetic crap.

1954 F1 car:
http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1440705813.jpg

There you go.

How well does Rain-X work riding behind a few 18 wheel trucks?

The F1 cars fill the air with water with those full wet tires. I wonder how any of them see.

F1 enclosed canopy is quite a difficult challenge to get right without adding more safety hazards than it solves

I've seen a video from the FIA of the first cockpit canopy test, basically in concept it was very similar to a Class 1 offshore powerboat canopy but with an open top ie made from a fighter plane canopy

Problem with cutting a hole in the top is it allowed the canopy to deflect too much and not deflect enough energy on impact. If there is no hole in the top the driver will struggle to get out if the car has over turned or the canopy has distorted and can't be opened. If you have a side access for the driver the safety cell will be compromised too much on side and front impacts as well as the headrest integrity.

There are all sorts of options being explored by various teams on behalf of the FIA, I'm sure a solution will be found soon but it needs to not be a knee jerk reaction as getting it wrong will for sure be a backward safety step.

Exactly why I think it is idiotic for them to race in the rain. That an a few hundred thousand dollars worth of electronics in the cockpit getting soaked... how many of you would leave your laptop out in the rain?

RE: Exiting the canopy if he car gets upside down... small rocket motors that can flip the car back over?

I don't believe open cockpit cars are inherently dangerous. It seems like external factors, such as safety equipment on the track, walls, sharp curbs, flying parts, etc. are the cause of most serious injuries. If the tracks can be made safer (easy, but expensive), they can all but eliminate those external factors. F1 has done this very well. IndyCar has not. Eliminating "freak" occurrences is impossible and will never happen. IE, the sport will never be truly safe.

Motorcycle racers have virtually no protection when they fall off at great speed, yet there are very rarely serious injuries. That's because, in general, their bodies don't hit anything as they slide along the ground. It has nothing to do with the safety design of the motorcycle itself.

The FIA has been testing cockpits like the ones shown at the top of this thread and at least two problems have emerged, spokesmen say. The first is that when debris hits the cockpit canopy, it can be launched into spectator areas. The second is that it makes removing the driver after a crash much more difficult. They're now looking at something called a "cockpit halo," shown here.
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Very sorry, I seem to having problems with this and I seem not to be able to delete the above post. If you'd like to see what this looks like, Google "Mercedes cockpit halo." Again, sorry.

I'm glad they do, shows you who has it and who wants it the most. Going around in circles only when its sunny out is pretty boring in my book.

Racing in the rain is awesome. Often the equalizer in strategies, setups - both crew and drivers.

As for rain and open cockpit cars..... no problem. State of the art connections and loom are resistance to harsh environment. The cockpit wheel is quite amazing.

the reason f1 wheels/tires are so small, is because of the rule book.

Looking at this photo is a nostalgic reminder of when a racing car was only about pure and minimalistic. A tub, four open wheels, and a racer that the spectators could see.

Amazing the price many drivers paid for that moment of glory.

(very neat photo btw)

One thing forgotten with all this enclosed cockpit talk. (A friend reminded me of this this morning)

No fist pump for the winner at the finish line....