Quote:
Originally Posted by nostatic
Then do they put up barriers to protect the barriers? This was a bit of a freak accident due to weather. Typically a driver would heed the yellow and the odds of this happening is rather small. But in bad track conditions (rain, lighting, visibility) stuff can go much more wrong. Lauda is right- it is a dangerous sport.
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It is a dangerous sport, and it was a freak accident. But its not a barrier to protect a barrier. Its about an object not normally exposed to F1 cars and a F1 car meeting with force.
He went under the engine compartment of a front end loader re configured to work with straps to lift and move cars. He did not hit a barrier. If the heavy equipment had of had rear bumper, or a uniform surface, instead of a slope allowing the car to go under, Jules would probably be in better condition. The top roll structure and airbox of the F1 car was sheered off.
I'm amazed at the safety of F1 helmets and cars that he hasn't been declared dead yet. We can hold out hope, but I'm not expecting to hear any good news on Jules.
You can't really blame any orginization for this. However, as I posted, changes may be looked into in reguards to heavy equipment used on a hot track. Weight at the rear is not really an issue, since its a counterweight to leverage against what it is lifting. A rear crash structure to the ground only penalizes the vehicle's use on hilly terrain.