F1. What the deuce.

[Nozzle]

I'm no follower of F1 these days, lost blind interest in it 10-15 years back, much better motor sport out there to view. However I noticed recently the 2018 cars look increasingly more gash than even the ones last year.

It would seem the teams can't get thick enough cotton wool in which to wrap the drivers, so now they're required to go for a hard engineered solution - "The Halo". What a load of twaddle. From a markerting perspective, the cars look really really daft. From a safety perspective, it guards against one particular type of hazard. At the expense if the car flips over, or is on fire the driver is massively restricted in being pulled out alive. As per the title - What the deuce.

For what it's worth, F1 2019 might as well look a little like this:

Nozzle

 

[Doug99]

The safety 'halo' is supposed to protect the driver's head, but would have offered no protection in the crash that killed Jules Bianchi when he drove into the back of a JCB. Nor Maria Villota the test driver who lost an eye when she drove into the back of a support truck. Nor Felipe Massa when a bolt hit him in the face. The only way to fully protect the driver's head is an enclosed cockpit of armoured glass.

 

[EddieM]

would still like to see a F0 class... no restrictions (apart from capped budget maybe)

 

[transam]

Driver safety is always being improved , not much you can really do about motorcycle racing apart from make the tracks safer

although they did trial an inflatable suit ?? that blew up with air (afaik) the moment any impact occurred .

IOM TT usually claims a few lives every year ?? but then they are pure road circuits (scary)

In the early 70's drag race cars always had the engine in the front and when they let go it would pepper the driver with shrapnel , moving the engine to the rear of the car saved lives

Early formula one cars , there was not much consideration for driver safety ???

 

[essex123456]

It's so boring now I don't bother it's little more than a procession. The drivers are boring as well. Not saying we should go back to the old days of deaths. The halo is just awful. MotoGP is mikes better to watch or touring car.

 

[ReganAndCarter]

I'm glad the cigarette advertising has gone from the cars. The advertising only used to encourage me. JPS car went past, so I thought I would get a pack. Marlboro car zooms past - hmm get a packet of those too. Car crashes and bursts into flames - may as well get a lighter while I'm at it.

 

[EFLImpudence]

Have you now stopped overtaking people?

 

[ReganAndCarter]

Yep. Prefer to undertake now.

 

[garyo]

My wife has been watching it this season and now refuses to stand Lycra-clad in front of my car for ten minutes before I go to work each morning. She used to look great with that old Foxtons for-sale board too.