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Niki Lauda’s 1976 accident at the Nürburgring is one of the most famous accidents in Formula 1 history. Probably also because the Austrian survived the accident.
His face burns became a symbol of the Formula 1 era at that time. As a world champion, Lauda has combined the glorious sides of the sport with the dangerous ones.
Four drivers weren’t so lucky and died in Formula 1 racing because their cars went up in flames: Stuart Lewis-Evans at the 1958 Morocco GP, Lorenzo Bandini at the 1967 Monaco GP, Jo Schlesser at the 1968 French GP or Roger Williamson at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix.
Ronnie Peterson allegedly survived his fire accident in 1978, but died in hospital from an embolism.
The racing suit protects Grosjean
Since then, various safety measures have ensured that no more crashes with Formula 1 fires occur. In fact. Until the Bahrain GP.
But Romain Grosjean’s terrible accident proves that all efforts, including making the racing suits of drivers ever more fire resistant, are not in vain.
The racing suits are made with a flame retardant material called Nomex. In them, racing drivers can survive temperatures up to 840 degrees for 35 seconds. It took Grosjean 27 seconds to break free from the glowing hell.
Driver protected from gas and acids
Not only suits, but also shoes, underwear, gloves and face masks are now made from the special synthetic fiber.
This not only protects drivers from the fire itself, but also from aggressive gases and acids. This is not unimportant, especially with modern Formula 1 drivers. Thanks to the hybrid elements, batteries with toxic materials are also on board.
A racing suit costs 1200 euros, weighs 1.9 kilograms and must withstand an 820-degree fire for ten seconds early. This also saved Grosjean, although the Frenchman lost a shoe in his fall.
“He goes out without a shoe, which means his feet should have penetrated the pedal board when he gets off. When he goes out, he basically takes off the shoe himself. Not a big deal. But of course the shoe also protects against fire. burns. on the ankle, “Alexander Wurz explained his hypothesis ORF.
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HALO saves Grosjean’s life
But it’s not just racing suits that are safer. Even today’s cars are made of carbon fiber rather than easily flammable magnesium alloys.
The fact that Grosjean was not beheaded on impact with the guardrail is thanks to the HALO cabin protection, which was introduced in 2018 and received a lot of criticism initially.
The titanium bar, which is being built in Büren near Paderborn, has to withstand forces of twelve tons from above, 4.7 tons from the front and 9.5 tons from the side. The airbox roll bar is now designed for a 27 ton load.
Rosberg: “Our bulletproof vest”
The safety cell, the so-called monocoque, is made of a Kevlar-carbon composite and is loaded with 20 tons from the front and 25 tons from the side during the crash test.
“It’s our flak jacket,” former world champion Nico Rosberg once said. The wheels are also attached to the monocoque with three Kevlar straps.
By the way: the Halo cockpit bar was also introduced due to the Jules Bianchi accident in Suzuka in 2014.
Today his mother wrote to a French journalist: “You presented Halo after my son died, today he saved Romain’s life. It makes me happy.”
Here’s how Formula 1 has improved safety over the years:
It wasn’t until 1952 that Formula 1 introduced mandatory helmets for drivers, and it wasn’t until 1967 that seat belts were mandatory.
1970: For safety reasons, fans must now stay at least three meters from the track. A separation wall between the track and the pit lane will be mandatory.
1971: In the event of a fire, drivers must be able to leave the cabin within five seconds (under test).
Flame retardant clothing only became mandatory in 1975
1972: The six-point seat belt becomes mandatory so that drivers do not slip out of the car when they roll over – two years after the Jochen Rindt accident.
1978: Professor Dr. Sid Watkins becomes the first chief physician of Formula 1. The medical picture is now getting better and better.
1979: The cockpit openings are widened so that it is easier to get out of the car in an emergency. Some pilots are competing for the first time in five-layer fireproof suits, including Niki Lauda.
1980: an en-route hospital is needed, in 1986 also a rescue helicopter.
1981: Carbon fiber monocoque is established and foot area is added.
1985: The first crash tests for the front section of the racing car are included in the regulation. Since 1988, these load tests have also been available for the entire monocoque. Over the years the rules have been tightened up and extended to other components.
1991: roll bar, belt and survival cell test.
1992: For the first time, the use of the safety car is precisely regulated. Before that, it was only used sporadically.
1994: After the death of Ayrton Senna, victim of an accident in Imola, in the current season 27 curves are defused on various routes.
1994: No more racing speed in the pit lane. Only 80 km / h in training and 120 km / h in competition are allowed.
1995: Side crash tests are introduced.
1997: Every car must now have an accident recorder on board. In addition, the rear must now withstand the crash tests.
1999: In order for the tires not to become a fatal bullet in an accident, they must be attached to the cockpit with straps.
2000: The impact speed in the front crash test increases from 13 to 14 meters per second. The carbon fiber walls of the passenger compartment must be at least 3.5 millimeters thick.
In 2001 the walls of the cockpit were raised.
2003: Head and Neck Support System (HANS) is introduced, which stabilizes and protects the driver’s head and neck in the event of an accident.
2005: The protective cushions in the cockpit are reinforced. The tire tether ropes must now withstand forces of up to six tons. Front fenders and other aerodynamic components can no longer be made from any material. Extra hard Kevlar is a must.
2006: For the first time, experiments are conducted with Tecpro barriers as path limits. Plastic blocks absorb 40% more energy than conventional tire stacks.
2011: Helmets must now have a Zylon tape over the visor to protect the driver from flying parts.
2015: Full frame with Zylon protection, a bulletproof material.
2016: After Jules Bianchi’s fatal accident with an excavator in Suzuka, the virtual phase of SafetyCar is introduced.
2018: Halo cockpit protection becomes mandatory, three instead of two Kevlar attachments on the tires.
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