Technology That Saves Lives…Or Less Dramatic Title
When it comes to racing, along with NASCAR and Isle of Man TT, there is nothing more extreme, advanced, and downright insane than Formula 1. Ok, there is, but let’s focus on F1.
Like with every extreme sport out there, safety is always a concern. This has proven to be highly important following the recent events in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Driver Romaine Grosjean suffered a terrible crash in which his Formula 1 racing car split in half. According to experts and Romaine Grosjean himself, Halo saved his life and allowed him to walk away almost unscuffed. But the Halo introduction is fairly recent, so here is how Formula 1’s safety progressed throughout the years.
Formula 1 fatalities: 1970’s and now
I pointed out the 1970s era and compared it to now because the early 1970s were the most deadly years in F1 racing. The early 1970s was the era where Formula 1 race cars became much more powerful. The regulations and constructors did not put the same emphasis on safety. As you can imagine, combining more and more power with the same old safety features is not a good idea. There were nine fatal accidents in Formula 1 official Grand Prix races from 1970 to 1980.
Compared to later years, when Formula 1 started to realize that safety is just as important as horsepowers, the number of fatalities dropped significantly. There were two fatal accidents in the 1980s and 2 in the 1990s. One of the fatalities in 1994 marked the death of a Formula 1 icon and superstar, Ayrton Senna. There were no fatalities at official Formula 1 races until 2015 when Jules Bianchi passed away nine months after a crash at the Suzuka International Racing Course in Japan.
Unfortunately, a fatal accident of the young Formula 2 driver Anthoine Hubert in 2019 reminded us all that, even with the advancement of safety engineering and regulations, this is still an insanely dangerous sport.
Advancement of F1 safety technology
According to Kevin McConway, Professor of Applied Statistics at the Open University, until 1976, every driver had a 0,35% chance of dying each time they entered a Formula 1 race. This percentage accumulated to a 4.4% chance of dying over the whole racing season and a 20% chance of dying in the course of 5 racing seasons. Quite an unpleasant statistic, right? To lower these odds, Formula 1 introduced several technical and organizational safety features. Here are the most crucial ones:
- 1952 — Mandatory use of Helmets
Before helmets, all that drivers wore were cloth caps that protected them from dirt and insects. Since 1952 helmets are mandatory and constantly evolving. Today’s helmets are made out of carbon fiber and are highly fire-resistant.
- 1975 — Mandatory use of fire-resistant race suits
Before 1963, drivers wore what they wanted. In 1963 regulations demanded that drivers wore overalls, and in 1975 those overall race suits needed to meet the fire-resistant standards. Today’s racing suits are completely fire-resistant; from socks to head covers, every piece of race clothing is rigorously tested.
- 1981 — Introduction of the survival cell
The survival cell or a monocoque is basically a small penetration-resistant shell in which the driver is seated. The survival cell features an outer layer made out of a 6 mm thick carbon fiber combined with kevlar. Kevlar is penetration resistant and offers incredible energy absorption during a crash. The monocoque is thoroughly tested and evolves with each season to deliver the best protection for the drivers. To add another layer of security, the survival cell features a fire suppression system that is activated by the driver or the team. The fire suppression system sprays fire-resistant foam around the monocoque, which protects the driver from flames.
- 1996 — Padded headrests
Padded headrests, which were introduced in 1996, are equipped with materials that help with impact absorption during a crash and save the driver’s neck.
- 1997 — Accident Data Recorder
You have probably heard about those black boxes that record everything on an airplane during and before a crash? Well, the Accident Data Recorded in Formula 1 does the same. It contains all the information about how the safety equipment worked during the crash. This information serves as a tool to constantly improve Formula 1 safety standards.
- 1999 — Wheel tethers
The first thing that flies off an F1 car during a crash is the wheels. And those heavy flying wheels have been a cause of death for several drivers in motorsports. Since 1999 wheel tethers are mandatory, and several other car parts are more securely tethered since then.
- 2003 — Head and Neck Support (HANS)
The HANS device tethers to the driver’s helmet and fixates it onto the carbon fiber collar. This limits the driver’s ability to move his head and neck. While it wasn’t well-received when introduced, it proved to be a lifesaver for countless drivers since it has been in use.
- 2014 — Accelerometer
Since 2014 each of the drivers wears an in-ear accelerometer that gathers data on the exact G forces impacting the driver and his head movement while driving or during a crash.
Along with these technological safety advancements, Formula 1 regulators also implemented stricter standards for track barriers and run-off areas; they introduced the pitlane speed limit and the use of a safety car. All of these play a big role in crash prevention and increase the odds of survival during a crash.
I can see your Halo…
Before I touch upon the controversial Halo, I have to mention the introduction of the driver-facing camera. This action camera is implemented into the driver’s cockpit, and with its 400 frames per second (a normal camera records with 60 frames per second at best), it catches everything that happens during a crash.
The Halo wasn’t the only new safety feature introduced in 2018. Along with it came the biometric gloves that are equipped with biometric sensors that transmit the driver’s pulse and blood oxygen levels to the race control center.
Perhaps the most talked about and controversial technological safety addon in recent years was the Halo. The Halo enclosed the driver inside the cockpit and was not well accepted because people argued that it removes the open single-seater racing concept that Formula 1 stands for. Still, crash analysis experts demanded that the F1 racing cars be equipped with cockpit protection. This was elevated after the before mentioned Jules Bianchi’s death in 2015. Three years later, in 2018, all F1 cars were equipped with Halo. The recent crash of Romaine Grosjean in Bahrain only proved the Halo’s effectiveness.
It’s not just about fast cars…
I love Formula 1. I loved it since I was a kid. But it’s not just about fast cars. It’s about technology, engineering, and advancement. It’s the whole WOW effect.
Ever since the 1970s, Formula 1 has kept its promise. Along with the ever-increasing power and cornering speeds of the F1 cars, the advancement of safety was never again neglected. With the general advancements in technology, engineers found new and ingenious ways to implement modern materials and sensors to prevent crashes and learn from the data that gets collected during a crash. The progress made to lower the fatality rates is incredible, and it’s a perfect portrayal of F1’s engineering ingenuity and advancements.
