There have been crashes, accidents, collisions in F1, with some leading to minor injuries and some proving fatal which have lead to the car getting a string of safety features
The Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix 2021 took place on September 12, 2021, where a frightening crash took place between Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull Racing’s Max Verstappen. This has reignited the long-term debate about the safety of the drivers and the cars.
The FIA as well as the car companies have been modifying the guidelines and the cars almost every year to ensure the driver’s safety and the car’s well-being. Extra efforts were added to the safety features after a major crash at Bahrain Grand Prix 2020 where Romain Grosjean crashed hard that caused a fire while he was still in the car.
Luckily he was saved as the safety team arrived in time and owing to the safety features instilled in place in the F1 car.
FUN FACT: Formula 1 introduced a mandatory use of helmets for drivers during the race in 1952. In 1967, Formula 1 included an obligatory use of seatbelts in F1 Cars.
F1 Car: Safety Features And Changes In Formula 1 Cars
Survival Cell
The Survival Cell is also known as the monocoque is one of the most vital safety highlights on an F1 vehicle. The survival cell guarantees that nothing can invade and harm the driver. They are thoroughly tried to guarantee that no residue can puncture them and hit the driver and that they stay flawless during an effect.
Romain Grosjean’s mishap showed exactly how tough the survival cell is. The vehicle split down the middle, went through a fence and was exposed to extraordinary blazes for quite a while, yet it stayed faultless, and Grosjean didn’t experience many wounds other than a couple of broken ribs. This shows how strong the monocoque is and how well it secures the driver.
Purpose: It is the part of the vehicle that straightforwardly embraces the driver and is there to guard the driver in case of a mishap. It is practically indestructible and is produced using carbon fibre, which is extremely light yet exceptionally sturdy.
Halo
The Halo is an etched titanium structure covered with carbon fibre that gauges seven kilograms (15 lbs) and can uphold the heaviness of a multi-level bus, which weighs a little more than 12 tons (12000kg/26455 lbs). Therefore, the vehicle’s outline must be supported to withstand the weight set on the Halo, and it is the most grounded part of a Formula 1 vehicle.
The most recent example of the Halo saving the lives of the drivers was at the Italian Grand Prix 2021 on September 12, 2021, when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton collided with one another. The collision was so intense that Verstappen’s Red Bull was on top of the Mercedes in which Lewis Hamilton was driving. The crash could have gone worse if the Halo was not present for the driver’s safety.
Purpose: The motive behind the Halo is to shield the driver’s head from flying rubble or vehicles. It basically anticipates something important from one or the other flying into the driver’s head or arriving on top of their head. The weight it can withstand is a lot higher than an F1 vehicle will probably at any point insight, as the heaviness of an F1 vehicle is around 740 kg, yet it is smarter to be more secure.
Kevlar Fuel Tanks
The gas tank in a Formula 1 vehicle is produced using military-grade Kevlar supported with elastic. These tanks are cut verification to keep fuel from spilling out of them. The advantage of Kevlar is that it is 5-10x stronger than steel, extremely light, and very adaptable when it’s in the fibre structure. This Kevlar tank is then wrapped in rubber to permit it to hold fuel.
This is because Kevlar texture without help from anyone else would not be able to hold the fuel, so it is encased in elastic to guarantee it can ensure and convey the fuel required for the Formula 1 vehicle. The advantage of elastic is that it is additionally adaptable and can hold liquids, which implies that Kevlar’s advantage isn’t lost. The gas tank’s adaptability is likewise worthwhile, as it very well may be added to a restricted space without any difficulty.
Purpose: This is all fairly valuable for an F1 gas tank, as its solidarity and adaptability keep it from breaking. Adaptable things are a lot more grounded than something inflexible. It is likewise light, which implies it doesn’t add a lot of pointless load to an F1 vehicle as a thick steel gas tank would.
Roll Structures
All Formula 1 vehicles are provided roll structures found simply behind the driver in the airbox and one more before the driver, behind the directing wheel. The one behind the driver is higher than the highest point of their head protector and the Halo. For the back roll loop, the driver should be basically 70mm beneath it.
The roll bar behind the driver has been in Formula for seemingly forever. It was presented in 1961 and has been around from that point forward. It has shielded numerous drivers from head wounds when their vehicles have flipped over and have been an indispensable expansion to the game.
Purpose: The motivation behind the roll structures is to secure the driver when the vehicle flips. Hitting on the tip of their head with a complete load of a Formula 1 vehicle pushing down on them would kill a driver. Thus, the roll structure is fundamental in an F1 Car.
Padded Cockpit
The cockpit is additionally wrapped in a foam sheet, and its purpose is quite useful. During a mishap, the driver’s legs will be banged around the cockpit, so it will probably harm the driver in case it is hard. The delicate adaptable padding digests a great deal of the effect and secures the driver’s legs. The Padded Cockpit ensures comfortable driving as well as the safety of the driver during a crash-like situation.
Head And Neck Support System (HANS)
The Head and Neck Support System, also known as HANS is a horseshoe-formed unbending collar that sits on the shoulders of the driver, under the safety belt, and joins to the rear of the head protector. This protective feature ensures that the driver does not get a basilar skull fracture, which used to be a common injury in earlier times.
Purpose: The HANS framework is intended to block the extension of the vertebrae and support the driver’s head. The collar senses and rearranges powers on the head that would somehow or another affect the driver’s skull and neck muscles, and keeps the head where it should be. The system was acquainted with F1 in 2003 and is broadly utilized today in many types of motorsport.
The Russian Grand Prix 2021 will take place on Sunday, September 26, 2021, on the Sochi Autodrom track.