zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
FIA Still Won't Implement Closed Cockpits After Probe Into Bianchi Crash
FIA Still Won't Implement Closed Cockpits After Probe Into Bianchi Crash-May 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:47

The FIA released the findings of its Accident Panel today regarding Jules Bianchi's at the Formula One Japanese Grand Prix. They determined that Bianchi was traveling too fast to avoid going off at the same corner as Adrian Sutil's accident, and have recommended yellow flag speed limits as a result.

At the Japanese Grand Prix, water flowing across the racing line turn 7 at Suzuka International Circuit, which caused Adrian Sutil to go off. Sutil's disabled car caused double yellow flags to be deployed at turns 7 and 8. Jules Bianchi's car hit the tractor that was in the process of retrieving Sutil's car one lap later, when Bianchi hit the same patch of water at turn 7 and went off in the same location.

In the , the Accident Panel stated that "Bianchi did not slow sufficiently to avoid losing control at the same point on the track as Sutil."

The panel also mentioned that Bianchi's Marussia F1 car had a brake-by-wire system that may have contributed to the speed at which he hit the tractor. A FailSafe algorithm is supposed to override the throttle and cut the engine when both the brake and throttle are applied, as Bianchi was doing as he slid out of control. Unfortunately, the Torque Coordinator governing the rear brake-by-wire system prevented the car's FailSafe from cutting the car's throttle input.

However, the panel seems to acknowledge the difficulty of knowing how slow is slow enough for track conditions like those at Suzuka, where heavy rains and traffic under a safety car are already causing competitors to travel much slower than usual.

To this point, they suggested a revision to the way yellow flags are handled:

Proposed new Appendix H Article (possibly under 2.4.5.1 b):

The Clerk of the Course will impose a speed limit in any section of track where double yellow flags are being displayed.

It is proposed that a Working Group, made up of FIA Race Directors and Stewards should meet and draw up detailed regulations and guidelines for the application of this new regulation, in time to apply it in 2015 across international circuit racing.

A review of safety critical software and measures to check its integrity will take place.

Formula One has already started acting on this recommendation. Today, the FIA also of a "" system that forces drivers to slow down in any sector of the track where a yellow flag is displayed.

Formula 1 teams and the FIA have given the green light for the introduction of the virtual safety…

This system has been in testing since the United States Grand Prix, and will ensure that drivers slow down enough for yellow flags in instances where deploying a safety car would be overkill.

Other recommendations for avoiding a similar accident in the future included:

Examining track drainage systems to ensure water moves off the line relatively quickly.Reviewing the F1 calendar to avoid ending races at dusk or scheduling races during certain circuits' rainy seasons. Visibility is key to ensuring that drivers are able to see emergency flags and support crews working on or near the track. Better training on safety procedures for drivers obtaining a Super Licence.Better testing of wet weather tires between seasons.

Also of note were the items which the panel did not recommend.

It is not feasible to mitigate the injuries Bianchi suffered by either enclosing the driver's cockpit, or fitting skirts to the crane. Neither approach is practical due to the very large forces involved in the accident between a 700kg car striking a 6500kg crane at a speed of 126kph. There is simply insufficient impact structure on a F1 car to absorb the energy of such an impact without either destroying the driver's survival cell, or generating non-survivable decelerations.

It is considered fundamentally wrong to try and make an impact between a racing car and a large and heavy vehicle survivable. It is imperative to prevent a car ever hitting the crane and/or the marshals working near it.

We won't be seeing closed-cockpit F1 cars or tractor skirts any time soon. Instead, the Accident Panel focused their recommendations on how to make recovery efforts and inclement conditions as straightforward for drivers to deal with and as easy to spot as possible.

The FIA's statement on the Accident Panel findings can be found .

Jules Bianchi is still recovering from the accident in , and has been moved to Nice, France, to be closer to family and friends.

The family of injured Formula One driver Jules Bianchi released a statement today explaining that…

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Racing
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Get Ready To Spend All Your Money On Retro Formula 1 Merch
Fellow nerds, get ready to open your wallets, because I’ve found what may be the greatest store of all time. With designs from Formula 1 teams like , you’re sure to find something that fits your particular nostalgic niche. I’d like to introduce you to Racing Retro. I first...
May 11, 2025
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
Race Team Would Rather Create A Fake AI Woman Rather Than Hire A Real One
In another unsurprising example of motorsport’s inhospitable mindset toward hiring competent women, the Racing team has announced a new partnership with Ava Rose, a literal , who will... engage with fans? Share knowledge about technology? “Navigate the cutting edge of innovation to create positive change” (whatever that means)? I...
May 11, 2025
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
You've Probably Never Heard Of The Coolest Canadian Car Ever Built
Name a car from the early 1960s built by a famed racing driver with curvy, lightweight aluminum bodywork, a big American engine, and a reputation for being unruly and fast as all hell. Your first thought was probably the famed Shelby Cobra, did you know there was a who...
May 11, 2025
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
Listen To In-Car Audio From Race Cars While You Work
If you follow racing in the U.S., you probably already know about the . Most of the episodes are too much of a distraction to put on as background noise while you work, but a couple of recent entries in his series have been working incredibly well for me....
May 11, 2025
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
After Delivering 8 Seasons At The Back Of The Grid, Haas F1 Team Dumps Guenther Steiner
The partially North Carolina-based squad has determined that after , it needs to mix things up a little. The team’s firebrand has been following an abysmal 2023 season which saw the team score just four points-paying finishes. The team’s , where scored a fourth-place finish, but that season too...
May 11, 2025
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
Local Businesses Want Compensation After Allegedly Losing Money During Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix
If you listen to Formula 1 or local officials from Las Vegas and Clark County, you’d probably think November’s inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix was a success. Some sources estimated that the city of Las Vegas made over $1 billion in revenue from the event — but there were...
May 11, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved