zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Racing
/
Understanding Anthoine Hubert's Fatal Accident
Understanding Anthoine Hubert's Fatal Accident-March 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:11:08

Last weekend, Anthoine Hubert lost his life at a fatal crash at the Formula 2 race at Spa-Francorchamps. Since then, there has been confusion and a fair share of misunderstandings as to how the incident happened. But has posted an enlightening video that explores the accident without utilizing the traumatic footage of the incident itself.

The video is intended as a way to help answer some lingering questions for those of us still grieving in the wake of the crash. It respectfully handles a lot of the “whys” that have recently sprung up—again, without relying on crash footage. Instead, a series of still images are used to illustrate racing lines and crash impacts.

As the video points out, race cars aren’t designed to handle impacts from multiple points in rapid succession. Rather, those crash structures absorb the energy of the impact and help reduce rapid deceleration, often along a relatively linear axis. So, if a car is hit from the left, it will deform along that axis, with the energy also partially being deflected to the right side of the car.

At that point, the crash structure has done all it can do. It is deformed, and it can no longer absorb impact energy effectively because the structures for doing so no longer exist. If you have another side impact, the driver will be left relatively prone.

This is generally not an issue, as it has become rare for a car to be hit at high speed multiple times. Ultimately, though, Hubert’s impact with the barrier deformed the crash structure. When the impact with Juan Manuel Correa took place, the normal amount of crash protection had severely dropped off.

The video also looks into potential changes to the Eau Rouge complex at Spa itself, which is at a bit of an impasse. More runoff could have helped with this accident which, contrary to what many people initially thought, took place entirely on the runoff and not on the racing surface. But the natural geography of the track doesn’t allow for expansion. The track was designed to be tricky, and it has reached what can be considered an apex of safety.

The FIA is currently conducting a deeper investigation into the matter regarding what reforms can and will be made for the future. While the incident was a one-in-a-million event, it is very still likely that something will be done, even regarding the slightest of changes.

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
GT3 Version Of Mercedes AMG GT Is Not Called The AMG GT GT3
GT3 Version Of Mercedes AMG GT Is Not Called The AMG GT GT3
I awoke this morning to a surprise: the Mercedes AMG GT that races in the GT3 category is not called the Mercedes AMG GT GT3, as I halfway hoped it would be. Instead it is the Mercedes AMG GT3. Hm. This all started with a tweet from friend of Jalopnik...
Mar 5, 2026
One Acura NSX's Retirement In Last Moments Of Race Made The Ending Crazy
One Acura NSX's Retirement In Last Moments Of Race Made The Ending Crazy
The NSX GT3 made its international racing debut at the Rolex 24, but the No. 93 NSX was lacking a fender and a hood and kept going anyway. It looked like a magnificent beast rolling along missing vital parts. Sadly, now it will become a source of total mayhem, having...
Mar 5, 2026
Leading Ferrari's Engine Laughs At Your Weak Attempts To Predict Daytona, Also Smokes
Leading Ferrari's Engine Laughs At Your Weak Attempts To Predict Daytona, Also Smokes
How dare you, a mere mortal sack-o-flesh, even attempt to predict the 24 Hours of Daytona. Let this surprise retirement serve as a reminder of how things work. There is nothing predictable about this race, you fools. The No. 63 Ferrari 488 GT3 of Scuderia Corsa was leading the GTD...
Mar 5, 2026
Jeff Gordon's Team Wore Temporary Rolex Tattoos To Win Real Ones At Daytona
Jeff Gordon's Team Wore Temporary Rolex Tattoos To Win Real Ones At Daytona
You know the phrase “act like you’ve been there?” That’s sort of what the Wayne Taylor Racing team did to win one of the famous Rolexes that go to winners of the 24 Hours of Daytona. They all decided—yes, including Daytona-only teammate Jeff Gordon—to wear temporary tattoos of the Rolex...
Mar 5, 2026
Our First Look Inside The Porsche 911 RSR Shows How The 911 Went Mid-Engine
Our First Look Inside The Porsche 911 RSR Shows How The 911 Went Mid-Engine
Porsche has been extremely guarded about what’s behind the black louvered panel that hides the new 911 RSR’s engine bay. Under that panel, Porsche made the best use of the 911's meager backseat space by stuffing in a 510-horsepower endurance racing flat-six engine to make the RSR they use for...
Mar 5, 2026
The Jeff Gordon-Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac Prototype Dream Team Won The Rolex 24
The Jeff Gordon-Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac Prototype Dream Team Won The Rolex 24
Cadillac’s return to prototype racing was indeed triumphant, with Cadillac DPi-V.Rs taking first and second place at Daytona. First place went to none other than the No. 10 Wayne Taylor Racing team who invited retired NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon to race with them this year at Daytona. However, some risky...
Mar 5, 2026
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved