F1 – Its Risks and Car’s Safety Features

“People had been racing cars competitively in Europe since the early 1900’s. According to Rookie Road – in 1946, after World War 2 ended, the Federation Internationale de I’Automobile) standardized a set of rules and started a championship of drivers. And the first Formula 1 race took place in Silverstone, England in 1950.

Although there are conscious efforts to make F1 a safe race, there are still unfortunate cases of deaths and injuries. But through the years, improvements are happening and the FIA, the worldwide regulating body of F1, is continuously reinventing Formula 1 to make the race safe.

Calculated risk – that’s the phrase professional athletes use, including race car drivers. But of course, it’s a risk, just the same. Here are some of the safety risks the race car drivers, in general, are facing every time they get behind the wheels, beyond a car crash:

1. Toxic Fume Inhalation

Toxic fumes include burning rubber and gasoline. This is a case of slow burn but inhaling these fumes many times can take their toll on the respiratory system.

2. Hearing Damage

Earplugs can be an option but exposing the self with extremely loud sounds can put the driver at risk for serious hearing loss.

3. Dehydration

It can get extremely hot inside of a car. Also, to take note – it’s a long race and the drivers are perspiring, it can easily lead to dehydration. According to Racing Adventures, drivers can get blood clots that keep them from racing up to six months.

Truth to tell, still the biggest danger is car crash. Even for professional drivers with years of experience, it is still tricky to drive and control a supercar exceeding 200 miles per hour. At a glimpse, here are the 10 worst crashes in the history of Formula One, as listed by Hot Cars:

10. 1961 Italian Grand Prix – Wolfgang Von Trips

Dated back to the 1961 Italian Grand Prix, Wolfgang Von Trips front wheels collided with Jim Clark’s rear wheels, causing Von Trips to lose control and rush into the spectators’ area. 15 onlookers were killed, and also Von Trips.

9. 1967 Monaco Grand Prix – Lorenzo Bandini

At the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix, Lorenzo Bandini lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the guard rails and straw bales. The fuel tank rupture caused the car to catch fire and he fall into the flames. He was later diagnosed with third degree burn and died three days later.

8. 1978 Italian Grand Prix – Ronnie Peterson

Ronnie Peterson had a bad day during that event. His car was damaged at the practice season then encountered some technical errors even at the start of the race. And when he’s trying to get back to the track, his car ran into the barriers and caught fire. His legs were badly injured – 27 fractures. He was also diagnosed with fat embolism and kidney failure. Peterson died on September 11 of that year.

7. 1980 German Grand Prix – Patrick Depailler

In the testing session at Hockenheimring Baden-Wurttemberg circuit, Depailler’s car overturned due to high-speed and caused head injuries.

6. 1982 Belgian Grand Prix – Gilles Villeneuve

While trying to get closer to Jochen Mass, Mass turned to the right side to let Villeneuve pass but Villeneuve was going in the same direction. He suddenly crashed into Mass’s car at high speed. Villeneuve’s car was thrown into the air and hit the ground, nosediving. He died hours after heading to the hospital.

5. 1994 San Marino Grand Prix – Roland Ratzenberger

Roland Ratzenberger lost control of the vehicle and crashed into the barriers. The front wheel penetrated the cockpit. He faced a fractured skull and a ruptured aorta. He was taken to a hospital but eventually died due to the severity of his injuries.

4. 1994 San Marino Grand Prix – Ayrton Senna

Ayrton Senna’s vehicle hit the barriers next to the track at 145 mph and shattered. He suffered excessive bleeding and a weak heartbeat. He eventually passed away due to hard brain injuries and ruptured arteries.

3. 2010 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix – Michael Schumacher

Vitantonio Liuzzi hit Michael Schumacher’s car and Schumacher was very luck to still have his head on. It was a strong impact!

2. 2014 Japan Grand Prix – Jules Bianchi

The Suzuka track was slippery due to heavy rain and caused Adrian Suti to lose control of his vehicle and stop at the run-off zone. A crane came for help and while they were helping Suti, Jules Bianchi’s car lost control and crashed into the crane directly. This accident caused serious injuries for Bianchi.

1. 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix – Romain Grosjean

Romain Grosjean had a hard collision with barriers. His car caught fire and he was trapped in flames. But it was a miracle! He just had some burns on his hands and neck. And this only showed the importance of new tech and engineering at Formula One. The safety device was called “Halo” that protects the driver’s head.

Today, it is safe to say that Formula One cars are relatively safer, compared to its earlier years. Spectators can now enjoy a more worry-free stance when watching the race. And because of these safety features, the drivers can push harder, making the race much more exciting to watch.

For more F1 news and articles, keep visiting Asia Casino News (asiacasino.org) – the site will be posting updates form hereon.

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