Closed Cockpits agreed for 2017

[krisfx]

I never said a windshield would have helped, but a fully closed cockpit certainly would

But looks like being innovative in F1 is more important than using proved and safe solutions wich are working on different series for many years!

http://img.speedweek.com/img/29c743379b ... 367JPG.JPG

To me the only debate is about what is more important, identity or safety. To me F1 identity is not related with the cockpit setup, F1 is the fastest sprint series, fullstop. Difference between LMP and F1 is race distance, one is an endurance race, while the other is sprint race. The cockpit, IMHO, is irrelevant to the series identity

To me shitty tires wich force drivers to drive carefully instead of driving to the limits is a lot more harmful to F1 identity than any cockpit, closed, open, halo or windshield would ever be, but this is just my opinion...

Is F1 about innovation anymore? I must have missed that bit!

[WaikeCU]

Why haven't they reacted when Tom Pryce got hit by an fire extinguisher back in '77?

How do you think they should have reacted?

I don't know, but that must be one of the most shocking accidents ever. Unless they thought it was just a freak accident and think it can't happen again, so they didn't thought about it any further?

[Just_a_fan]

Tom Price's accident was a freak one - caused by an over-enthusiastic young marshall crossing the live track. Today's marshalling standards would almost certainly preclude it happening again so one could argue that they did do something about it by improving training etc.

Also, the accident was at a time when on-track deaths were still a regular occurrence; if it had been the first death in 20 years it might have had more of an affect on attitudes.

This ability to become hardened to death is not unusual. Look at the way the media report deaths. There are hundreds of people dying in boats crossing the Mediterranean but, because it's now a regular occurrence, it gets less coverage. We have become less shocked by it.

If F1 was still killing a driver or two each year, we might see less hand wringing when things go awry. Because, thankfully, death and serious injury are rare on modern race tracks we find it shocking when it does occur. Demands are then made to prevent it happening again.

In short, attitudes to safety change with time.

[FrukostScones]

say "hello" to Halo in 2017.
http://www.auto-motor-und-sport.de/form ... 04218.html
http://www.autosport.com/news/report.ph ... n-for-2017

[djos]

Typical, just when we think the FiA is going to make a sensible decision they go and prove themselves morons!

[mistrx]

OMG, I am really outraged! I´ve been following F1 for more than 20 years, but this is going too far! Closed cockpits, wtf?! Even more safety? WTF! No proper sound, fricking PR bullshit from all the drivers, dull Tilkedromes and now this!

They crash at 300km/h into the concrete wall and walk away. And want more safety? WTF, go play chess and you will be safe! No one is forcing those guys getting payed millions to step into those cars! These drivers are just bunch of pussies! I do not want to see anyone die, but this is frankly ridiculous! Donť they want to drive those cars remotely from their simulators, that would be safe, wouldn't it?

For everyone bragging about "even one saved life is worth it", please look at this great documentary about motorcycle road racers - Closer to the edge - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1698010/ - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXwyhMunrXY That is what I call passion for sport, exceeding your limits, racing!

Compare those RACERS with these F1 PUSSIES and come back to discuss this ridiculous, hideous, awkward idea of closed cockpits. What comes next?

End of rant. I am really pissed off!

[Jolle]

I think it's the right choice. Not just for F1, but especially because it's a fairly low cost solution for all open cockpit racing, can be retrofitted on excising chassis and no downsides with rain/oil/tearoffs, etc.

Not a solution for the racing millionaires bit for the thousands of kids and amateur racers who go out racing every weekend

[mistrx]

well, I think that remotely driven cars are much safer solution, don't you think? moreover, why race? that tends to be dangerous. And if race, why not to impose maximum speed at certain parts of the track. High speeds are dangerous thus reducing them will make everything safer. And that is what we want. Safety!

Please see the documentary I posted. And then come back and discuss. Pure post downvoting (as our dear Spanish member showed) without argument is just childish. But I guess that safe motorsport (oxymoron, anyone??) is for children. So the childish behavior at least makes sense

[JonoNic]

If a dual sport motorbike can have holes at different places within the wind/deflector screens, why can't F1 cars have it in the aeroscreen? It shouldn't weaken the aeroscreen at all.

[Andres125sx]

Pure post downvoting (as our dear Spanish member showed) without argument is just childish.

Without argument? Thanks god I detailed the motivation for the downvote!

As you decided to make it public, I´ll clarify. I downvoted you, and wrote something like "ranting, drivers never asked for any closed cockpit or halo".

Read your rant again, you pointed drivers as the responsible for Halo and said, repeatedly, they´re pussies, when no F1 driver has ever asked for halo or closed cockpits, so the rant is so far from reality it simply deserved a downvote

[mistrx]

well my Formula E friend, they are pussies. See the documentary and then try to disprove that. And that comes from someone who loves F1. It was quite hard fact to swallow, but seeing that documentary made me really think.

And IIRC quite a few drivers approved the cockpit protection. For example certain Ricciardo http://www.espn.co.uk/f1/story/_/id/147 ... -ricciardo "I think most of us are for it, however it's styled or designed, but it's just to have that extra little bit [of protection].

Hmm, seems they might have not asked (which we can't know, can we? there are few crybabies that I can imagine could have asked for that) but certainly didn't object. If I tell you to do something and you don't object and do it, what do you do? Agree maybe? Can you seriously assume FIA would go forward with this if there was no support from the drivers? Seriously?

Finally I can see that you at least try to make an argument. Kudos for that my friend!

[wesley123]

Well isn't this funny considering how they changed the nose rules multiple times because they weren't "aesthetically pleasing".

Also weird how the best these technically advanced teams come up with is a large titanium bar over the drivers' head.

[mistrx]

well wesley, it would be funny if it wasn't actually sad. but it seems everything is already agreed and all we can do is to just watch the sport being ruined. again.

seriously, I am waiting for the remote controlled cars. it will come sometimes, trust me.

[OneAlex]

"We're losing fans! We need to make our cars look cooler! Let's spend years of technical studies and months of negotiating to come up with wider, sleeker cars! .... AND THEN LET'S STRAP SOME BIG HANDLES BARS OVER THE COCKPIT!"

I really thought Red Bull's alternative was gaining momentum and that maybe F1 would choose the better option for once. Not only does it look better, RB's aeroscreen would also protect against multiple scenarios and debris and so be far more useful.

The most agonising part of the halo is that not only is it ugly, but actually it's only designed to prevent a specific type of freak accident occurring (and that's when F1 already introduced safety devices to stop tyres coming off a few years back). They're essentially making cars much uglier for something that possibly won't ever happen compared to protecting against small pieces of high velocity debris that IS common.

[gandharva]

I really thought Red Bull's alternative was gaining momentum and that maybe F1 would choose the better option for once. Not only does it look better, RB's aeroscreen would also protect against multiple scenarios and debris and so be far more useful.

The RBR solution (reworked) will come in 2018. Other teams are pissing their pants because they think RBR will gain too much aero advantage due to the fact they designed the canopy. Because of this paranoia we are forced to look at that super ugly halo crap for a whole season...