New safety proposals for F1
In a very constructive meeting of the Formula One Technical Working Group in Monza on Sunday, September 12, 2004, the Formula One Technical Directors unanimously agreed to propose the following measures to the Formula One Commission and the World Motor Sport Council for introduction from the beginning of the 2005 season.
Wheel tethers Each wheel will be restrained by a tether system which is capable of absorbing more than four times the energy of existing tethers. (The need of increased tensile strength of new tethers has been proven several times this season, where wheels keep flying off a crashing car. Wheels that are kept onto the car help absorbing a possible impact and will not be a danger to spectators.)
This has been made possible by research carried out by the newly- established FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety into the development of metallic tethers, rather than the fibrous tethers used currently.
Headrests Research conducted by the FIA at the Transport Research Laboratory in the UK has demonstrated that an increase in the thickness of side headrests would offer significant safety benefits to drivers. (While the HANS system has proven to be very efficient in front impact crashes, some concern has risen in the case of sideway crashes. Several drivers have had physical problems after these type of crashes. In increased thickness of side headrests is to reduce this danger)
The thickness of side headrests will therefore be increased from 75 to 100 mm.
Debris containment Following a number of incidents where sharp shards of debris have been blamed for tyre damage, all front wing endplates, ‘barge boards’ and other turning vanes will be manufactured using outer skins of materials such as Kevlar which tests have shown can reduce debris by as much as 80%.
Contrary to the performance related proposals that were made earlier in the season, these safety measures are likely to be easily approved by the teams. Neither of them should be holding up measures to increase driver safety.
