Motors Is it time for F1 to introduce mandatory cockpit protection?

Even with a lower power bullet (to compensate for the smaller surface area), a .308 for example, you need quite a thickness of material to stop it.

 

if they were driving around in protective bubbles you may aswell be watching a replay of a video game.

some risk has to be envolved or no one would respect the sport. If some one pushes it to the edge knowing the risks you can respect that but if they do it without any risk would anyone be that interested

its sad that people get injured and killed in motorsport but they know that getting into it. part of the thrill/excitment/challange

take the nurbergring. how many people flock to that daily and know how many people have been killed over the years at it

 

+1. And a testament to the well trained crews that staff the events.

 

i agree.. it will be more dangerous with a Canopie, they are a bad idea making it harder to make a speedy exit from the car.. Can't they build extra bullet-proof helmets to stop flying objects at 200 mph as a new standard?

 

The trouble with that is that any increase in helmet strength would most likely increase the mass. Given that the driver is regularly subjected to 5-6G accelerations in corners, let alone a high-speed impact a heavier helmet could contribute to an increased risk of neck/spinal injuries.

I'm not saying that it's not worth a bit of FIA-funded research , but I think a knee-jerk reaction of "we must make the helmets stronger" without proper thought would be foolish. As I said before I think that the fact that Massa was able to survive an impact of that magnitude and be out of hospital in just over a week is very impressive in itself.

 

Is it just my ignorant opinion that motor sport was always and will always be dangerous and it should stay that way?!

The drivers are protected by a billion safety measures already. You can't protect yourself from every eventuality, thats not possible and it would take the thrill out of the sport.
The fact that Masa survived shows that the current measures fulfill their purpose very well.

 

Not at all! Motorsport is an inherently dangerous sport, I mean you're travelling along at 160+ mph inches away from the ground. So naturally we want to make it as safe as possible; and i've think they've done that. We've got a case with massa here where the accident he was involved in might have killed a driver not even 5 years ago?