No windshield in F1 for the moment

Since July 25, 2009, and the accident involving Felipe Massa on the Hungaroring circuit, the FIA and the world of F1 have been seeking solutions to maximize the safety of the main participants in single-seater races. To recall, the Brazilian was the victim of a very rare incident: Rubens Barrichello’s Brawn GP car lost a spring that, after bouncing several times on the track, struck Massa’s helmet, causing him to go straight into the next corner.

This incident had not only cost the Paulista the end of the season but had also highlighted the risks drivers faced in the cockpit just days after the death of young Henry Surtees, who was struck in the head by a wheel during the Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch. More recently, during the last round of the 2010 season in Abu Dhabi, the accident between Michael Schumacher and Vitantonio Liuzzi had reopened the debate.

The idea put forward by the authorities and some actors in the motor racing industry was to cover the cockpit to make Formula 1 cars have a windshield or even become covered cars. This solution, breaking with the history of the top category, hasn’t necessarily garnered unanimous support, and other ideas were raised, such as strengthening the durability of helmets or even the hypothesis of a grid to protect drivers’ heads, similar to American football.

The FIA still conducted a number of tests on potential glazing intended to protect drivers: the safety tests involved both a windshield and an F-16 canopy (a fighter jet) onto which a tire was launched at a speed of 225 km/h. As shown in the video produced by the FIA, these tests were inconclusive for the windshield, which shattered, but conclusive for the canopy, which remained intact.

These tests have the merit of paving the way for an evolution in driver safety, should the players in the F1 Circus decide to take an interest someday. For now, they seem rather resistant to such a system, like Ross Brawn who opposed it as early as 2009 and continues this stance in the Daily Mirror: « It must be remembered that the driver must be able to exit the cockpit very quickly ». According to him, « the drivers are afraid that this system would trap them if the car overturns or catches fire. Furthermore, spectators could also be endangered if objects bounce off the protection and into the stands ».

At the end of 2010, Felipe Massa himself had stated that it was not necessary to cover the cockpit completely and that there might be other solutions to prevent detached wheels from injuring drivers. For 15 years, the problem of wheel detachment has been addressed by using cables to retain the tire during accidents, as well as by enhancing driver safety, notably through the implementation of protections and supports that prevent drivers’ heads from making excessive lateral movements.

Beyond the main issue related to safety, installing a windshield or closing the cockpit would also complicate the aerodynamic work of the single-seater and would pose an additional challenge that engineers want to avoid.