Japanese driver Kamui Kobayashi was involved in the first-corner pile-up that took him out of the Grand Prix of Belgium last weekend. Luckily he was not injured, but Kobayashi says he is against the idea of implementing closed cockpits in Formula 1.
The likeable Japanese qualified a career best second on the grid only to see his Sauber C31 heavily damaged in the carnage.
“When I woke up on Sunday morning I still could not believe I was starting from the front row. Wow, we had such a good car - and then a few hours later it was all gone. You know what? In years I haven’t seen so many cars crash in the front. At the back, yes, that is the ‘danger-zone’ of the grid - but at the front, not really,” Kobayashi said in an interview posted Thursday on Formula1.com.
Despite the dangers linked to taking stating starts, Kobayashi is against the idea of introducing closed cockpits in F1.
“Well, of course safety is very important and safety recommendations are always welcomed, but I don’t think that closed cockpits would help,” the Sauber driver said.
“Or let’s put it this way, it would help with flying objects like tires or other pieces of a car hitting a driver’s head - this is where a closed cockpit could be a big help - but there is another side: how can people get out of the car fast?” he added.
“Formula 1 cars are built around a monocoque that is pretty much fitted to our body and that you cannot open from the side. So on the one hand a closed cockpit would surely help prevent impacts from flying objects to the head, but what if a car catches fire? We have the fuel tank just behind us. And then to get out of a closed cockpit? Nearly impossible. Probably such a fundamental re-shape of the car’s silhouette would also change F1 itself,” Kobayashi commented.
The likeable Japanese qualified a career best second on the grid only to see his Sauber C31 heavily damaged in the carnage.
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| Kobayashi's Sauber is the white car on the right. (Photo: WRI2) |
“When I woke up on Sunday morning I still could not believe I was starting from the front row. Wow, we had such a good car - and then a few hours later it was all gone. You know what? In years I haven’t seen so many cars crash in the front. At the back, yes, that is the ‘danger-zone’ of the grid - but at the front, not really,” Kobayashi said in an interview posted Thursday on Formula1.com.
Despite the dangers linked to taking stating starts, Kobayashi is against the idea of introducing closed cockpits in F1.
“Well, of course safety is very important and safety recommendations are always welcomed, but I don’t think that closed cockpits would help,” the Sauber driver said.
“Or let’s put it this way, it would help with flying objects like tires or other pieces of a car hitting a driver’s head - this is where a closed cockpit could be a big help - but there is another side: how can people get out of the car fast?” he added.
“Formula 1 cars are built around a monocoque that is pretty much fitted to our body and that you cannot open from the side. So on the one hand a closed cockpit would surely help prevent impacts from flying objects to the head, but what if a car catches fire? We have the fuel tank just behind us. And then to get out of a closed cockpit? Nearly impossible. Probably such a fundamental re-shape of the car’s silhouette would also change F1 itself,” Kobayashi commented.