The proposal of introducing plexiglass windscreens for the cockpits of Formula 1 cars, which was revealed by Italian reports about a week ago, could be replaced by a more simple head protection on both sides of the cockpit.
Motorsport web site 422race.com has learned from sources close to the FIA that the plexiglass windscreens may well not be used.
The FIA wants to offer the driver increased head protection in case of an impact. The FIA was worried by accidents such as Felipe Massa’s head being hit by a flying steel spring in Hungary and Michael Schumacher’s head almost being hit by the nosecone of the Force India of Tonio Liuzzi in Abu Dhabi.
When one car climbs on top of another, it is very difficult to protect the head of the driver. In this case, a plastic windscreen would not withstand the 640kg of an F1 car, beside affecting driver visibility.
The most probable hypothesis regards two prismic-shaped protections on both sides of the cockpit which would divert the trajectory of the flying car over the driver's head. Of course, such a solution wouldn't come without problems.
For having the required resistance, the protections must be structurally inserted in the chassis, therefore requiring the designers to deeply modify their cars which are now almost finalised. On the other hand, polemics could concern the possible aerodynamic use of such elements.
Anyway, the FIA can modify the rules without the unanimous agreement of the teams, provided that these modifications are for security reasons.
Motorsport web site 422race.com has learned from sources close to the FIA that the plexiglass windscreens may well not be used.
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The FIA wants to offer the driver increased head protection in case of an impact. The FIA was worried by accidents such as Felipe Massa’s head being hit by a flying steel spring in Hungary and Michael Schumacher’s head almost being hit by the nosecone of the Force India of Tonio Liuzzi in Abu Dhabi.
When one car climbs on top of another, it is very difficult to protect the head of the driver. In this case, a plastic windscreen would not withstand the 640kg of an F1 car, beside affecting driver visibility.
The most probable hypothesis regards two prismic-shaped protections on both sides of the cockpit which would divert the trajectory of the flying car over the driver's head. Of course, such a solution wouldn't come without problems.
For having the required resistance, the protections must be structurally inserted in the chassis, therefore requiring the designers to deeply modify their cars which are now almost finalised. On the other hand, polemics could concern the possible aerodynamic use of such elements.
Anyway, the FIA can modify the rules without the unanimous agreement of the teams, provided that these modifications are for security reasons.