Lost two talented racers! The legacy of the Imola tragedy: How is the FIA improving safety?

派道客Paddocker

2024-05-18 12:34Published in Shanghai Motorsport, senior media person, F1 live reporter

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The "Dark Weekend" of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix deprived the world of two outstanding racing talents.

But Roland Ratzenberg and Ayaden Senna also left a legacy to the world. For 30 years, the FIA has been raising the bar on motorsport safety. Here's a timeline of major developments. 

1994

Track and guardrail changes

In the immediate aftermath of the fatal accident in Sena Imora, the FIA took immediate action. Using computer simulations, the FIA identified a total of 27 high-risk corners in the F1 calendar. By modifying the car's performance, the safety risks of 15 of the corners were successfully addressed. Tire rails are subject to mandatory testing and must be secured with "straps".

The pit limit was reduced to 80 km/h in free practice and 120 km/h in race, and stricter helmet design standards were introduced.

1996

Stronger protection, safer tracks 

The first data storage units were installed in the "escape pod", plus the sides of the cockpit were raised to provide better protection for the driver. The 75 mm "side headrests" became mandatory in racing. In addition, static load tests began on the edge of the cockpit.

In the same year, due to the improvement of track safety and the renovation of the track, the number of "high-risk" corners was reduced to two.

1997

Medical upgrades 

The FIA introduced audit requirements for all Chief Medical Officers (CMOs) and medical centers and revised the Incident Intervention Plan. In addition, a new, more powerful safety car has been put into use.

1998

Roll cage and escape test 

Front roll cage test and high-performance tire wall (crash) test standards introduced. In addition, a new Driver Escape Test has been introduced – ensuring that the driver can leave the cabin within 10 seconds after an accident. 

1999

Wheel straps

The introduction of wheel straps ensures that in the event of an accident with the car, the wheels do not fall off the car. As the rules evolved, the number of straps per wheel increased from 1 to 3.

In accordance with the previous year's rider escape rules, the FIA stipulated that the seat could be removed from the cockpit with the rider in the event of an injury to the rider. and the introduction of new seatbelt standards.

2003 

HANS

Head and neck support devices (HANS) prevent serious injuries by restricting head movement. The device was made mandatory in the 2003 season. Since 2007, the wearing of HANS has been mandatory for drivers in any FIA-regulated race.

2008

Head and shoulders position risk

The 2008 revision of the cockpit import specification also provides greater lateral protection for the driver's head. The reason for this is the accident at the 2007 Australian Grand Prix (Melbourne) – David Coulthard's Red Bull car "grazed" the front of Alex Woolz's cockpit in the air – a thrilling sight to watch.

2011

F1 goggles reinforced 

At the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix, Felip Massa suffered a head injury and nearly died. Since then, the FIA has introduced new Chailon fibre goggles to further enhance the protection below the upper edge of the goggle opening.

2014

Side impact protection improvements

Structural reinforcement improves the side protection of the car. The structures on both sides of the car were able to absorb nearly 40kJ of energy in crash tests, both in normal and oblique impact directions.

2015 

Virtual Safety Car

In 2014, after Jules Bianchi suffered a serious accident at the Japanese Grand Prix, which eventually died a few months later, the FIA introduced a series of safety measures. The main one was the introduction of the Virtual Safety Car (VSC) the following year, which forced the driver to slow down by setting a minimum lap time. In addition, the Chai Long fibre intrusion panels on both sides of the escape pod extend upwards to the edge of the cabin and around the driver's head. 

2016

In-ear accelerometer and high-speed camera

The FIA has introduced a new type of in-ear acceleration sensor to acquire G-force and head movement data in the event of a collision. At the same time, the F1 car is equipped with a high-speed camera that shoots the driver's head at 400 frames per second to better understand the situation in the event of an accident.

2018

Halo

Introduced in 2018, the Halo cockpit guard is one of the most important safety improvements in F1 over the past three decades, and it is now mandatory for all FIA single-seater championship cars.

2018

Biometric gloves 

Halo was launched at the same time as a biometric glove, which is equipped with sensors that transmit the driver's heart rate and blood oxygen levels to the medical cart at any time, providing medical staff with more information and allowing them to take more targeted measures.

2019 

The safest helmet ever

The new helmet standard was made mandatory in 2019. The goggle opening was lowered by 10 mm, advanced ballistic protection was introduced (against bullets weighing 225 grams and traveling at a speed of 250 km / h). The energy absorption rate of medium and large size helmets increased by 12% and 20%, respectively.

2020 

New standards for fire-resistant clothing

The 2020 season has stricter requirements for fire-resistant clothing, with a 20% increase in heat protection compared to the previous standard.

2021

Full security review 

Following the serious accident at the 2020 Sakhir Grand Prix, the FIA undertook a major safety review of the safety of the car, the track, the driver's equipment, medical and rescue procedures, and launched research into the proximity warning system, the new guardrail system, improved guardrail impact performance and firefighting equipment.

2023/2024

Roll cage reinforcement

Through a study of the accident of Alfa Romeo Chinese driver Zhou Guanyu at the 2022 British Grand Prix, the FIA has made changes to the roll cage rules for 2023 and significantly increased the strength requirements for the roll cage in 2024. By increasing the lateral load during the test, the connection between the roll cage and the chassis is secured.

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