I just started the Netflix movie on Senna, and it got me to thinking. I wonder…if the exact same circumstances of his fatal crash were recreated, and he was driving a modern era car - would he have been able to survive? If so, what changes/updates have been made to the car over the past 30 years? Or, is it impossible to speculate on?

There seems to be a continuing preference of drivers and teams to choose inters versus full wets, despite monsoon conditions, and either costing the race teams millions in repairs, or flat out dangerous. During the wet quali at Interlagos, I think most if not all went out on inters, not wets. And when the race was close to a red flag for conditions (before the crash caused it), again, most were on inters.

A question if it's possible, or a request if not: does the Race Director have the authority to mandate full wets if they deem necessary for the session or for the track conditions? For example in qualification, a mandated wet tire would presumably neutralize that decision for all teams and save money from less crashes. In the race, it would be a pre-cursor to a weather-induced SC or Red Flag, with say a maximum of 2 completed laps before you must comply with the ruling, or you will get a black flag. (This would give an interesting tactical edge too when selecting Inters, as you would be thinking whether the race would flip to mandatory full wets in 3 laps..)

Thoughts?

For context in case it isn't clear from the title, in the 2023 Azerbaijan GP Esteban Ocon made a pit stop on the penultimate lap, only to find the pit lane full of photographers, officials and mechanics (It also happened in Australia in 2022 to Albon, but no action was taken). Clearly being quite a dangerous situation, the FIA issued an update to the post race procedure following this incident:

"Team mechanics are not permitted to move from their garages to the parc ferme with cooling fans in anticipation of their cars stopping at the end of the race until after the last car has taken the chequered flag.

"Any other personnel or VIPs are not permitted to enter the pit lane until after the last car has taken the chequered flag.

[Emphasis is mine.]

This addition is now included in every Post Race Procedure document since except for Spa

In Spa, traditionally and uniquely there is no cool-down lap (although I can't find out how long that has been the case); the drivers pass the finish line, come to the end of the pit straight and there are marshals waving yellow flags, directing cars to do 180 degree turn and drive back up the pit lane the wrong way towards parc ferme, which is at the top past all of the garages. There are marshals after turn one waving red flags.

Given that Hulkenburg was 88 seconds down from the lead, there was clearly racing still going on long after Russell crossed the line, and competitors were racing on track while Russell and everyone behind him was driving up the pit lane the wrong way.

Surely this is in direct contravention of the point of the new rules? I expected this to change this year, but they followed the same procedure they always do. It seems very odd, especially as F2 and F3 have a cool-down lap like normal at Spa.

EDIT: As u/TheFakedAndNamous points out below, what if the last car is about to be lapped as the finished is coming to the end of their last lap? Hulkenberg could have pitted on the penultimate lap only to find George Russell, Lewis Hamiltion and Oscar Piastri heading towards him, given that he only started his last lap 20s before George crossed the finish line.

EDIT 2: I've found the race directors notes from this years' Belgium GP, but it doesn't really clear anything up:

4) End of Race Procedure

After receiving the end of the race signal, all drivers must reduce their speed in a save way and

immediately after Turn 1 turn right and enter the pit exit to drive up the fast lane of the pit lane until

they reach Parc Fermé.

No team members and guests are permitted in the pit lane before all cars have reached the Parc

Fermé.

This doesn't really cover the scenario described above:

1. Hulkenburg needs to pit on the penultimate lap (puncture for example), comes into the pit lane and slows. 10 seconds later he passes the start/finish line, starting his final lap.
2. He pulls into his pit box
3. Russell, Hamilton and Piastri were only 20 seconds down the road at the point he pulled into the pit lane, so they would now be taking the chequered flag
4. The finishers are now directed up the pit lane from the exit
5. Hulkenberg leaves his pit box to start the final lap, seeing the other cars come towards him.

Russell's accident ended up presenting the underside of the car to oncoming cars - my impression is that the survival cell's underside is the most vulnerable - if a car had struck that at speed, would it remain intact?

When tecpro were presented some years ago their advantage was the possibility to fit it in short run of areas and each barrier was equivalent to several tyres.

Last Dutch GP we saw tecpro mixed with old tyre setup. While they didn't really fly away (I gues they are quiet heavy/dense) they slipped aside.

My questions are: Does tecpro approve this type of installation where tyres behind can move away allowing tecpro to quit it job?

Would just be more efficient to remove these tyres and add the equivalent of tecpro?

I'm asking since the dawn of the sport when there were sadly many deaths every week, obviously there were regulation changes and designs but what were the biggest upgrades to safety per generations (or decades) from the start of the sport to Ratzenberger's and Senna's fatal accidents, I obviously know about the halo that saved Grosjean's life but what were other innovations, did cars became more slower maybe heavier?

Sorry if this question seemed stupid I'm watching F1 since 2021 so I didn't follow years prior

Basically the title, if the halo has saved so many lives as I keep seeing online, how come deaths weren’t rampant before it’s introduction? Have that cars just become that much more dangerous?

Edit: I wanted to clarify that this is NOT a criticism of the halo or any other driver safety standards that have been implemented in recent years. Just a question about it :)!

I realise a red flag wasn’t actually necessary as the session was effectively ended anyway, but I was under the impression that a big collision that set off the g-force sensors automatically bring out a red flag. Why didn’t it?

I can’t see if there was any sort of larger projectile. But at the least, it looks like the dust/debris hits the pit entry wall pretty hard when Verstappen came in.

If he had been passing by the pit crews, could that have caused an injury/safety issue?

Additionally, does anyone know F1s rules for bringing the car back when there is an ongoing fire or anything that could be deemed dangerous to the pit crews?

As the title says, should the FIA create some kind of standardized air condition / driver cooling for driver comfort/safety? Sargent had to retire and multiple drivers said they felt like they were about to faint. I think if drivers are comfortable they can focus on racing better which imo will make the racing more exciting

How can these microscopic struts be of any benefit? Is there such a thing as microscopic fluid dynamics?

Why would it even matter to mess with the flow of air that is only to cool the driver anyway?

Is it no aerodynamic and instead perhaps a mini grill in the very actual sense, some small ‘grill’ to catch flies and bugs so they don’t get sucked into the drivers helmet and distract them? That’s legit the only thing I can think of. But at these speeds it would just act like a guillotine not a barrier? Is 2 half of a fly less distracting than 1 bigger hitting you?

Bell has released a new locking mechanism for their helmets, it looks similar to Arai. Maybe it was time especially after Albon's visor swung open during his crash in Australia

Usually we hear of injuries and deaths as a direct impact of big crashes. Will there be long term effects on the body from sustaining to many Gs, for those who got off "without a scratch"?

In 2021 Abu Dhabi Red Bull got one of their pit crew guys to go and stand in the pitlane near the air gun lines in order to compromise any Mercedes cars that would exit their pit box. Now what would have happened if Hamilton accidentaly hit that person?

Source: https://www.planetf1.com/news/new-tactic-spotted-in-mercedes-v-red-bull-war/

During the broadcast, Brundle mentioned that had Stroll's crash happened a decade ago it would have been "unsurvivable". Normally, I think of the cars from 2009-2013 as being safe due to the absence of fatal crashes but how much safer is a modern car compared to a car from 2012 for example?

I just realized all the fatal accidents happened because the car just stop completely after the crash. Like Senna, and the one like Verstappen (luckily he is okay). I know when the car goes into sudden stop. The driver experiences the high load amount of G force. But if the car bounce back. Doesn't it means it exceeds the G Force rather than go into stand still? Because if the driver going sideways (west direction) then he bounced back to east direction. The driver will experience sideways gforce (let's say a) reduced by everything the car and wall can absorb then bounce back again (assume b). Doesn't it means the driver experience a-(-b) g force? So it becomes a+b instead of just a when in complete stand still?

Edit: I wrote atb instead of a+b 🫣🫣

One of my friends has recently been trying to pass of some random video as truth that talks about how Verstappen, Hamilton, Grosjean and I think Leclerc (at least someone in the T1 crash at Spa 2018) would’ve died without the halo. Personally, I find it absolutely unbelievable that 4 drivers could’ve died in 4 years, but what are your thoughts?

Since these two other races were notoriously both hot and humid. I was wondering is the 2023 Qatar GP even worse in terms of heat? (Obviously the track layout and pushing 57 quali is much tougher)

Why weren't drivers doing ice baths like when preparing for the Singapore race? Did the humidity surprised all the teams?

Decided to rewatch the horrendous crash and realized how come Niki came out more injured than Grosjean. I mean he basically came out with a scratch compared to Niki. I am curious if it was different fuel, maybe the advancement in thr safety of the suits, etc.

So obviously the safety car lines up at the back of the grid once all cars are in place during the start procedure, at this point they are past the pit entry.

Where does the car then go?

I. E. Do they complete a full lap and pit at the end of it? If so had there ever been a situation where the F1 cars catch it? Would seem unsafe to do this.

Or do they reverse and go into the pit entry or do something else?

Why do they not have some sort of dashboard alert for when a car stalls at the start? Could have a separate one for left and right

Seems like an easy thing to implement and would help prevent crashes like in the f2