At the very start of safety car periods the drivers have to drive to a delta time until they catch up the safety car. Perhaps in the future the same could be done through double yellow sectors, they obviously have the technology. The track was still drivable and the danger was off circuit, a delta time of 75% speed or something could be a middle ground between 'lifting' through yellows and a full on safety car?
The FIA *do* examine the telemetry to penalise drivers who don't lift off under yellow flags, don't they? I seem to recall Schumacher got punished for it a few years ago, off the top of my head. Mostly because of Alonso's incident in Brazil 2003 where he openly admitted ignoring yellows and brought out the red flag. I'd like to see something similar to the Code 60 system used in sports cars as a middle ground (where drivers have their speed limited to 60kph, for F1 I suppose it'd have to be 150 or similar) for incidents which cars can remain in circulation but need to slow down. But there's so few of those incidents the FIA might just decide it's not worth it, which is fair enough I suppose. Just make sure the safety car comes out when it's needed.
We hear drivers sounding all proud when they tell the world they lifted through yellows, but looking at the lap times they loose a couple of tenths through the zone. I think there should be a stronger law to make them slow down, they should be loosing several seconds through the sector, not tenths. I don't like the safety car unless it's a big shunt or theres danger on or next to the track. That said there has been many examples in recent times of cars not slowing enough for double yellows and the FIA showing a blind eye. Doesn't even have to be a whole sector, maybe just half a sector. No one will loose anything if they are all limited to the same slowed delta time.
TomTom: Thanks (and see rep). [Edit: Yes, BLS, I largely agree with you. Part of the problem in F1 is that drivers are, to some extent, competing to see who can lift the least in order to comply with what's required! As TomTom says, this farcical situation does not occur in Sports Cars. And on your point about "losing several seconds through a sector, not tenths", I wouldn't be surprised if Chilton is penalised for the manner in which he passed Sutil's stricken car. I believe he was (for once(!?)) quickest – and by some margin(!) – through Dunlop under the waved yellows prior to Bianchi's untimely arrival.]. [Second edit. My criticism of Chilton may be unwarranted. It appears that the marshal post closest to the incident at the top end of Dunlop Curve was showing a waved GREEN FLAG. See below.]
Or just red flag the damn race, Massa was "screaming" down the radio to put across how wet it had got. And that last bit is spot on, it wasn't worth it.
I reckon this is the end of the Japanese GP, Bernie is always looking to cut down. And maybe the start of closed cockpits.
Massa and Sutil were the only two drivers screaming about the conditions, right before the safety car came out some of the cars had just put inters on. Realistically I think the only thing that Charlie could have done differently is put the safety car out earlier. Hindsight is 20/20. It's also worth pointing out that the marshal waving green flags is, I believe, part of standard practice to show that the sector *ahead* of the accident is clear (it's just very unfortunate that he happens to be placed where he is) - I'm not sure Bianchi or Chilton would have seen him. However, I agree with cosi that it's concerning that he was still waving a green flag once the safety car was deployed. Properly training marshals is essential and this serves only as a reminder of that.
The FIA had a look at closed cockpits after Massa's big accident, testing fighter-jet style canopies for the car. There's footage of them test-firing a wheel assembly at it. [video=youtube;e87HIlOIYFA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e87HIlOIYFA[/video] How much further testing went I don't know, but the F1TWG decided against pursuing the idea further at that time. Whilst it would look from the video like it would be useful in the scenario tested, it raises a lot of other questions. For example how easy would it be to remove in the event of a crash? How do you stop it baking the driver even more than the current situation? Would oxygen supply be required? How would visibility be effected? please log in to view this image Adrian Newey's Red Bull X2010 Concept probably isn't too far from what closed-cockpit F1 cars might look like. Personally I think the idea is worthy of reassessment at the very least. Although unless it can be shown that a canopy ofers significant safety benefits it shouldn't be introduced as a knee-jerk reaction. Motorsport will always be dangerous, and it's been a long time since an F1 driver has died, but the sport shouldn't rest on it's laurels. I think ending the Japanese GP would be difficult, due to the size of the fan base there, and I would expect reasonable payment from the promoters (Honda?), particularly with the Mclaren-Honda partnership from next season. Suzuka may be asked to look at improving drainage though. I believe it means that he's in a very serious condition, but isn't currently deteriorating further.
That's probably a more straightforwards idea to implement, would probably have to go in the first flyaway section of the season.
The point first made by EMSC, but subsequently repeated – that the truck should not have been used at all during the race – is essentially moot. I agree however, that having decided to use it, it ventured beyond the barriers before it was safe to do so, thereby adding to, rather than reducing the element of danger. Obviously, it is better to risk running into an F1 can than wallop a heavyweight JCB. However, if it had ultimately been decided that Sutil's car be left in situ, the race would also need to be stopped, since it was completely unprotected in the run-off of a still curving acceleration zone, on a wet track getting much wetter, with fading light, in a place where approaching cars also experience negative vertical G*; a very dangerous place indeed. Here any wayward car has virtually nothing but an impact to slow it down. Therefore, if the race was to continue, any unprotected obstacle in such a place MUST be removed. The question at this point is therefore 'removal or Red Flag?'. I'd like to emphasise that this question occurs before considering either of its possible answers. So, Red Flag or Recovery? a/ If a decision is taken to stop the race, the method of removal is of course irrelevant. b/ If a decision for recovery during the race is taken, what follows by METHOD of removal then becomes relevant – and if this cannot be achieved safely, we must revert to 'a/': the Red Flag, since we do not allow cars to continue to race if they cannot do so within agreed and prescribed parameters of safety. There is no allowance for racing to continue if the situation has deteriorated beyond what can be contained as 'safe'. The position of Sutil's car in the circumstances, was certainly not safe. Therefore the question of leaving it there whilst a race be completed, no matter how little time remains, never arises. *At that point, cars are already beginning to level out before reaching the crest.
It was a lot of terrible circumstances that came together to create this awful situation. The only thing that might have stopped this was bringing out the safety car much sooner. You know what they say about hindsight though... But whatever happens going forward, something has to change with regards to such heavy machinery being on track.
Am I being silly? Why don't they just use a crane positioned behind the barriers? Just strap it around the roll hoop?
The stupid struck should never have been there in the first place. Japan couldn't afford a tall crane? And the marshals were struggling with Sutil's car...that should have been lifted above the tyre wall and out of there long before Bianchi car come in.
Whilst that's fine for the tight confines of Monaco, on a track this large and in a spot that isn't the most likely place to have an accident, it'd be very expensive to have cranes that cover the whole track.
^^This. Is it me or has marshalling gone downhill (with the exception of Britain and Australia), a milestone was the fire truck in Korea. Marshalls slipping over, showing the wrong flag, confused... waving their arms around. I mean this is 200mph open cockpit racing at the pinnacle of motorsport.
Can't blame the organisers for not affording it, it's the old man BE at the top who is making things harder.
