Technical Fernando Alonso would have died had it happened 20 years ago, says Max Mosley

As KekeTheKing was saying the most spectacular crashes where the car disintegrates sre rarely the most critical because the energy is largely dissipated over several seconds. It's when the car comes to a sudden stop and remains largely intact that problems arise. Didn't Alonso himself end up in hospital after taking a hit after what looked like a minor impact only last year in testin?

The best example of this I can think of was Wendlinger's crash in Monaco in 1994. There was an air of disbelief at the time as it became obvious his was critically injured after suffering a 80mph impact st the chicane. The car was intact and it had llooked an innocuous incident. But because the car had remained intact it meant the impact's energy had been transferred to the driver instead, and his brain had moved within his head. He was on the critical list for weeks and never fully recoved his competitiveness thereafter.
 
In fact wasn't Alonso made to attend a mandatory medical after a GP in Abu Dabhi a few years ago because his G-sensor registered a 50g after taking too much kerb during the race?
Amazing to think you can take more g's after riding a kerb a bit too harshly than after suffering a crash like his at Melbourne last week-end.
 
Incubus said:
As KekeTheKing was saying the most spectacular crashes where the car disintegrates sre rarely the most critical because the energy is largely dissipated over several seconds. It's when the car comes to a sudden stop and remains largely intact that problems arise. Didn't Alonso himself end up in hospital after taking a hit after what looked like a minor impact only last year in testin?

The best example of this I can think of was Wendlinger's crash in Monaco in 1994. There was an air of disbelief at the time as it became obvious his was critically injured after suffering a 80mph impact st the chicane. The car was intact and it had llooked an innocuous incident. But because the car had remained intact it meant the impact's energy had been transferred to the driver instead, and his brain had moved within his head. He was on the critical list for weeks and never fully recoved his competitiveness thereafter.
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Mika Häkkinen's accident in Adelaide is other good example. The car stayed in pretty good condition after the crash but there was big decelaration which made his head to move violently as seen in onboard camera.
 
I do think that wendlinger's accident is a very good example for how safety has improved over the last 20 years...

In 1994, he had a terrifying injury, which left him comatose, and essentially ended his F1 career.

9 years later, at the same corner, Button had a similar accident, and was knocked out, and put out of the race, although there was no lasting damage.

A further 8 years' later, again at the same corner, Perez had another similar incident, and was concussed, but no long term damage.
 
Is this not also because the impact is sideways based on the car & there are less crumple zones than a forward based impact?

I know the majority of the incidents at the same part of Monaco were sideways based as was Mika's! Is this not the reason for the increased injuries?
 
Yeah, I might be wrong but I think those crashes were the trigger f1 adopting sidepods that were influenced by the design of those seen in Indy car racing, where high sidepods are fundamental in preventing the divers- head from swinging wildly about in the event of a sideways impact, which is the most common type in oval racing.
 
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