This year marks the tenth anniversary of the tragic incident when Jules Bianchi, a French racing driver, sustained severe head injuries in a crash during the Japanese Grand Prix. After languishing in a coma for six months, he tragically passed away. This event had a profound impact on Formula 1, prompting our technical expert, Ernest Knoors, to elucidate how the sport has become safer since then.
Since the dark weekend of Formula 1 in Imola in 1994, numerous measures have been implemented to enhance the safety of both the vehicles and the circuits. For a long time, there was a debate about the safety of the driver’s most vulnerable part: the head. The roll bar alone was proven insufficient, as evidenced by the severe accident of Jules Bianchi in Japan. The Frenchman crashed into a recovery vehicle and succumbed to the severe brain damage he sustained. The fatal accident of Indycar driver Justin Wilson, who was struck by a part of another car during a race and died as a result, also proved that the roll bar alone does not provide adequate protection.
There was significant resistance to the halo, a titanium bar that has been placed above the cockpit since 2018. “Various options were tested, with Indycar eventually opting for an aeroscreen. Formula 1 preferred the halo,” recalls Knoors. “I remember there was a lot of resistance from drivers and fans initially, mainly because this solution contradicts the essence of open-wheel racing. However, after several severe crashes, it quickly became clear that the halo is a valuable addition to the sport. It prevents injuries and saves lives. Now, it’s hard to imagine the sport without it.”
Bianchi, the godfather of Charles Leclerc, was the first driver to die in F1 since Ayrton Senna in 1994. In the latest edition of FORMULE 1 Magazine, Knoors explains the safety measures that have been implemented in F1 over the past thirty years.
