rec.autos.simulators

Condolences to the friends and family of the cornerworker.  

Kendt

Dave K

yeah; i don't expect that, er, person to show his face around these parts
for a few days, at least...

On the other subject of gravel traps, If the car travels into the gravel
pointed forward at slower speeds then a rough surface can slow them down
very effectively, but at faster speeds the gravel needs to be smooth
otherwise the car will bounce in the air and could tumble. If the car enters
sideways then a wheel will dig in and flip the car unless its traveling
slowly.
Its a lot like tire walls or concrete walls. A tire wall is good for forward
(90 deg)impact, but at an angle the car will get thrown into a tumble. A
concrete wall is very bad for forward impact as it has no give, but at high
angles the car slides along it and most likely wont tumble.
I would rather have more asphalt or other hard surface where the gravel
traps are.

Lutrell

From Atlas F1:
"Early reports in the paddock suggest that a wheel from Villeneuve's car
flew
through a photographer's station window in the fencing and hit the marshal
with fatal consequences."

It's a very freak accident if this is true. The photographers' window is
small, and the wheels are now double teathered (an improvement since last
season).

I'm glad to see that immediately following the race, from the top F1
officials on down to the drivers, they all called for improved safety
standards for the track side officials and for a thorough investigation.
They, and fans, are not making ridiculous comments such as, "It's a
dangerous sport, there's not much you can do." Or, "Either you accept the
fact that dying is a part of motor sports, or take up tennis." If they had,
I'd rip them apart with criticism. If it turns out that the worker was
killed due to gross negligence (such as in NASCAR where they still don't
require such basic safety precautions as mandatory full-faced helmets for
drivers), then F1 will deserve strong criticism and demands for changes in
management of the sport. F1 doesn't react to disaster by hiding from
inquires, avoiding changes, and conducting half-hearted investigations.

Also from Atlas F1:
"Ralf Schumacher said he and Villeneuve had been lucky they were not also
injured in the crash:

"It's only thanks to the safety level of our cars that nothing bad happened
to either of us," he said.

"After I got out of my car I had a look in the***pit of the BAR which was
almost destroyed and I was glad to know that Jacques had already stepped out
of it."

Cockpit safety standards were raised since last season, and there is already
new standards set to go into effect next season. Once again the phenomenal
safety standards of F1 allowed a driver to walk away from a tremendous
accident virtually unhurt.

They also wear full-faced helmets so their skulls aren't cracked from front
to back if their faces hit the steering wheel. Imagine that?

David G Fisher

Was it a case of the tether breaking or what the tether was attached to
disentegrating?  Big difference there.

Jerry Morelock

Speedvision showed the Australian TV Feed not the F1 world
feed. So what I saw on Speedvision was essentially what I saw
on Fox last year. The *ONLY* thing you will get with Speedvision
is live practice, qual and races. But the much vaunted F1 world
feed (with the awesome cameras and angles) which the Europeans
get are definitely missing.

For example, there was no way that you could tell that JV rearended
Ralf from the Speedvision views. We were in a bar and it was noisy
so we couldn't hear the sound and commentary for the most part. So
we were relying on the picture only. Speedvision was extremely lacking
IMHO. About what ESPN used to do actually as they used to have the
F1 races live.

--

I wonder if you would be shouting so loud, had Mikka died in Aus a few years
back. I seem to remember that it was touch and go for a while.......

MS