Looks like a job opening for an engineer in F1 racing?

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Sebastien Buemi's front wheels separate from car during a braking event (breaking event?) in China GP practice session. video here.

 

Wowie.

 

Article here.

 

 

[David]

You could see that he still couldn't resist turning the wheel as he headed toward the fence. Instinct took over.

[Firefight911]

Uhh, well, errr, ummm, . . . . . sorry?

 

[russell_bynum]

I hate it when that happens.

[AviP]

That is just ridiculous. I mean, I know it's cutting edge tech and all that, but gimme a break! That is being way to stingy on the hub, saving rotational mass I presume. Your post title is 100% on the money.

[upflying]

Engineering is one part of the suspension design. Who manufactured the part to the engineering specs? Lots of finger pointing I reckon.

Me thinks all this stuff is titanium and/or carbon fiber. Trick stuff is always used in the F1 level. Oh well, shyt happens.

[Lone_RT_rider]

Engineering is one part of the suspension design. Who manufactured the part to the engineering specs? Lots of finger pointing I reckon.

 

On parts of this caliber there is usually a full print layout with every dimension being inspected along with a material cert (certification) that accompanies it. If there are minimum requirements for functionality, a complete test report also accompanies the individual part. Now I am not saying this absolutely is the case, but I can imagine this would be the standard practice.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

Engineering is one part of the suspension design. Who manufactured the part to the engineering specs? Lots of finger pointing I reckon.

Me thinks all this stuff is titanium and/or carbon fiber. Trick stuff is always used in the F1 level. Oh well, shyt happens.

 

My understanding is that it's mostly CF, which is why the hub tethers are required: unlike metal, CF tends to shatter (rather than simply bending) when overstressed. As the article noted, in this case the tethers connected to the parts the broke, which is why the wheels were able to completely part company with the chassis.

[philbytx]

Easy Peasy one that!

 

Chinese parts innit

[BeniciaRT_GT]

Yea, I just watched that part of practice yesterday morning (Formula 1 may be my most favorite TV watching, but it is still a multi day proccess lasting days into the next week to get through a race weekend!)

 

You know its big when you are alone and yell explitives at the top of your lungs! I just couldn't belive how violent that was! This is also why I'm not a fan of CF on airplanes. It either works or it doesn't. It is one or the other with no partial or pending failures.

 

As to trying to steer I saw that right away, and although I partially see why he might try that, you'll see the more expirienced guys pull their hands to their chest when contact is imminent.

[VinnyR11]

Crazy stuff. I could hardly believe it when I saw it.

 

At least the crash capsule and safety features worked well. Better that it happens in F1 than MotoGP.

[Joe Frickin' Friday]

As to trying to steer I saw that right away, and although I partially see why he might try that, you'll see the more expirienced guys pull their hands to their chest when contact is imminent.

 

Years ago I attended a lecture by Bobby Rahal on indy car safety technology, and he mentioned the tendency for drivers to pull their feet back away from the pedals prior to impact. Test-crash footage showed that this is a bad thing to do: if your feet are against the pedals, then the car's crumple zones decelerate your feet [relatively] gently, whereas if you feet are initially pulled back from the pedals, then they crash violently into the pedals after the cockpit has significantly decelerated. It's analogous to having too much slack in your seatbelt.

 

Not sure what to say about hands. I've seen guys doing live-person crash tests in passenger cars, and they do pull their hands back to their chest as you describe. Maybe it's a good thing? :confused:

[Spike]

I *think* (without evidence or expertise) it is because people have a tendency to break their wrists and arms if they don't pull their hands back. I believe that you end up using your arms to transfer some of your body's energy to the steering wheel instead of allowing your belts to absorb the energy.

 

Spike

 

[upflying]

Occupant kinematics (based only on actual experience in investigating collisions for 30 years) tends to show impaired drivers suffer less injuries in collisions. My non-scientific conclusion has to do with impaired drivers being less likely to tense up and react to a collision. Basically they just flop around inside the car and don't break anything. Sober drivers see it coming, react and brace for the impending crash and break bones.

So if you see a crash coming..just relax.

[Agent_Orange]

I'll drink to that.

[drzep]

... they just flop around inside the car and don't break anything. Sober drivers see it coming, react and brace for the impending crash and break bone.

I think that is pretty well accepted at this point.