The Cause of Fernando Alonso's Crash

[VIVA GT]

So, according to Autosport, 'Nando says that he remembers everything, and that the steering "locked to the right" which caused the accident.
The good news is that the doctors have said that he's safe/fit to race at the weekend.
Link to the article here

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

So, according to Autosport, 'Nando says that he remembers everything, and that the steering "locked to the right" which caused the accident.
The good news is that the doctors have said that he's safe/fit to race at the weekend.
Link to the article here

For those unable to access Autosport (bl**dy paywalls) here is Alonso's explanation as reported by Motorsport dot com: http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/al...ssion/?v=2&s=1

Apparently, there was a lot of misinformation being spread, and seemingly, speculation becoming fact in the eyes of some. Alonso claims that he did not lose consciousness prior to, during or immediately after the impact, and nor did he wake up in hospital speaking Italian in 1995. Reading his comments about the attention this incident received, especially as it happened in Spain, re-affirms my believe that his stay in the hospital was prolonged to provide him with a certain amount of privacy.

He also vehemently denies that a bout of flatulence was the cause of the accident.

[GTRMagic]

Heavy steering makes sense, loaded up and the car wouldnt turn. Surprising that McLaren didmt have sensors on the car to monitor steering angle & the like.

Good that Mr Alonso wasnt hurt

Until they run in Malaysia.. and the pride is dented... Baaaadly

[wnut]

Alonso confirms steering locked in crash


http://www.motorsport.com/f1/news/al...ocked-in-crash

[Adam43]

Alonso also confirmed that there was no data to suggest it had. Which, of course, leads to some of the confusion. However let's ignore that.

He also confirmed that he changed down while going off. Which, as I read earlier in this thread, was one of those great questions because you shouldn't do that. So do we have a multiple world champion who can't drive? Can we trust him?

This interview just gives us more QUESTIONS than answers. I expect more to come from this.

Originally Posted by Fernando

Honestly, with the accident and the repercussions, a lot of attention on that day, and probably the first answers and first press conference that the team had, my manger whatever, it was just some guess. The wind. Maybe other possibilities.

That creates a little bit of confusion, but you cannot say nothing for three or four days until I remember everything because these three or four days become even worse. They said the theory of the wind, but obviously it was not.

Frankly this kind of reasoned point will just not wash.

Steeringate continues.

[VIVA GT]

I've been trying to keep this to myself, but I can't not throw it into the discussion.
If the steering locked (or maybe *just* tightened due to lack of power assistance) why has a cause of this not been found, or why has it somehow mended itself so it's not happened again?
Was the car in testing a totally different machine, or did one or another of the drivers race the car Alonso bumped in the Australian GP?
Personally, if this really is the cause of the crash I find it quite frightening on behalf of the two McLaren drivers (and their colleagues who are sharing track space with them) that the fault hasn't been identified and resolved to make sure it cannot happen again.

[Adam43]

They didn't find the cause, but they have still developed the steering and out more sensors on it to measure its performance. That's what Alonso said.

Or is this a massive cover up?
Perhaps Alonso was so weak having not eaten for a week to get down to the required weight? That question comes back again.

Or perhaps they did nothing and sent Magnussen out hoping it would happen again so they could find the problem.

????????????????

[Mike Harte]

Originally Posted by VIVA GT

I've been trying to keep this to myself, but I can't not throw it into the discussion.
If the steering locked (or maybe *just* tightened due to lack of power assistance) why has a cause of this not been found, or why has it somehow mended itself so it's not happened again?
Was the car in testing a totally different machine, or did one or another of the drivers race the car Alonso bumped in the Australian GP?
Personally, if this really is the cause of the crash I find it quite frightening on behalf of the two McLaren drivers (and their colleagues who are sharing track space with them) that the fault hasn't been identified and resolved to make sure it cannot happen again.

According to Alonso, there were no sensors on the car that were, at that time, logging that type of steering input, and that none of the other data that they have can throw any light on the matter.

The car's steering was, I believe, damaged during the impact with the wall, and this may have made it difficult/impossible to see if there had been a problem with the steering. However, don't forget that Alonso didn't fully regain his memory of the incident until a couple of days after the event by which time the car's steering and suspension had been rebuilt, and the car driven without problems. This possibly will not be the first time that the cause of an unlogged event has not been uncovered, and probably will not be the last.

I think that following incidents such as this the drivers have to put their trust in the engineers that they have not found any fault that they can point to that caused the event. This won't be the first time something like this has happened and it won't be the last, and sometimes as a driver you just have to trust to a certain amount of luck.

[VIVA GT]

Originally Posted by Mike Harte

According to Alonso, there were no sensors on the car that were, at that time, logging that type of steering input, and that none of the other data that they have can throw any light on the matter.

The car's steering was, I believe, damaged during the impact with the wall, and this may have made it difficult/impossible to see if there had been a problem with the steering. However, don't forget that Alonso didn't fully regain his memory of the incident until a couple of days after the event by which time the car's steering and suspension had been rebuilt, and the car driven without problems. This possibly will not be the first time that the cause of an unlogged event has not been uncovered, and probably will not be the last.

I think that following incidents such as this the drivers have to put their trust in the engineers that they have not found any fault that they can point to that caused the event. This won't be the first time something like this has happened and it won't be the last, and sometimes as a driver you just have to trust to a certain amount of luck.

I know what you're saying Mike, but to be honest, I'd be surprised if there wasn't something as simple as a steering angle sensor on the column. Based on the output from that surely some conclusions could be drawn concerning the movement of the steering wheel related to the angle/trajectory of the car, and therefore conclude if the steering *may* have stuck?

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

It's become complicated through speculation because McLaren won't actually say what happened. Instead we got a gust of wind and more recently the steering becoming heavy.

It's got complicated because people like to see what is not there. You can't just have a crash these days and have a bump on the head people for whatever reason try and look for something that's not there and make 1 + 1 = 27.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by alan1302

It's got complicated because people like to see what is not there. You can't just have a crash these days and have a bump on the head people for whatever reason try and look for something that's not there and make 1 + 1 = 27.

There is that as well and again I think that's also down to McLaren not coming clean.

[alan1302]

Originally Posted by bjohnsonsmith

There is that as well and again I think that's also down to McLaren not coming clean.

They certainly didn't help themselves...for whatever reason they don't seem to have great PR

[wnut]

Originally Posted by alan1302

It's got complicated because people like to see what is not there. You can't just have a crash these days and have a bump on the head people for whatever reason try and look for something that's not there and make 1 + 1 = 27.

Racing cars crash all the time:

1) External observers reported that Alonso looked to be slumped in the cockpit.
2) Vettel who was following said the accident looked strange.
3) Alonso was unresponsive after the crash.
4) Button looked at the telemetry data and said it looked "strange".
5) McLaren issued a press release saying "the wind caused the accident."
6) Alonso's representatives issued press releases at odds with the McLaren statement.
7) Alonso spent 4 days in intensive care and had several scans for what was a minor impact.
8) Reports emerged that Alonso was very confused following the accident.
9) No real explanatory statement was made when Alonso left hospital.
10) Alonso then missed the Melbourne GP which would seem excessive even in the most cautious response to an accident. (Arguable)
11) Rumours emerge that Alonso may miss Malaysian GP.
12) Alonso emerges and attempts to explain confusion as part of medication administered after accident (Momedic?), says he turned off the car and that turned off the radio so that the support staff could reach him - before he confirmed to the team he was OK. Explains that the steering locked but the telemetry does not support or measure this - they most assuredly measure steering angle and hydraulic pressure in the steering system.
Claims he was conscious and downshifted during the accident, absolutely the wrong response to the situation!
13) FIA took data to investigate a minor impact, and AFAIK have not released anything, what is the delay?

I think Adam43 is dead on with the speculation:

Or is this a massive cover up?

Still more questions than answers, and a lot of apparent smoke and mirrors around!

Tinfoil it would seem is a prerequisite for dealing with these parties!

[wnut]

P.S. When last did a driver's return to racing after a small accident need a full medical board appointed by the FIA?

http://www.grandprix.com/ns/ns30341.html

[Paradise City]

It's like the Kennedy assassination, this. We kinda know what happened, there's an "official line" yet noone is copperfast sure that we've been told the full story.

[Adam43]

Originally Posted by wnut

I think Adam43 is dead on with the speculation:

Another question that needs to be answered is was Adam43 being his usual sarcastic idiotic self in the face of thread that wouldn't know Occam's razor if it nicked them while shaving.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Another question that needs to be answered is was Adam43 being his usual sarcastic idiotic self in the face of thread that wouldn't know Occam's razor if it nicked them while shaving.

The simple heuristic is that I will be suspended if I reply to this post with what I am thinking!

[Adam43]

Don't be like that.
I was remiss though, I should have included a huge smilie, as this thread is brilliant. I'm just having fun as this isn't Watergate for probably two reasons . One reason, definitely, is that it isn't as important, especially as Alonso is back on track and still isn't shaving.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Don't be like that.
I was remiss though, I should have included a huge smilie, as this thread is brilliant. I'm just having fun as this isn't Watergate for probably two reasons . One reason, definitely, is that it isn't as important, especially as Alonso is back on track and still isn't shaving.

'


Fair enough Adam, I'll relax!

[bella]

i think everyone's forgetting alonso's god complex, which means that nothing is a direct result of any of his actions unless it results in a win or an unlikely result

[JacobP]

The only explanation that makes sense so far is that Alonso did it for the chicks.

[bjohnsonsmith]

Originally Posted by Adam43

Don't be like that.
I was remiss though, I should have included a huge smilie, as this thread is brilliant. I'm just having fun as this isn't Watergate for probably two reasons . One reason, definitely, is that it isn't as important, especially as Alonso is back on track and still isn't shaving.

I'm not surprised he's still isn't shaving, if all he's got to use is Occam's razor.

[wdave0]

So now I am on my second roll of tin foil I have to question how if Fernando had no memory problems (he says) it took him four days to remember (he says)?
Then we hear that McLaren have changed the car back to standard Mcsteering from the special Alonso type it had.

[chillibowl]

Originally Posted by bella

i think everyone's forgetting alonso's god complex, which means that nothing is a direct result of any of his actions unless it results in a win or an unlikely result

jokes aside, that could be the simple answer. not for the accident itself but in how everything has played out since as Alonso and his management have taken maximum advantage since the accident which in part has lead to all the conspiracy theories.

they have discredited Mclaren and RD, everyone has now seen the Mclaren-Honda shortcomings, and Alonso is now in a position where he cant fail this year. 'Will Alonso save Mclaren?'

its very 'Briatoresque'.

[Paradise City]

Originally Posted by wdave0

So now I am on my second roll of tin foil I have to question how if Fernando had no memory problems (he says) it took him four days to remember (he says)?
Then we hear that McLaren have changed the car back to standard Mcsteering from the special Alonso type it had.

When did he say that? What I read is that he had his memory issues between 2am and 6am.

I have these kind of problems at that ungoldly hour and that's without a hefty boink on the head.