F1 car Crash at Duxford

[Marbot]

Originally Posted by andrewc

Speculation about the anti-stall system could have kicked in?

http://www.racecar-engineering.com/n...testing-crash/

Evidence, if any was needed, that F1 cars should probably be fitted with self-starters (mandatory in 2014).

Originally Posted by Greem

Whatever the detail this is a dreadful accident - and one which will make the issue of frontal cockpit protection come to the top of the attention pile again.

That too. But no 'knee-jerk', 'half arsed' measures, please.

[MagnetON]

From the images it looks like a miscalculated turn which brought the car into contact with the raised loading platform. Given the level the platform was at then even at low speeds there is the potential for serious injury.

If that was even a moderate speed impact at that height then it would most likely produce a fatality.

[JohnSSC]

Thoughts and prayers for Maria for a full recovery from any injuries sustained.

[Down F0rce]

A few people on site have been posting what the saw on various forums. Apparently the car was stationary - with the engine running - in front of the truck. It's not clear what caused it, but somehow the anti-stall kicked in and the car lurched forward into the truck.

[rich07]

The actual incident was captured on audio and doesnt sound very nice at all.

[TWRv12]

"It just suddenly accelerated again"

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vm8n1

Best wishes to Maria and her team

[davyboy]

Originally Posted by TWRv12

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00vm8n1

Best wishes to Maria and her team

There appears to be some solid information in that report from an eye witness. At this stage, it sounds very much like a freak accident, nevertheless, let's hope that lessons can be learnt from it so that nothing similar happens again. Right now though, all that's important is Maria's well being. Let's hope that it's not as serious as is being reported and that she can pull through and make a full recovery.

[Steven Humphrey]

I've watched testing at Duxford before & haven't seen anything to make me worry about safety. The actual runway where the cars run is a long way from the 'paddock' area. This seems like just a freak accident so to speculate is just pointless. She's in good hands - Addenbrookes hospital has one of the best trauma units in the country. Get well soon Maria

[amidst tundra]

This was a slow speed incident, there are pictures of her pulling in, it seems an engineer was running over to talk to her as she came to a stop before the car lurched forward.

If anything I'd say airfields were a better place to test straight line speed, because in the event of a stuck throttle or the myriad of potential disasters that could befall a car at high speeds there really isn't much to hit at all just miles of grass and tarmac. No armco's, pit walls, tire barriers etc. This was an unfortunate incident that happened to occur in close proximity to where the trucks were parked, however as someone who operates a fork lift I can't think of any reasonable excuse in having the tailboard down on the truck. If I let a trucker do that in my yard health and safety would come down on me like a ton of Styrofoam bricks.

[Alan Raine]

Things seem to be improving. Hopefully they will continue to do so.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100890

[davyboy]

It's possible that the airfield location may be a red herring here. The lessons learnt may be in the area of the anti-stall system... which one would suspect should always fail safe rather than fail hazardously.

Some slightly better news here on Maria's condition.

[Peter Mallett]

Originally Posted by Alan Raine

Things seem to be improving. Hopefully they will continue to do so.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/100890

Agreed.

[I Rosputnik]

Nasty sounding crash...

Hope she can get out this OK.

[henners88]

Well reports suggest she is awake now so looking better than earlier.

[Bononi]

Wow, that was a freaking crash...

[frostie]

Very unfortunate accident but at least we're starting to see some good news coming from Marussia.

Apart from that however its important to look at the accident in the context from which it happened. Straight line aero testing limits the potential dangers but you cant erradicate all of the danger from even the seemingly mundane aspects of the sport.

[Aysedasi]

I've nothing to say about the debate over the use of the location, I just want to wish Maria a full and speedy recovery.

[chillibowl]

i wish her a speedy and full recovery.

as far as the accident goes i dont see why it has to be an either test here or dont race anywhere debate. obviously we dont know all or really any of the details yet but imo Peter is making a very valid comment.

if the teams all had more money and there were no restriction in place on when and where they can test then they would be testing on approved race tracks with all the support and safety staff that comes with that.

with restrictions and less money comes compromise, and if i am taking his point correctly, we should be hoping that saftey is not one of the things being compromised during tests conducted away from f1 grade race facilities and on an individual team basis.

i mean why they conducting the tests on an individual basis. certainly it stands to reason that there are more safety and medical personnel available when the teams do these things together. you cant prevent every accidents from happening but surely they are better prepared for them at actual race tracks and paddocks.

[henners88]

It was just an unfortunate, freak accident.

Lessons need to be learnt and measures put in place, but nobody needs to be held accountable in what was an unforeseen accident.

It sounds like she is making progress which is the main thing, and hopefully she is not badly disfigured as it was reported she sustained facial injuries. Get well soon I say.

[amidst tundra]

How many race drivers have been killed at an airfield test and how many at a fully equipped racing circuit? I know the point is trite, but this was a freak accident, vilifying an certain type of test facility simply trivializes an accident so some armchair pundits can assert how much more knowledgeable they are about the industry.

[Born Racer]

Best wishes to her after this freak accident.

[Born Racer]

Nothing conclusive at this stage: http://www.formula1.com/news/headlin...2/7/13525.html

[medius]

The only one of note that I can recall wasn't in F1, it was Richard Hammond's accident in the Vampire jet car.

I don't think the venue, nor the location of the pits/paddock/team area is the thing that should take the brunt of the finger pointing here. IF (and thats a big if) the investigation by the H&S executive finds the cause of the accident was unintended acceleration, either through driver error or software malfunction, then the result would have been similar, just in another venue like Catalunya's pitlane or Bernie's Paul Ricard playground - car making contact something solid, most likely to be a pit garage or pitwall. Yes, because the car struck a taillift on a truck, this is the situation that has happened. If it was up, the car may have missed it, it may have hit the rear of the car. The venue, nor the activity of the day is the cause of the accident.

I agree it is about minimising risks, but driving anything high powered with a vicious clutch is going to be difficult (speaking of which, I though anti stall just pulled the clutch in, not let it out?).

[JamesH]

A further thought is that even if the tail lift had been out of the way, the car would still have hit the bar on the back of the truck designed to stop road cars from submarining underneath - still a bad height for an F1 car.

[Greem]

From ivanF1 on Twitter:

#F1 RFEA president Mr. Gracia confirms Maria de Villota has been moved to a London hospital for an operation on a fractured skull