Post-Senna changes

[jondwyer]

I've been asked by a young person writing an essay, if I have any insight into specific changes that were made in marshalling, following Ayrton Senna's fatal accident. Although I folllowed motor-sport at the time, I wasn't a marshal. I wondered if there is anyone on here who could comment? The student is also interested in changes to track design and car design that resulted directly from the accident. Any insight would be appreciated! Thanks, in anticipation...

[snoz wanger]

The first thing that was put in place was a re-design of the engine air box, a uniform size hole was cut into the rear section of the cover, i seem to remember that this lowered the amount of ram air into the intakes thus lowering engine power and straight line speed, some circuits also created temporary tyre chicanes to slow the cars. The main change i can think of was wheel tethers which control and contain a detached wheel in the event of an accident { Senna was hit by his right hand front road wheel}. As for Marshalling im not sure that this accident changed anything?.. lets not forget that Roland Ratzenberger also passed away that weekend in an equally bad crash.

[SouthportFC Fan]

There were justifiably significant changes to car cockpit side dimensions to offer the drivers better protection, increases in runoff areas and others. The best place to research may well be Autosport's archive.

Other motorsport magazines are available ......

[thepits!]

Originally Posted by snoz wanger

lets not forget that Roland Ratzenberger also passed away that weekend in an equally bad crash.

Yes let's not forget him as his death in qualifying always gets overshadowed by Senna's.

Let's also not forget the lucky escape that Rubens Barichello had that weekend!

[TWRv12]

One of the biggest changes affecting marshals was the way so many circuits were re-profiled in one year to make the most dangerous corners a little bit safer. Bigger run offs, bigger gravel traps, more catch fencing, bigger tyre walls with conveyor belts on the front etc. That went hand in hand with modification to make F1 cars slower and safer.

Around this time that the extractable F1 seat was developed
http://composite.about.com/library/P.../bljaguar1.htm

Wasn't the biggest change, the change in culture, that there shouldn't literally be immovable obstacles in the pursuit of better safety. Many corners where for decades it was said you can't move that to make it safer, suddenly it wasn't as big a problem to change it. Suppose its what Dave Brailsford calls the 'aggregation of marginal gains', improve everything a little to make a step foward in safety.

[AndyT]

a good read is Sid Watkins biography, gives a lot of detail

[JohnMiller]

Originally Posted by snoz wanger

The first thing that was put in place was a re-design of the engine air box, a uniform size hole was cut into the rear section of the cover, i seem to remember that this lowered the amount of ram air into the intakes thus lowering engine power and straight line speed, some circuits also created temporary tyre chicanes to slow the cars. The main change i can think of was wheel tethers which control and contain a detached wheel in the event of an accident { Senna was hit by his right hand front road wheel}. As for Marshalling im not sure that this accident changed anything?.. lets not forget that Roland Ratzenberger also passed away that weekend in an equally bad crash.

Senna died in 1994, tethers were introduced in 1998 IIRC. Let's hope this isn't an important essay for his education if he's going to rely on factual information from the likes of here.

[snoz wanger]

Originally Posted by JohnMiller

Senna died in 1994, tethers were introduced in 1998 IIRC. Let's hope this isn't an important essay for his education if he's going to rely on factual information from the likes of here.

John....i didnt say they were introduced in 1994 ....but as a consequence of repeated detached wheels!......How very dare you...

[bauble]

Good point about veracity of assorted memories of the past, however, the two major features that can be directly attributed to the accident were the temporary chicanes and bigger gravel beds.
I can remember being flown over Silverstone in the Chairman's helicopter to view the changes they made in the immediate aftermath, and the most noticeable things were the vastly enlarged gravel beds. Indeed I also recall the press handout mentioning the tonnage of gravel used to improve safety.
There was also re-profiling of certain corners, which should be on record on the Silverstone site.

It should not be too hard to find details of the circuits that built the 'rubber chicanes' that sprang up at different tracks.

Side impact structures, HANS devices, higher cockpit sides. wheel tethers, deformable nose cones, are some of the safety features that have appeared over the years. Be interesting to see the chronology of these. Maybe the essay will get published.

[deley]

Originally Posted by jondwyer

I've been asked by a young person writing an essay, if I have any insight into specific changes that were made in marshalling, following Ayrton Senna's fatal accident. Although I folllowed motor-sport at the time, I wasn't a marshal. I wondered if there is anyone on here who could comment? The student is also interested in changes to track design and car design that resulted directly from the accident. Any insight would be appreciated! Thanks, in anticipation...

Has he tried writing to the FIA Institute (info@fiainstitute.com) as Andy Mellor and colleagues have a wealth of information on the safety changes post-Senna?

[NaBUru38]

Originally Posted by jondwyer

specific changes that were made in marshalling, following Ayrton Senna's fatal accident.

Did training improve? Nascar uses local staff, I think, but IndyCar has a permanent rescue crew.

Originally Posted by jondwyer

changes to track design and car design that resulted directly from the accident.

Tighter corners, as well. Modern F1 circuits have very few high-speed corners. Abu Dhabi has none, for example.