F2 Brands Hatch

[chunterer]

Please can everyone who would like to offer their condolences and comments in passing for late Henry please do so in the appropriate thread.

http://tentenths.com/forum/showthread.php?t=117123

Many Thanks,
chunterer

[RF_Racer]

was the wheel still attached to the upright/suspension? if so why do they not have wheel tethers? I thought they were built to F1 safety rules?

RIP very sad loss indeed

[brands hatch]

Originally Posted by RF_Racer

was the wheel still attached to the upright/suspension? if so why do they not have wheel tethers? I thought they were built to F1 safety rules?

From what i saw it was literally the wheel, with no suspension or uprights attached that bounced accross the track. The F2 cars are meant to have wheel teathers.

[RF_Racer]

freak accident indeed....

[brands hatch]

Originally Posted by RF_Racer

freak accident indeed....

yes..very very unlucky. RIP henry

[Lam Pak]

Totally inappropriate post!
rip henry.

[jab]

The car is built to 2005 F1 safety standards. I don't believe for one second that the low cost of the cars contributed to the accident. In Australia, Kubica nearly suffered the same fate when one of his wheels came lose and missed his head by inches, so does that mean that £300m F1 cars are "too cheap" as well?

But I do worry for New F2. This will leave a mark on the series for many years to come. Many series, seasons, events and circuits are primarily remembered for tragedy. This season will be overshadowed by this, at the very least

[Peat]

Lam Pak. Get real.

[Mark Mitchell]

Not really appropriate on this thread Mr Pak!

[brands hatch]

Originally Posted by jab

The car is built to 2005 F1 safety standards. I don't believe for one second that the low cost of the cars contributed to the accident.

I agree with you jab. The cars are very safe and as we all know anything can happen in motorsport. This was just a tragic accident.

[Valker]

Originally Posted by brands hatch

The F2 cars are meant to have wheel teathers.

I'm sure they are meant have the tethers (and that they have them) but this is how Henri Karjalainen commented the accident to Finnish TV channel MTV3:

– It remains to be seen if also our class will have that kind of wires that will keep the wheels attached to the car if they get loose.

– Even though these are very safe cars, this is a one thing they lack.

And sorry about broken English translation... I tried to keep the actual words he used, but that's pretty difficult.

So, do they or do they have the wheel tethers? Karjalainen claims there are no tethers but he may be wrong.

[Super Hans]

I don't think those sorts of slurs are appropriate in any thread. Blaming someone for the death of a young man, without any of the facts at your disposal, is downright irresponsible.

[Stephen Green]

If there are any further remarks along the lines of those made earlier (and now deleted), there will be bans being dished out. Let's not try to allay blame on anyone at this time of terrible news for the Surtees family.

You have been warned!

[andyrjt1]

If there are any further remarks along the lines of those made earlier (and now deleted), there will be bans being dished out. Let's not try to allay blame on anyone at this time of terrible news for the Surtees family.

I fully agree with you there Steven, I was the Incident Officer on post 17 and saw the whole thing tragically and ACCIDENTALLY unfold before me. The TV pictures do not tell the whole story or show the ground conditions. My thoughts today are with the Surtees family.

[mark_l]

I dont know what speed Henry hit the barrier at but a wheel was torn from his car, which suggests to me the wheel tethers are not really strong enough.

[Stephen Green]

TYhe wheel that hit Henry was from another car not his own. I would rather we didn't go into the why's and wherefors at the moment given the whole thing will be the subject of a coroners enquiry and the obvious need for confidentiality.

[RF_Racer]

Originally Posted by jab

The car is built to 2005 F1 safety standards. I don't believe for one second that the low cost of the cars contributed to the accident. In Australia, Kubica nearly suffered the same fate when one of his wheels came lose and missed his head by inches, so does that mean that £300m F1 cars are "too cheap" as well?

But I do worry for New F2. This will leave a mark on the series for many years to come. Many series, seasons, events and circuits are primarily remembered for tragedy. This season will be overshadowed by this, at the very least

Brands Hatch is a dangerous circuit, many of the corners on the GP loop are fast and have very little run off area.

[MG Racer]

He died doing something that he enjoyed, it was a tragic ACCIDENT. Motorsport is dangerous and all of us who compete accept that risk. Doesn't make it any easier when something like this happens. Please dont start blaming it on the circuit design or wheel tethers - it was an accident. RIP Henry Surtees.

[jab]

Well, a greater run-off area might have prevent this particular incident but there's nothing to say it would prevent similar incidents altogether. The wheel was going at quite a speed across the track, so a greater run-off area would just have meant it would've taken slightly longer to cross the track - there's nothing to say that it wouldn't still hit a car/driver. So I don't think it's fair to blame the track. There have been many bad accidents at Brands but this could've happened anywhere. It was all about timing - most of the time they fall good and we get a near miss, like with Kubica in Australia, but other times, like yesterday or with Hottinger in 1980, it all comes together at exactly the wrong moment. That's why it's a freak accident

Joe Saward sums it up perfectly - "this was one of those accidents which would have happened come what may"

[westfieldbend]

Originally Posted by RF_Racer

Brands Hatch is a dangerous circuit, many of the corners on the GP loop are fast and have very little run off area.

Most of the corners at brands hatch now have large run off areas. The run off at westfield was extended for the 2007 wtcc meeting. The run off at westfield is as big as it can be without cutting down protected trees.

If Westfield bend is dangerous, whats woodcote at silverstone or quarry at castle combe ?

Anyway i don't really think we should have a debate, it was an accident and could have happened at any circuit.

[bella]

i think this was absolutely a tragic accident, but it doesn't mean we shouldn't take a look at what happened (diplomatically) and wonder if there's anything we can improve safety. a young life should never be lost in such circumstances, but when it does happen i personally feel it's important that there should be positive concequences as well as the horrific negative ones that his family and friends are enduring.

[Thundersports]

I think one word sums up the accident is "freak" the odds on this happening are massive and you can't or never will 100% eradicate the dangers from our sport. The last thing needed is any knee jerk reactions to the circuit or series as it could have happened virtually anywhere.
Dave Coyne had an even bigger shunt almost identical to Jack Clarkes in the 1991 Int F3000 race where there was even less run off and that resulted in no injuries in what were quicker and far less safe cars.

[terence]

I agree with Bella,the incident,being as utterly traggic as it is should not give rise to finger pointing,ie,"The Circuit is unsafe, The Other Driver or The Car was at fault etc.We can only hope that something positive comes out of this.At the same time though,motor racing IS dangerous,there will always be accidents as there have always been,it's an accepted risk we are all aware of.

[ghinzani]

Im sure after the Police and Coroners reports are published the Insurance companies involved and possibly the HSE will have the ultimate sanction on any subsequent legal actions. Having seen the level of preparation of cadet karts whilst scrutineering, especially compared to the karts these kids father race, I am always impressed by the level of attention to detail the parents achieve, safety always being of paramount importance for their loved ones. I dont think any decent, self-respecting parent would put their offspring in a race vehicle they didnt have 100% trust in the safety of.

[Lam Pak]

i dunno wy my post was cut off. i just want justice. the most extreme of the things you cant say would be very shocking to most readers. its time to f2 and fia think in safety. too much bull**** in papers and pressreleases and reality is what we see. cars are crashing and wheels go off very easy. karajelanen is correct. somethin is worng. i never see this in f3 or formual renault losing wheels like this. tell i am wrong and simple sign test could determine if this is true or false.we ourselves are evolving.