New FIA Seat and Side Impact Protection

[TWRv12]

When fitted with Side Impact protection, the whole system is good for a 100g side impact shunt.

http://www.fia.com/en-GB/mediacentre...afety_wrc.aspx

www.gpweek.com (Gp035 p16)

WRC SEASON STARTS WITH SAFETY UPGRADE

(Jan 2008)
http://www.fiainstitute.com/news/news_250108.php

What I don't understand is that the FIA, so far, only require this new seat and side impact protection from 2009 in the WRC.

These safety systems should have been in place at least five years ago, in all saloons, touring and sportscars.

[Peter Mallett]

I need pics to see what you're talking about, but to take one point. If these systems were available five years ago, why didn't the teams implement them then? (Pics are too slow to download).

The answer could be that it's been a voluntary thing, so now the FIA is making it mandatory.

[TWRv12]

In 1995 Kieth O'dor was killed at the AVUS circuit in Berlin, when his Nissan Primera touring cars was hit square in the drivers door by another car. After this Audi and Mercedes did research to try and improve touring car safety. This research resulted in a safety cell around the driver, with the seating position moved back and more central. As seen in the DTM but nowhere else?

Since 1997 how many racing cars have been built and not moved the drivers seat to a safer more central position? Have the FIA been asleep?

There is a photo of the new seat on page 16 of this weeks GPWeek.

The FIA showed off their side impact crash structure at Rally Finland 2007
http://www.rally-live.com/wrc/en/pho...iapo_056.shtml

For the last two seasons V8 Supercars have moved the drivers seat to a more central position and put crash structures in the doors. (pdf 2mb see page 56 )

NASCAR have run the CoT since 2007, with massive side impact structures.

Maybe I'm wrong but the FIA doesn't seem to have much interest in this regard, in improving saloons, touring and sportscars

[Peter Mallett]

Ian Taylor suffered a similar fate in the early 90's at Spa. I'm not sure what your point is really. Are you saying the imposition is a good thing or taking the FIA to task for being so slow?

FWIW it is difficult to do what you ask on rear wheel drive cars because You can't move the seat too far sideways due to the propshaft tunnel.

[AU N EGL]

We also have to have a minium of the 3 Nascar door bars. as the blue bars here: http://www.rally-live.com/wrc/en/pho...iapo_056.shtml

all bars need to be welded between each of them

The older Gray, X door brace is no longer allowed for us.

Many guys had to cut the older x-brace out and weld in new NASCAR door bars.

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by Peter Mallett

Ian Taylor suffered a similar fate in the early 90's at Spa. I'm not sure what your point is really. Are you saying the imposition is a good thing or taking the FIA to task for being so slow?

FWIW it is difficult to do what you ask on rear wheel drive cars because You can't move the seat too far sideways due to the propshaft tunnel.

Yes the FIA is too slow, and should do mre to protect drivers. Don't really understand why there is no sense of urgency to improve the situation. How many more new cars will be built with the drivers seat not as far away from the the door as possible. Some cars are probably too small...

Do you not find it strange that one type of FIA saloon racers (so far) will have massively better side impact (could still be even better?), yet the min. requirement in other forms of racing have not been upgraded? Thought the contradiction in requirements for similar types of car is massive.

As regards rear wheel drive cars, its not impossible to fit better safety systems. They just have to be designed in. Maybe I'm wrong?

Originally Posted by AU N EGL

We also have to have a minium of the 3 Nascar door bars. as the blue bars here: http://www.rally-live.com/wrc/en/pho...iapo_056.shtml

all bars need to be welded between each of them

The older Gray, X door brace is no longer allowed for us.

Many guys had to cut the older x-brace out and weld in new NASCAR door bars.

Those blue bars on the Subaru shell are carbon fibre! Supposed to cost about €5k a car to kit out with this system. Supposed to be able to retro fit it too.

Some teams cover the door x-bars with carbon (or sheet metal) for added protection. Triple8 do this on their V8 Supercars, but not on their BTCC cars.

[Peter Mallett]

Ah I see.

So you don't think it's up to the teams then.

[midgetman]

Just trying to work out how I'd get in the car if I had all these safety precautions......that seat looks bigger than the cockpit space so I hope they don't become mandatory. And any more ironwork on the rollcage and I'd have to be winched in from the top like a knight of old on his jousting horse :-)

I'm being serious for once.

[TWRv12]

Originally Posted by midgetman

Just trying to work out how I'd get in the car if I had all these safety precautions......that seat looks bigger than the cockpit space so I hope they don't become mandatory. And any more ironwork on the rollcage and I'd have to be winched in from the top like a knight of old on his jousting horse :-)

I'm being serious for once.

Thats why NASCAR allow an option roof escape hatch!

[AU N EGL]

Originally Posted by TWRv12

Those blue bars on the Subaru shell are carbon fibre! Supposed to cost about €5k a car to kit out with this system. Supposed to be able to retro fit it too.

Some teams cover the door x-bars with carbon (or sheet metal) for added protection. Triple8 do this on their V8 Supercars, but not on their BTCC cars.

Carbon fiber? are they crazy? Carbon Fiber shreds into tiny little knives and can rip your suite and body to pieces with even a minor hit.

Sheet metal I can under stand

[TWRv12]

FIA Institute has won the 2008 Professional Motorsport World award for its work in improving side-impact protection
http://www.fiainstitute.com/news/news_141108.php