wherever they put the structure, it will be in the drivers eye line. What I would think could work would be some kind of sensor that detects debris and throw up and bullet proof type clear screen, deflects it then puts it away
and the objection is simple F1 is open seat cars. Its added pressure of atmosphere on driver. To make it safe they need close roofed cars. That's not F1. Its endurance. Its GT racing. Its everything but.
No it's single seat, open wheel racing. The fact that it's currently open cockpit is only due to technical limitations when the series started and technical regulations now.
If the rules allowed a closed cockpit - and there was any advantage - someone would have already tried it...
Dont see many closed topped cars in the Ferrari history, so no idea why people keep saying 'current'. Feel free to find one that has competed, I'm not an F1 fan but google couldnt
Something tells me some of the ranters (I do love a good rant myself) have read jack diddley regards any of this and are perhaps coming at it from a spectator's perspective only. The articles explained that the problem with enclosed cockpits is the *way* in which debris deflects off the enclosure, causing following cars at least as great a problem and often worse. The design illustrated in this thread is the result of at least some thought or are we saying that those Mercedes F1 engineers are all crap pissed twats? For sure this may not be some ideal design but how many initial designs are ideal? They figured the central strut for many reasons, have a think about it, and as far as the vision obstruction - is anyone here *really* saying that they wouldn't be able to see wtf they were going if they had a central strut? Pretty much all old cars had a central pillar in the windscreen, most buses, planes, ships, whatever, still have. Yeah, OK, so a bus isn't an F1 car I get that but is anyone saying that if there's a central strut the driver won't be able to see? What you reckon can be seen from an F1 cockpit as they are today? So what you gonna do? Let a wheel or large suspension component just smack some unlucky bastard in the head at whatever MPH? Or let a suspension strut stab someones brain, poor Ayrton. Yeah it might not stop a wheel nut or help if someone drives under a crane or whatever but hey... What are the alternatives then?
And once again, driver extraction following an accident comes into the question... Anyone can draw nice curvy lines around a car, but the practicalities may be somewhat different...
Surely part of the attraction of watching F1, or any open-wheel series, is being able to actually see the driver ? Look how popular WEC / LMP / GT racing is on TV and see a vision of F1's future if they do go to enclosed cars...
