2014 Japanese Grand Prix - Suzuka

[timbo]

Certain tracks have the cranes, and the cars really don't weigh much so they can get very good reach. You don't even need that many of them, just enough to cover the corners that we usually see most crashes.

Here's 130R. The yellow line is about 32 meters long.
To reach the track line has to be 50 meters long.
The long reach crane cannot be operated as mobile lifter, it needs to be stationary, so you can't move it so easily to cover the whole runoff. I don't think it's practical.

[timbo]

Also why putting the car on a truck straight away? They can place it in a specially prepared spot behind the barriers for each pair of corners.

And how you gonna do it? By magic, or maybe still use mobile lifter?

[Afterburner]

You need cranes not only for crashes but also for reliability problems, you can't cover a 7km circuit with fixed cranes, it would be just insane.

Regarding 40t cranes, they're very slow and difficult to manage, imagine to put a car in a truck surrounded by trees, advertisement boards, marshals, spectators, etc.

What trees?
Most tracks have no trees near the track anymore.
Also why putting the car on a truck straight away? They can place it in a specially prepared spot behind the barriers for each pair of corners.

Monza has no trees for example?

If you have a massive pile crash on an area you need to make space for all cars, you need to put them on truck, you need to cover all the possibilities...

[Afterburner]

[morefirejules08]

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[Jano11]

Certain tracks have the cranes, and the cars really don't weigh much so they can get very good reach. You don't even need that many of them, just enough to cover the corners that we usually see most crashes.

Here's 130R. The yellow line is about 32 meters long.
To reach the track line has to be 50 meters long.
The long reach crane cannot be operated as mobile lifter, it needs to be stationary, so you can't move it so easily to cover the whole runoff. I don't think it's practical.

http://s24.postimg.org/kg5z968p1/suzuka.jpg

What if the crane isn't place where you set it, but rather on both sides of the kink? Looks shorter to me.
Plus cars that have an accident most probably will not stop on track but near the barriers.

[void]

The crane is much heavier than an F1 car, and if FIA adapt or develop some kind of soft barriers arround the crane? It won't be at the best place, but will abosorb some impact.

Like this one:

[timbo]

What if the crane isn't place where you set it, but rather on both sides of the kink? Looks shorter to me.

Thing is, anywhere you put it, crane(s) has to cover the whole runoff, so it's still A LOT of ground to cover.

Plus cars that have an accident most probably will not stop on track but near the barriers.

The problem is, we're dealing with accidents. You can't guarantee that the car stops at the longest distance from where you put the crane, and IMO the chances are no different for a freak accident we had today.

What I though actually is to use bump covers on trackside vehicles to prevent diving.

[ChrisM40]

The pictures seem to show that his helmet is intact, therefore maybe the crash involved a high G load or wrenching force rather than a direct impact. Lets hope this is a good thing for him.

[timbo]

The crane is much heavier than an F1 car, and if FIA adapt or develop some kind of soft barriers arround the crane?

Yep, just what I've posted.
The accident would not be so severe if something prevented a car from going UNDER the lifter.

[Jano11]

You need cranes not only for crashes but also for reliability problems, you can't cover a 7km circuit with fixed cranes, it would be just insane.

Regarding 40t cranes, they're very slow and difficult to manage, imagine to put a car in a truck surrounded by trees, advertisement boards, marshals, spectators, etc.

What trees?
Most tracks have no trees near the track anymore.
Also why putting the car on a truck straight away? They can place it in a specially prepared spot behind the barriers for each pair of corners.

Monza has no trees for example?

If you have a massive pile crash on an area you need to make space for all cars, you need to put them on truck, you need to cover all the possibilities...

Then you make space for them, you'd be surprised how simple that is, 10 F1 cars need less then 100 sqm, not a supermarket parking lot.
And the crane isn't supposed to hide between the trees, it should be placed between the trees and the tire barriers, pick the cars from one side of the barrier and drop them on the other side, no nuclear science, just common sense and money is needed. You could even have a truck stop there and take them away immediately. It really isn't difficult, they do it all the time in Monaco and they have houses and concrete and metal structures near the track there.

[turbof1]

The crane is much heavier than an F1 car, and if FIA adapt or develop some kind of soft barriers arround the crane?

Yep, just what I've posted.
The accident would not be so severe if something prevented a car from going UNDER the lifter.

This. Something like a soft barrier like void proposed could have kept Bianchi's head from harm since it would prevent the car from sliding underneath the tractor.

[RZS10]

Was the car actually UNDER the tractor? seing those pics i don't see how it could be possible, the rear is lower than the "shoulder line" of the car, or did it actually lift the tractor on impact (not possible i think...)

[Yurasyk]

Even barriers arround the crane can't save marchal's life after being hitted by a car. More stricted speed limitation is the solution to my mind.

[Jano11]

What if the crane isn't place where you set it, but rather on both sides of the kink? Looks shorter to me.

Thing is, anywhere you put it, crane(s) has to cover the whole runoff, so it's still A LOT of ground to cover.

Plus cars that have an accident most probably will not stop on track but near the barriers.

The problem is, we're dealing with accidents. You can't guarantee that the car stops at the longest distance from where you put the crane, and IMO the chances are no different for a freak accident we had today.

What I though actually is to use bump covers on trackside vehicles to prevent diving.

You will still need marshals to go on track every time, and they are really unprotected when out there.

IMO lots of things need to change to make things acceptably safe for both drivers and marshals. What we have now is just the minimum that can be done, doesn't really cover enough cases to be satisfying.
There has to be better recovery means in place and the running cars have to be in a neutralized mode when driving by accident scene.