Alonso's Crash

[PossibleTunic95]

Hi everyone.
I'm reading your posts and started to wonder about one thing: "the famous seal". What if there was another seal that let go (failed) and the driver, for some period of time, was breathing in some fumes / exhaust fumes? Maybe this was the reason why he was feeling ok before and suddenly fainted? You know, like in films when people try to commit a suicide. They close themselves in the car garage, turn on the engine and simply "go to sleep". Or people who use geysers at home to heat up water. If there is a leak and the gas flows out they don't smell it. They just go to take the shower/bath and unconsciously end up dead.

(Putting aside the actual car damages) this could also explain why Mclaren is so secretive – except driver's privacy of course.

[Mesteño]

Via Omnicorse. Just one line of braking, makes me think maybe it is not braking but suspension or tyre disfunction that made it.

[Cuky]

You can clearly see 'the green led light' on top of the car. Also when the mcl mechanics arrive, and stand right next to the car, you can see them wearing the thick black safety gloves. Is this a normal procedures with any crash? Can't remember seeing marshalls doing so in race accidents with 'green light'

From ERS Safety Information, page 5, released on 27.01.2014. which was handed to inform marshals how to operate with those new hybrid cars

If a cars stops on the track:
ALWAYS wear electrical protective gloves to touch the car or to recover loose parts. Regardless of the status light you are already protected by the gloves.

at the bottom of that same page it says, in larger letters:

Wear electrical safety gloves under fireproof gloves at all times!

so I think it is quite a normal procedure for when car stops on the track when it is damaged. Better safe than sorry.

[Jolle]

Why does everyone seem to suggest that the medical problems afterwards were a consequence of the crash and not the other way around? There doesn't seem to be any explanation on why one of the most experienced drivers on the grid lost control at a mere 150kph and didn't have ANY reaction while the car was heading for the wall?

To me it feels like a ALO blacked out for some reason (diet, bad flue or something worse) and parked the car "briskly".

Is it possible he missed a corner or hit a big bump a few corners before he parked it against the wall?

[Italiano]

I admit, this would have to be a hell of a unlucky coincidence, but it reeks of just such a thing. ERS finds a way to discharge through a malfunction, Alonso is a slightly better conductor of electricity as a person than CF, and a floorpan in contact with the track closes the circuit. Given the amount of power in ERS, a spark could bridge even a few cm of air to the ground (how do lightning strikes work again?)

Because the ERS had discharged itself, the green light is on...ofc it is, there's no more juice left.

Until a credible official statement from doctors and Mclaren proves me otherwise, this is a good possibility in my opinion.

[Mesteño]

LO SPAGNOLO HA TEMUTO PER LA COLONNA VERTEBRALE
Fernando Alonso ha detto ai suoi amici di ricordare tutto e di non aver perso conoscenza, ma l'impatto a suo dire sarebbe stato impressionante se rapportato alla bassa velocità (contro la barriera dovrebbe aver urtato a non oltre 100 km/h). Lo spagnolo ha rivelato di aver sentito la spina dorsale in trazione e ha percepito una scarica alla colonna che lo ha agitato molto, temendo che potessero esserci dei danni che, per fortuna, sono stati scongiurati.

SPANISH HAS FEARED FOR THE SPINE
Fernando Alonso told his friends to remember everything and had not lost consciousness, but he said the impact would have been impressive if compared to the low speed (against the barrier should not have hit over 100 km / h). The Spaniard revealed he felt his spine in traction and received a discharge column that has stirred much, fearing that there might be damage which, thankfully, were averted.

http://www.omnicorse.it/magazine/48737/ ... um=twitter


https://twitter.com/ivanF1/status/569786991790968832
Impact is at the start of the curve. Bur car ended in straight parrallel line with the wall after the curve. That makes me think something made him turn suddenly right and only right.

As we can see in this photo,

steering wheel still pointing right. Broken steering wheel? If it was not, and Fernando was full capable, wouldn't he try to counter-steer?

[WaikeCU]

The same spinal injury which he got from Abu Dhabi in 2013? I mean how bad was that?

[Jonnycraig]

SPANISH HAS FEARED FOR THE SPINE
Fernando Alonso told his friends to remember everything and had not lost consciousness, but he said the impact would have been impressive if compared to the low speed (against the barrier should not have hit over 100 km / h). The Spaniard revealed he felt his spine in traction and received a discharge column that has stirred much, fearing that there might be damage which, thankfully, were averted.

Doesn't quite tally with eyewitnesses though who report he was unresponsive for some time.

[Thefuelman]

Overheard a conversation that Alonso was going through Turn 3 and received some sort of shock through the cars steering system. Alonso was shocked and heavily shaken unable to control the car and slewed it into the wall. Alonso was in such a state de to the shock and unable to extract himself from the car after what was a very soft impact due to electrical shock received. This was why tarpaulins and insulated rubber gloves and safety equipment was used in the extraction.
damage to the car was minimal but Mclaren chose not to Run Button due to a safety concern rather than lack of parts/unable to repair the car.
This would explain yesterday's extended red flagged session and why such extreme precaution was taken in removing Alonso from what was a lightly damaged car. Alonso was being checked in the medical centre for the shock not the impact. The medical centre didn't have much experience in treating this type of incident hence he was airlifted to hospital and monitored overnight. Im eager to see how the Mclaren Honda PR staff will handle this one. Cat is out of the bag now. Bad grammar and spelling I know but I'm on an iPad. Apologies. Expect some kind of updated press release as today wears on. More than likely some sort of rebuttle I would guess.

[mattia.bobbo]

Hi everyone.
I'm reading your posts and started to wonder about one thing: "the famous seal". What if there was another seal that let go (failed) and the driver, for some period of time, was breathing in some fumes / exhaust fumes? Maybe this was the reason why he was feeling ok before and suddenly fainted? You know, like in films when people try to commit a suicide. They close themselves in the car garage, turn on the engine and simply "go to sleep". Or people who use geysers at home to heat up water. If there is a leak and the gas flows out they don't smell it. They just go to take the shower/bath and unconsciously end up dead.

(Putting aside the actual car damages) this could also explain why Mclaren is so secretive – except driver's privacy of course.

The driver is not in a closed cockpit, due to different speed of air inside (engine, battery, ers...) and outside every exhaust fume coming from inside will instantly go outside because there's a gradient of pressure. It's like when you're smoking in your car with the window a little open. Smoke will always go outside the car. I doubt Alonso faited for some kind of smokes

[erlik]

Would it be possible that he was conscious but "paralyzed" for some short period of time... maybe medical personnel feared that he hurt his spine.

[Just_a_fan]

I admit, this would have to be a hell of a unlucky coincidence, but it reeks of just such a thing. ERS finds a way to discharge through a malfunction, Alonso is a slightly better conductor of electricity as a person than CF, and a floorpan in contact with the track closes the circuit. Given the amount of power in ERS, a spark could bridge even a few cm of air to the ground (how do lightning strikes work again?).

The ERS is surrounded by CF, the driver is on the other side of the CF. If it was going to discharge to ground then why would it go through the CF, in to the driver and back in to the CF before going to ground. That doesn't make sense. The driver is surrounded by the CF tub which would act as a Faraday cage. He is also sat in several layers of clothing that will provide insulation from contact with the CF tub.

I think he's had a minor wobble caused by a mechanical issue locking one rear wheel - we can see the rear tyre skid line heading for the wall - the impact has been just enough and in just the wrong way that he's felt something "go" in his neck and elected to sit in the car and avoid risk of further injury. If he felt that his neck was sore then he was right to sit there and await rescue. He would also avoid moving his head which could look like he was unconscious to the first marshals on scene.

There is a lot of dislike of the ERS systems ("eco crap" as it was called by someone earlier) but it's more likely that something else is to blame. A shock from a charged ERS would more than likely kill a driver who would not be thrown clear, as happened to the mechanic a couple of years ago.

[Just_a_fan]

Overheard a conversation that Alonso was going through Turn 3 and received some sort of shock through the cars steering system. .

Wow, "how to start rumours 101" right there!

[damager21]

Is there a possibility that his steering wheel locked while turning right and as is the case, the immediate reflex would be to try and turn the steering wheel in opposite direction instead of braking.

Maybe within those few seconds he crashed hard into the wall with foot still on the gas and as a result his car continued to turn right brushing and hitting the wall repeatedly before it stopped. This repeated banging against the wall would have shaken him a bit.

My sense is that Alonso would have waited for couple of minutes before reacting. Journalists are known for exaggerating a bit so he being unconscious for 10 mins seems far fetched to me.

[Richard]

I overheard a conversation that a child's teddy bear had split milk on the kitchen floor. Doesn't mean it is true.

We do know he hit a solid concrete wall rather than Armco or Tecpro which would explain the high G reported by Mclaren. We do know Alonso had trouble with his back in Abu Dhabi in Nov 2013.

So in my mind there is a plausible explanation of something failing on the car, car hits concrete, driver concussed by high g impact, then driver feels old spine injury after getting over the shock of the impact so he decides to stay still. All of this fits with available facts from the team and people who spoke to Alonso. Hamilton did the same in Spa in 2011 and stayed in the car rather than leaping out.

As for ERS and passing out, well we have diddly squat evidence for that. Marshalls have to assume ERS is live when dealing with accidents, so they were doing their normal job.

Then there is talk of fumes... have some people not noticed the open cockpit???