Alonso's Crash

[Thunder]

Great to hear he has been released. https://twitter.com/McLarenF1/status/570580823436599296

[CptPeanut]

Statement from McLaren-Honda, Barcelona, February 25

Following his testing accident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last Sunday, we are pleased to confirm that Fernando Alonso has now left hospital. He has returned to his family’s home in Spain for further rest and recuperation.

As a result, he will sit out this week’s final winter test, at which he was due to share driving duties with Jenson Button. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren-Honda’s test and reserve driver, will replace him.

Jenson will be testing the McLaren-Honda car tomorrow (February 26), and the team will confirm the full day-to-day running order in due course.

[turbof1]

I don't find this strange either: During the season the team and driver will probably take a bit more risk by forcing recovery on a faster pace due the next race weekend isn't going to be posponed. However, for the driver there isn't much to be gained by rushing things to be able to participate in the next test. There certainly aren't points to be earned, and getting to know the car isn't that much of a deal at this point. Certainly not with simulators at the factory. It's better then to stretch out the recovery period to make sure the driver is fully recovered. After all, nothing is on the line now.

Remember Perez having his huge shunt in 2011 in Monaco? He didn't participate in the next grand prix either, although looking rather well on the outside, he still had some issues of the concussion he suffered.

[Richard]

somewhere I read that FIA said that they are not responsible and that they don't care what happens during testing on the circuit... hard to believe.

Hard to believe because it's not true.

I agree that the FIA don't worry about the legality of the cars. However they do require the cars to comply with crash tests and the circuits have to meet the full safety standards including medical support and marshalls

[FrukostScones]

somewhere I read that FIA said that they are not responsible and that they don't care what happens during testing on the circuit... hard to believe.

Hard to believe because it's not true.

I agree that the FIA don't worry about the legality of the cars. However they do require the cars to comply with crash tests and the circuits have to meet the full safety standards including medical support and marshalls

but do they care for the reason of the crash?

[cirrusflyer]

And the link to article on Skysports:
http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12479 ... test-crash
=D>

[cirrusflyer]

Statement from McLaren-Honda, Barcelona, February 25

Following his testing accident at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya last Sunday, we are pleased to confirm that Fernando Alonso has now left hospital. He has returned to his family’s home in Spain for further rest and recuperation.

As a result, he will sit out this week’s final winter test, at which he was due to share driving duties with Jenson Button. Kevin Magnussen, McLaren-Honda’s test and reserve driver, will replace him.

Jenson will be testing the McLaren-Honda car tomorrow (February 26), and the team will confirm the full day-to-day running order in due course.

It will be JB and KM.
Link:
http://www.pitpass.com/53344/Official-A ... final-test

[FrukostScones]

somewhere I read that FIA said that they are not responsible and that they don't care what happens during testing on the circuit... hard to believe.

Hard to believe because it's not true.

I agree that the FIA don't worry about the legality of the cars. However they do require the cars to comply with crash tests and the circuits have to meet the full safety standards including medical support and marshalls

but do they care for the reason of the crash?

apprently they now care: from BBC ALO article:

BBC Sport has learned that governing body the FIA is to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the accident to ensure its causes and consequences are fully understood.

[Richard]

"Don't care" sounds rather harsh, as if it was criminal negligence. I guess it might be something lost in translation?

I can't imagine they investigate every single bump.

We do know they investigate where something serious has happened. They set up a formal panel to investigate Bianchi's crash, they restricted the number of people in a pit lane after a loose wheel hit a cameraman, they increased the requirements for wheel tethers after a wheel came loose in a crash a few years ago. They often require changes to kerbs during a race weekend if there are concerns about safety.

So yes the do react when needed. I imagine they'll talk to Mclaren and the circuit to see if any lessons could be learnt from the crash. We might well see a softer barrier in front of that concrete wall for the Spanish GP.

[Moose]

I don't really understand the meaning with on the limit when the car was at that moment going 150kph. Surely a F1 car can go harder through turn 3? So could you explain what you mean by being on the limit?

Remember, F1 cars actually have a somewhat odd behaviour that you need to keep them above a certain speed to maintain your level of grip. Driving a car with huge amounts of downforce is not at all like driving a road car. It's entirely plausible, that due to having less than half the downforce (possibly less than a quarter if the wind was strong from behind) of a car driving at 240kph, you may actually not be able to stay on the road at 150kph, even though you could at 240.

[Vasconia]

I am glad to see that he is out of the hospital. Unfortunately he will miss the last test so he will drive a quite different car in Melbourne with little experience.

[Redragon]

I am still not understanding why people still thinking Mclaren is hidding something and haven't deal with the situation properly.

1. Alonso has an accident with concussion from which he is in shock and don't really remember what happen.
2. It is tests, so no 100 cameras from different angles can be study and not many witnesses, only a photographer.
3. Probably at this stage Mclaren doesn't have a clue as any of us what actually happen because they don't have the driver feed back.
4. They talk to press and relise a press notification to let everyone know that Alonso is fine and have been hospitalised for further checks as G alarm of heavy crash was activated and it is procedure.
5. They call the photographer to look into the pictures, analyze data and for sure, study the accident area, 24h later they have a conclusion of what happens and also confirm that Alonso is fine.
6. At same time, Alonso team post a picture of him on hospital to stop the rumours and show it is a fact he is fine but he stays in observation as concussion have been big. They declare, they are not in a hurry but they want fully recovery of Alonso in a quiet envioronment.
7. He is relise from hospital.

So why people still thinking there is something wrong and Mclaren have been secretly? When they have been updating everytime they have more news and knowledge of what happen.

[mertol]

Because:
1. Mclaren have a history of silly lies.
2. Alonso is not a rookie who can just crash into a wall while going at 150km/h in a corner usually taken at 250km/h.
3. How often do you see memory loss even in big crashes?

[Richard]

3. How often do you see memory loss even in big crashes?

Here one for starters http://www1.skysports.com/f1/news/12473 ... mber-crash

Alonso is human, his brain is as fragile as anyone else.

Vettel also had a spin in Barcelona. Who let these rookies onto the track eh?

I'll not bother asking about the "silly lies" or we'll run out of tinfoil hats.

[Tim.Wright]

So why people still thinking there is something wrong and Mclaren have been secretly? When they have been updating everytime they have more news and knowledge of what happen.

Speaking only for myself, but my issues are:

1. McLaren are blaming the wind for the crash, but claim there was no loss in aero performance according to their data. Obviously both can't be true.
2. According to Vettel's account of the events, Alonso was running slowly at this point, which I read as being well under the grip limit of the tyres which in turn makes the wind theory even more unlikely.