Alonso's Crash

[lebesset]

(so far the memory loss speculation!)

Could be a lot of things. Power steering failing, something that broke in the steering wheel, suspension,... . It does by no means rule out the gush of wind theory since it influences grip hence steering too, understeering off track.

In short can be anything from the steering wheel forward. I think that rules out an electric shock too, since the sensation would definitely be something else then "heavy steering".

as I stated before I cancelled a journey in eastern spain that day because the gusts of wind rendered the conditions very difficult by blowing the vehicle sideways ...and at much lower speeds than alonso was driving at , albeit in a heavier vehicle

the last time I experienced such conditions was in 1987 when the uk had a hurricane ...I was in spain who got it as well and got blown off the road on to the hard shoulder when a truck passed in the other direction ...my speed at the time was perhaps 50kph !

[George-Jung]

"Fernando recalls a sense of ‘heavy’ steering prior to the accident. Consequently, the team has fitted an additional sensor to the car, to increase our data capture."

Let´s just say Alonso´s hunch is correct. What possible things could create something along the lines of a heavy steering?

Could this also be because of a low blood pressure.. and therefor a loss of power in his arm, resulting in a sense of 'heavy' steering?

[Manoah2u]

"Fernando recalls a sense of ‘heavy’ steering prior to the accident. Consequently, the team has fitted an additional sensor to the car, to increase our data capture."

Let´s just say Alonso´s hunch is correct. What possible things could create something along the lines of a heavy steering?

Could this also be because of a low blood pressure.. and therefor a loss of power in his arm, resulting in a sense of 'heavy' steering?

no.

loss of power steering fluids, loss of electronical support, etc.
it would explain a couple of things. it's not uncommon for drivers to drive without power steering - however, when it suddenly happens, it's a different situation alltogether.

[Andres125sx]

It could be a steering problem, but that doesn´t mean it could NOT be a physical problem

As George said, that feeling can come from both sides, the steering becoming harder, or the driver becoming weaker


As an Alonso fan I really hope it was the steering, but reality is that feeling could perfectly come from a driver problem

[WaikeCU]

I think we should close this thread for now. Until there's news on the investigation of the FIA of the crash itself, then we should open it. Until then, it's just guessing what we are doing here.

[FrukostScones]

I think we should close this thread for now. Until there's news on the investigation of the FIA of the crash itself, then we should open it. Until then, it's just guessing what we are doing here.

and guessing is evil, not kosher, haram.

[iotar__]

Change of tune:
- before: (Boullier) normal testing accident move along, now: mysterious crash
- before: wind to blame, now: see above, we're not entirely sure it's just a theory
- before: no comment, now: Alonso had memory loss
- before: (Dennis) no concussion, should be fine for Australia, now: had concussion didn't race
- before: Alonso doesn't remember the crash, can't help you with that, now: he remembers steering was heavy,
- before: FIA = silence, now: FIA = silence, at least they are consistent and probably waiting for races
- before: no mechanical problems we're 100% sure, now: ?

Now he remembered steering was heavy? Clearly their behaviour is triggered by Alonso's health. First batch of comments when he left the hospital, second one when he's cleared for Malaysia.

[Thunder]

I don't see any "change of Tune". A ""sense" of heavy steering" reverts nothing that Mclaren have said before.

[motobaleno]

I don't see any "change of Tune". A ""sense" of heavy steering" reverts nothing that Mclaren have said before.

no?
really?
so it was the wind right??

[turbof1]

Indeed. Nothing what mclaren so far has told us is contravening. The fuss around the concussion might be the only exception.

Mclaren however is publicly doing a poor job linking the bits of info they release; they are leaving too much room inbetween their statements which resulted in the speculation we have now. They could have easily said "the heavy steering is a possible consequence of the wind upsetting the car", yet with refraining from doing so they are just reigniting the chaos.

They were better off if they did not make that statement.

[Thunder]

I don't see any "change of Tune". A ""sense" of heavy steering" reverts nothing that Mclaren have said before.

no?
really?
so it was the wind right??

The thing is we don't KNOW. And that statement doesn't change ANYTHING about it. So no.

[Richard]

Indeed, we don't know what happened and it seems Mclaren and the FIA have also failed to find a definitive explanation. It's easy to damn Mclaren for not giving a clear narrative, but not everything in life has a clear narrative.

As for complaints about different facts emerging with time, isn't that what you'd expect from an investigation when it investigates?

[motobaleno]

I don't see any "change of Tune". A ""sense" of heavy steering" reverts nothing that Mclaren have said before.

no?
really?
so it was the wind right??

The thing is we don't KNOW. And that statement doesn't change ANYTHING about it. So no.

well, so we don't know if a change of tune in McLaren statement took place but I can say positively that a change of tune happened in the guys partecipating this 3d...immediately after the crash many were absolutely sure of the wind theory blaming all those who gently suggested that the wind was, from a purely material and statistical point o view, a very unlikely cause of such a crash (never in F1 a driver lost his car due to the wind in a COOL DOWN lap).
now WE DON'T KNOW...that's a progress I guess

PS I don't refer to you mate. My reasoning is absolutely general. to be clear.

[lebesset]

I don't see any "change of Tune". A ""sense" of heavy steering" reverts nothing that Mclaren have said before.

no?
really?
so it was the wind right??

maybe not the wind

htthttp://www.bbc.com/sport/0/formula1/31732315p: ... 1/31732315

unless the BBC correspondant has invented what he says here about that lap , hardly credible as it is something that will clearly come out in any enquiry , it is surely more likely that , as so often with these things , a combination of factors eg alonso was trying a bit to hard in the conditions , got off line , tried to recover but got hit by the wind and failed
and anyone who has experienced those conditions will tell you that the wind can try to snatch the wheel out of your hands , power steering or not !!
so in my view , NOT the wind , at least not completely
my hoped for result is that there was neither a problem with the car nor with alonso but that he was just too ambitious with the car in those conditions and got caught out ...in other words it was just a normal practise accident ; where have I heard that before !

[Thunder]

Not sure but Alonso wasn't on a cooldown Lap right? IIRC Boullier said he was faster on the Entry of the Corner than in the Lap before and that one was the fastest he drove this Day.