Dilano van 't Hoff 18 (RIP)
Discussion
Is Lance Stroll right? Should they (the FIA/Spa Circuit/someone else) make some changes to to the Eau Rouge Raidillon corners and if so what changes?
My thoughts are yes but I'm not sure what - possibly deep wide gravel traps in the corners and down the start of the straight to lessen the chance of coming back across the track into high speed traffic
An extremely sad day and change definitely needed after two fatalities in 5 years
My thoughts are yes but I'm not sure what - possibly deep wide gravel traps in the corners and down the start of the straight to lessen the chance of coming back across the track into high speed traffic
An extremely sad day and change definitely needed after two fatalities in 5 years
Edited by Mr_Buller on Sunday 2nd July 09:15
Mr_Buller said:
Is Lance Stroll right? Should they (the FIA/Spa Circuit/someone else) make some changes to to the Eau Rouge Raidillon corners and if so what changes?
No. There isn't a single circuit anywhere in the world where a car couldn't and up broadside across the track and be T-boned by another. We'd have to ban motorsport altogether to mitigate such incidents.MitchT said:
No. There isn't a single circuit anywhere in the world where a car couldn't and up broadside across the track and be T-boned by another. We'd have to ban motorsport altogether to mitigate such incidents.
Very few where you're going to carry that much speed and commitment over a blind crest.silentbrown said:
MitchT said:
No. There isn't a single circuit anywhere in the world where a car couldn't and up broadside across the track and be T-boned by another. We'd have to ban motorsport altogether to mitigate such incidents.
Very few where you're going to carry that much speed and commitment over a blind crest.I still think there should be a consideration for not running junior open wheel races there. Closed cockpit cars are more protected, as are F1 cars and drivers in senior categories should generally be more experienced anyway.
Mr_Buller said:
Is Lance Stroll right? Should they (the FIA/Spa Circuit/someone else) make some changes to to the Eau Rouge Raidillon corners and if so what changes?
My thoughts are yes but I'm not sure what - possibly deep wide gravel traps in the corners and down the start of the straight to lessen the chance of coming back across the track into high speed traffic
An extremely sad day and change definitely needed after two fatalities in 5 years
First of all, may he rest in peace, and condolences to his family and friends. A number of touching tributes from the FIA F3 and F2 communities, racing at Spielberg this weekend, as the news came through. My thoughts are yes but I'm not sure what - possibly deep wide gravel traps in the corners and down the start of the straight to lessen the chance of coming back across the track into high speed traffic
An extremely sad day and change definitely needed after two fatalities in 5 years
The sad thing is, that they have just spent millions over the winter reprofiling that serious of corners, and literally moved mountains to give more run-off and better sight lines. The visibility is better than it was last year, but in one of the regular Spa downpours, still not brilliant.
Apart from yesterday’s tragedy, and the death of Antione Hubert, there have been a number of other big accidents there in recent times. There was one at the 24h last year, scarily reminiscent of the fatalities but with a slightly better outcome, and one in the W Series where the first six or seven cars couldn’t turn in unexpected rain, and all went straight on into the left hand side barrier and each other, leading to two drivers in the hospital.
Personally, I’ve always thought they need to improve the signalling, with a lot more flag posts and light boards, all connected together and going right back down to La Source exit. Perhaps they could come up with an innovation such as embedded lights, running along the track edges and runoff areas, that can be turned yellow or red by the marshalling system.
Series that run with a virtual safety car (F1, F2, FIA F3), already have integration between the car and the marshalling system, perhaps expansion of that technology to lower series and lesser-grade circuits might also help. This particular series, what we used to call the European F3 championship, does I believe mostly run on Grade I circuits anyway.
Edited by Sandpit Steve on Sunday 2nd July 11:50
Dingu said:
I’m struggling to think of many with such regular issues, saying any circuit has risk is a disingenuous cop out.
I still think there should be a consideration for not running junior open wheel races there. Closed cockpit cars are more protected, as are F1 cars and drivers in senior categories should generally be more experienced anyway.
Certainly not in conditions of heavy rain/sprayI still think there should be a consideration for not running junior open wheel races there. Closed cockpit cars are more protected, as are F1 cars and drivers in senior categories should generally be more experienced anyway.
When the visibility is that bad it almost seems criminal to allow them to race, it's not a spectacle for the audience just massive risk for the drivers, skill goes out of the window and blind luck comes into play.
Motor sport is dangerous but for me there is nothing sporting about driving in those conditions.
Ideally there should be massive run-off extending past Radillion, pit exit and past the kink onto the Kemmel Straight but I am aware of circuit specific issues. Currently it's a funnel section and we've seen cars bouncing back on the track and/or parked at the run off. There's not enough time react and dodge the ensuing carnage that occurs. Makes me wonder this will ever make a return in some form:
SpeckledJim said:
Tighten Eau Rouge to reduce speeds up the hill through Radillon?
Turn Eau Rouge and Radillon into a single bus-stop type complex and make the climb over the crest of the hill much straighter?
Yes, it does appear that the debate is now between “go back to that 1994 chicane” and “fix this corner again, just after we thought we’d fixed it”. Turn Eau Rouge and Radillon into a single bus-stop type complex and make the climb over the crest of the hill much straighter?
Olivera said:
SpeckledJim said:
Tighten Eau Rouge to reduce speeds up the hill through Radillon?
Turn Eau Rouge and Radillon into a single bus-stop type complex and make the climb over the crest of the hill much straighter?
fTurn Eau Rouge and Radillon into a single bus-stop type complex and make the climb over the crest of the hill much straighter?
k no to all of that.Le Mans had far longer FCY SC periods due to rain, spray, reordering cars.
They should have been under SC of FCY until visibility was "adequate". It would never be the same under FCY or SC conditions but it would have helped remove at least some of the standing water.
Terrible accident and loss but as we are always reminded. Motorsport is dangerous and short of stopping Motorsport there will always be a level of risk.
That does seem a particularly dangerous series of corners, combining a high chance of rebounding into the track if you come off and almost no chance for someone coming after you to realise that there is an obstruction in the track.
I’d me amazed if the FIA didn’t require significant changes. If they leave it alone and there was god forbid another fatality they would be wide open to charges of corporate man slaughter.
That motorsport is inherently dangerous doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take reasonable steps to mitigate the risk.
I’d me amazed if the FIA didn’t require significant changes. If they leave it alone and there was god forbid another fatality they would be wide open to charges of corporate man slaughter.
That motorsport is inherently dangerous doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take reasonable steps to mitigate the risk.
I've no dog in the fight, but it seems to me that the circuit as shaped at the moment rewards those brave enough to keep their toe in as they drive into an area they cannot see to be clear.
Exacerbating it, is that the area in question is an area particularly prone to not being clear. Prone to having a crashed car sitting in the middle of it.
Each driver can know that they aren't currently having their own accident, but they can't know that they aren't about to be part of someone else's.
If cars that left the track there were not bounced back onto it, then maybe there wouldn't be such risk to keeping that toe in?
Exacerbating it, is that the area in question is an area particularly prone to not being clear. Prone to having a crashed car sitting in the middle of it.
Each driver can know that they aren't currently having their own accident, but they can't know that they aren't about to be part of someone else's.
If cars that left the track there were not bounced back onto it, then maybe there wouldn't be such risk to keeping that toe in?
FredericRobinson said:
Changes have been made at Radillon, from the report I read this was a good bit further down the Kemel Straight?
Another driver went off on the left at the top of Radillion/ start of KemmelDVH appears to have collected this car a few seconds later, ending up broadside in the middle of Kemmel, where he was hit by another car
I’ve always been an advocate of racing in pretty much any conditions, but the visibility was dreadful and I’m not convinced they should have been racing at that stage
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