This is very worrying, when i watched it live during qualifying for the Hungarian Grand Prix, it looked inocuous, just like Henry Surtees's fatal accident last week.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/8168807.stm

Here's how it happened, watch the replay very closely

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnYha0vS9A0

Unsuprisingly, he will not race tomorrow, he was due to start in 10th place

Thats is worse than i thought he suffered, very lucky not to be blinded in his left eye.

With Surtees death and now this, the design of the helmets surely has to be looked at.

You could argue that the helmet has worked perfectly considering he was hit at around 200mph by a bit of metal, it has saved his life, or hopefully it has anyway.

He is certainly very lucky if he walks away from this.

Aye you could say that, but it wont stop the authorities looking into it and improving helmet safety as a result.

Considering the fact he's not had surgery to treat the skull fracture, id imagine he'll be out for the rest of the season as that would take a long time to recover from.

Two freak accidents in seven days

Still not as bad as the 3 serious incidents with 2 deaths in 1 weekend at Imola in 1994. Just when you think the safety is at an all time best this happens, it was truely tragic what happened to Surtees last week and Felipe is very lucky not to have joined him. Here's hoping to a speedy recovery but I don't think we'll be seeing him on track again in 2009.

Safety is at its all time best, but the thign is, it doesnt matter how much safety procedures and crash tests you put drivers through, there are always liable to be one or 2 freak accidents where the odds of it causing injuries or fatalities are close to unthinkable. Its just an incredible coincidence that we've had 2 happen in the last week, one of which causing the death of a promising young driver.

I agree though, the fact he's had surgery for a double skull fracture means he's almost certain to miss the rest of the season, either Marc Gene or Luca Badoer (Ferrari's test drivers) will replace him.

Also, they really are cracking down on safety now, the stewards have just banned Renault from competing in next months Valencia Grand Prix for that loose wheel incident in todays race

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport...one/8169649.stm

That's very harsh on Alonso. Felt sorry for him today and that is just stupid by banning him for the next race.

The type of spring that hit Massa can weigh anything up to one kilogram. He was travelling at 170mph and the impact left a fist-size hole in his helmet

After the 2 incidents in the last week, the last thing we needed to see today was that wheel cover come flying off and then see that wheel bouncing down the track at high speed all due to human error. I'm glad to see action being taken, thankfully nobody was around Alonso at the time. I do feel sorry for Alonso & Piquet but as part of the team will just have to take it on the chin and get on with it.

Aye, the rear suspension spring is a meaty piece of kit, The one the BBC showed in the pre-race show was from a GP2 car, the one from an F1 car is about a third bigger and twice as heavy.

As you can see from Whitley's pic, it also ripped his visor clean off on one side.

My write up on the race including an update on Massa's condition

http://dazzlagrandprix.blogspot.com/2009/0...ughing-now.html

Massa's condition is no longer life threatening, so thankfully, he will not be joining this list

FORMULA 1 FATALITIES
* Killed during testing

1953: *Charles de Tornaco (BEL)
1954: Onofre Marimon (ARG)
1955: *Alberto Ascari (ITA)
1957: Eugenio Castelotti (ITA)
1958: Luigi Musso (ITA), Peter Collins (GBR), Stuart Lewis-Evans (GBR)
1960: Harry Schell (USA), Chris Bristow (GBR), Alan Stacey (GBR)
1961: Wolfgang Von Trips (GER), *Giulio Cabianca (ITA)
1962: Ricardo Rodriquez (MEX), Gary Hocking (ZIM)
1964: Carel Godin de Beaufort (NED)
1966: John Taylor (GBR)
1967: Lorenzo Bandini (ITA), *Bob Anderson (GBR)
1968: Jim Clark (GBR), Jo Schlesser (FRA)
1969: Gerhard Mitter (GER)
1970: Piers Courage (GBR), Jochen Rindt (AUT)
1971: Jo Siffert (SUI)
1973: Roger Williamson (GBR), Francois Cevert (FRA)
1974: *Peter Revson (USA), Helmut Koinigg (AUT)
1975: Mark Donohue (USA)
1977: Tom Pryce (GBR), Brian McGuire (AUS)
1978: Ronnie Peterson (SWE) - In my opinion, the finest driver never to win a world championship title
1980: *Patrick Depailler (FRA)
1982: Gilles Villeneuve (CAN), Riccardo Paletti (ITA)
1986: *Elio De Angelis (ITA)
1994: Roland Ratzenberger (AUT), Ayrton Senna (BRA)

I think you have to say the protection for motor drivers is pretty good. I was at the Moto GP this weekend and it's suprising the amount of times the drivers fall off, in sometimes very savage ways, but then get back up and ride on.

You are bound to get freak accidents, and this and the Surtees one are exactly that.

I'd agree the protection is immense these days you just have to look at that list of deaths from Yella that there hasn't been any in F1 since 1994. No helmet would have saved Surtees it was the pure speed and weight of the impact and it could be argued that if the helmets weren't top notch that Felipe would sadly no longer be with us, the helmet has saved his life.

I have to agree, Helmets will still be improved after Massa's incident but you're right, that helmet pretty mich saved his life as well as prevented him from going blind in that left eye, Also you only have to look at the safety measures in place today compared to 40 years ago to see how far it has gone and understand that 40 years ago Massa would have been a goner.

1969


Drivers placed wihin a internal rollcage encased by a thin steel plate monocoque with high stalk wings and a single aluminium rollhoop. Drivers also wore open faced helmets, face masks and goggles. Drivers also wore a single layer of fireproof clothing.

Basically the cars were deathtraps, and that is why i have such an admiration for drivers from that period, they were simply the best because they drove these "deathtraps" to the absolute limits with no fear whatsoever.

2009


Drivers placed in a 5 inch thick carbon fibre monocoque with neck supports, raised side impact areas and a carbon fibre rollhoop fixed to the main chassis, all parts also vigorously crash tested. Drivers also wear face masks and helmets made of carbon fibre for extra strength and also regulations say that drivers must wear no less than FOUR layers of fireproof clothing all made with the latest space-age fabrics. And also Drivers are made by the FIA to wear the HANS device (Head And Neck Support) to prevent injuries from incidents like this. (forward to 01:34 for a full explanation from the great Jackie Stewart)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXhWM8tZE_E

Schumacher is back!