British GP life-threatening crashes prompt calls for FIA safety talks

Ewan Gale
Wednesday 6 July 2022 19:10

Chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association Alex Wurz has suggested he has launched talks with FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem over safety concerns prompted by two horror crashes at the British Grand Prix weekend.

Both Zhou Guanyu and F2 driver Roy Nissany had their lives saved by the Halo safety device, but safety failings in both incidents have raised concerns.

For Zhou, the collapse of his Alfa Romeo's roll hoop left the Chinese rookie skating along the track along his Halo.

Referring to another case of a roll hoop failure on social media, a crash in which the former Williams, McLaren and Benetton driver was a part of, Wurz said: "Last time (as far as I remember) an F1 roll hub collapsing was with Pedro Diniz, Nurburgring 99 (jumping over me).

"This led to stricter crash tests, requested by GPDA, swiftly executed/ implemented by the FIA.

"Dear Mister President please check your inbox, we got (more) work to do."

Last time (as far as i remember) an @F1 roll hub collapsing was with Pedro Diniz, Nurburgring 99 (jumping over me 🙈) This led to stricter crash tests, requested by GPDA, swiftly executed/ implemented by @FIA . Dear Mister President pls check your inbox, we got (more) work to do pic.twitter.com/IsxIg7D209

— alex wurz (@alex_wurz) July 5, 2022

Wurz attacks sausage kerbs

Nissany's crash would have certainly been fatal had Halo not been employed by the FIA in 2018.

The Israeli driver squeezed Red Bull junior Dennis Hauger onto the grass on the run-up to Vale and with the Norweigian suffering from damage and a loss of control, his Prema launched over the inside sausage kerb and into Nissany's Halo at head height.

Recent incidents involving sausage kerbs have seen Max Verstappen launch onto the Halo of Lewis Hamilton's Mercedes in Italy last year, as well as former F3 driver Alex Peroni suffering back fractures from a frightening crash at Monza in 2019.

Using a picture of Rubens Barrichello's near-fatal incident at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix to back his concerns, another social media post from Wurz read: "A key moment why our industry went away from high/steep kerbs.

"After, a generalisation process delivered "flat kerbs", after we all shouted about track limits. After we brought sausage Kerbs and guess what: we fly again. we can do better!

"[I] struggle to hold back on speaking out publicly about the matter of sausage kerbs, why we (still) have them & why nothing seems to be done.

"Fact: they are, and have always been an ill-born concept. How many more shunts, how much more injuries [do] we have to witness?

"This goes for Sausage kerbs at apex, as well as Baguette/Banana kerbs on exits."

A key moment why our industry went away from high/steep kerbs. After: a generalisation process delivered "flat kerbs" (good but not thought thru at the time). After we all shouted about tracklimits. After we brought sausage Kerbs and guess what: we fly again. we can do better❗ pic.twitter.com/Fv36nu0cAg

— alex wurz (@alex_wurz) July 4, 2022