Henry Surtees Dies After Being Hit on the Head by Wheel/tyre from Formula 2 Race Car

[BiscuitBumper]

This Happened at Brands Hatch on 19 July 2009, during a Formula Two race, Henry Surtees was hit on the head by a wheel from the car of Jack Clarke after Clarke spun into the wall exiting Westfield Bend. The wheel broke its tether and bounced back across the track into the following group of cars and collided with Surtees' helmet. The mass of the wheel assembly hitting his head was 64 lbs (29 kg) and Surtees hit it at almost 100mph (160kph). The car continued straight ahead into the barrier on the approach to Sheene Curve, also losing a wheel, and came to rest at the end of the curve with its remaining rear wheel still spinning.

[docfr8]

Talk about having shitty luck :O

[ermahgerd]

Damn, these cars need a canopy to protect the drivers head

[HeadlessHorseman]

Went kinda like Tom Pryce did in 1977. He got hit in the head with the fire extinguisher the fire marshal was carrying. The fire marshal was hit by an F1 car driven by Tom. The car cut the fire marshal in half. They killed each other at the same time.

[cosmickas]

Bloody hell :(

[Rednose]

I remember this. Surtees was only 18 years old, poor guy

[gatagato]

In F1, since 2011, technical regulations require four tethers at each corner of the car, (double the 2010 requirement) in order to reduce the chances of wheels coming loose.

From FIA F1 Technical Regulation

10.3.6 - In order to help prevent a wheel becoming separated in the event of all suspension members connecting it to the car failing provision must be made to accommodate flexible tethers, each with a cross sectional area greater than 110mm². The sole purpose of the tethers is to prevent a wheel becoming separated from the car, they should perform no other function.
The tethers and their attachments must also be designed in order to help prevent a wheel making contact with the driver's head during an accident.
Each wheel must be fitted with two tethers each of which exceed the requirements of 3.1.1 of TestProcedure 03/07.
Each tether must have its own separate attachments at both ends which :
- are able to withstand a tensile force of 70kN in any direction within a cone of 45° (included angle) measured from the load line of the relevant suspension member ;
- on the survival cell or gearbox are separated by at least 100mm measured between the centres of the two attachment points ;
- on each wheel/upright assembly are located on opposite sides of the vertical and horizontal wheel centre lines and are separated by at least 100mm measured between the centres of the two attachment points ;
- are able to accommodate tether end fittings with a minimum inside diameter of 15mm.Furthermore, no suspension member may contain more than one tether.
Each tether must exceed 450mm in length and must utilise end fittings which result in a tether bend radius greater than 7.5mm.

However, this didn't stop Grosjean's car wheel coming off at the start of 2012 Belgian Grand Prix: and if this still happens in F1 (which ensures the highest safety standards in motorsports), go figure what may or may not happen in lower categories.

[BiscuitBumper]

Originally Posted by gatagato

In F1, since 2011, technical regulations require four tethers at each corner of the car, (double the 2010 requirement) in order to reduce the chances of wheels coming loose.

From FIA F1 Technical Regulation




However, this didn't stop Grosjean's car wheel coming off at the start of 2012 Belgian Grand Prix: and if this still happens in F1 (which ensures the highest safety standards in motorsports), go figure what may or may not happen in lower categories.

Surtees was a "Formula-2" driver, but I would imagine the rules would be the same as Formula-1

[gatagato]

Originally Posted by BiscuitBumper

Surtees was a "Formula-2" driver, but I would imagine the rules would be the same as Formula-1

Yes, i know it: i've posted about the status of F1 regarding this specific issue because if safety is not guaranteed there, then it isn't anywhere else, in motorsports. In F2 only head protection conforms to the (2009) F1 standards: roadwheel tethers are incorporated, but they can't be compared with the ones in use in F1: much less money, much lower technical level, much less safety. If i'm correct, this year F2 won't even start.

[emission]

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