To ensure the safety of the “silver arrow”, F1 drivers must use protective clothing made specifically for this speedy and risky sport.
In the early years when F1 was just starting to compete, riders also used simple costumes when driving the cars to the speed of 300km / h without regard to safety issues. However, an incident occurred in 1976 when the famous driver Nicky Lauda’s car caught fire. Since then, the issue of protection for riders in similar situations has started to be concerned, and so fire-resistant jumpsuits became a mandatory outfit for the riders to control. “silver Arrow”.
Jumpsuits are made from Nomex fabric, a synthetic woven fabric composed of many different components to create a durable, strong, waterproof, soft and breathable wear. It was the invention of this fabric that saved the lives of many firefighters, pilots and sports car racing athletes.
The protective clothing is sewn from many layers, it is also constantly improved by the manufacturer year after year to ensure maximum safety for the riders.
After a lot of innovation and new testing, today’s F1 racing suits are able to withstand temperatures up to more than 1,000 degrees Celsius, which is greater than the highest temperatures caused by fires. After each fire, this protective suit was the first thing that saved the lives of the riders. According to calculations, when wearing protective clothing, they have at least 11 seconds to quickly escape from the fire without being affected by any outside temperature.
Besides protective suits, another safety device that riders must use is HANS . It was officially put into use in 2003. Basically, Hans is a shoulder pad made from carbon material. This carbon pad is attached to the helmet so that if an accident occurs, HANS will reduce most of the neck injury by minimizing the strong movements that occur with the driver’s head in the event of a collision. big touch. According to calculations, HANS reduced the distance traveled by the neck 46% and reduced the force exerted on the vertebra. It can be said that this is a spectacular design for riders in particular and F1 racing in general.
Besides protective clothing and HANS, one thing that is indispensable and considered the most important for riders is the helmet. Carefully crafted and undergone rigorous testing, with extremely good bearing capacity and heat resistance up to 800 degrees Celsius, helmets are the device that provides the highest safety in the racing industry. formula 1.
Made from 17 layers of materials, from the rim made of magnesium, the belt made from ultralight titanium to the carbon fiber filter, all have to be perfectly designed to ensure maximum safety for the racer. . Not only contains many layers of material, the helmet must also be designed to minimize its weight, thereby creating the best feeling during the competition. According to calculations, the helmets used in F1 racing today weigh about 1.25 kg.
In addition to excellent impact and heat resistance, these helmets are also equipped with scientifically designed ventilation and air supply systems. The windshield surface is only 3mm thick to ensure the eyesight of the racers, but still has to be absolutely firm. In addition, each hat is equipped with absolute soundproofing system, along with a small screen for the riders to grasp their race and distance.
Not only are protective devices, these helmets are also something for the audience to recognize the riders. F1 drivers have the right to decide on the form of the outer hat to create their own characteristics, or simply insert advertising boards on it.