217 replies to this topic

[baddog]

Sebastien Buemi's Front wheels just 'exploded' and flew off his car at the start of a hard braking zone in China.

I have never seen anything quite like it. I guess the brakes must have blown up and taken the hubs with them, but its easily the most bizarre mechanical failure for many many years.

Certainly the TV people have a new clip for their intros and adverts

Edited by baddog, 16 April 2010 - 03:21.

[rage2]

I've watched a lot of F1, and have never ever seen anything quite like that. That is insane.

[Kerch]

What components are connected both sides of the suspension? Considering both sides failed simultaneously, it must be something connecting the two?

[f1rules]

what the .... just happened, i never saw anything like that

[aditya-now]

Sebastien Buemi's Front wheels just 'exploded' and flew off his car at the start of a hard braking zone in China.

I have never seen anything quite like it.

Wow, I´ve never seen anything like that as well.

BBC says its "fingertrouble", whatever that means. They had new brakes fitted on the car just before.

[nainz]

Brilliant wasn't it

[lbennie]

yeh, was quite impressive to watch.

front suspension just disintegrated under braking

[Rob G]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: ban carbon fiber suspension.

[Birelman]

Buemi is a lucky, lucky boy, that could have been a VERY bad accident!

[FI-Addict]

Could the first corner bump be at all to blame? Seems worse than previous years.

[gyptian]

one of the craziest car failures....ever.

[Cenotaph]

That was pretty crazy, STR will have some explaining to do

[aditya-now]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: ban carbon fiber suspension.

How will they have the confidence now to put this car into the race?

[f1rules]

danish commentator is saying it looks like the upright failing,

[Callisto]

omg...in 25yrs of watching f1 i have never seen a cars front end explode like that

[werks prototype]

Unbelievable.

Synchronized explosive (wheel hub ejection) bolts?

[NHK244V]

I have never seen anything like that before
Lucky there was big runoff area !

[CoolFiltered]

omg...in 25yrs of watching f1 i have never seen a cars front end explode like that

Me neither, i think the gods were smiling over Buemi on that occasion, I almost couldn't believe my own eyes at how it just exploded into bits.

[baddog]

I guess you almost have to look at a manufacturing fault or hub assembly fault for both to blow like that in perfect time. Or anti-vehicle lasers in the grandstands ;)

[werks prototype]

I guess you almost have to look at a manufacturing fault or hub assembly fault for both to blow like that in perfect time. Or anti-vehicle lasers in the grandstands ;)

Actually I agree with the initial diagnosis of your first post.

[nawz]

It was amazing to watch...but **** scary to live through. Damn, did you see the wheels speed off into the distance too!?

God knows what would have happened if that was in the wet!

[bourbon]

That was a wild wild west blow up - strangest thing ever! Since he's okay, it was also the coolest!

[BRK]

He hit the brakes and the wheel assembly ripped away from the wishbones. Imagine the torque in those things at moment it snapped!

[KateLM]

Kobayashi's wing failures in Melbourne are now looking tame in comparison! First time in a good while where my jaw actually dropped watching the accident. Hopefully it was just a problem with the assembly or a certain part, otherwise Toro Rosso may be forced to withdraw if the design itself turns out to be flawed. I've never seen anything like it before! Its amazing that BOTH wheel tethers failed.

Its going to be an interesting one to discuss once everyone else wakes up.

Edited by KateLM, 16 April 2010 - 03:40.

[ForeverF1]

They do say that F1 is a Circus, that was the clown's car. Happy that no one was injured though.

[werks prototype]

At least the wheels didn't go backwards. How on earth did the one wheel come to rest amongst the crowd? And did the cameraman literally drop the filming camera inorder to duck the wheel as was suggested by the BBC and the footage.

[BiH]

that must have been error in assembly. otherwise that is very concerning for STR. it was also interesting that a lot of cars were struggling under braking in that turn and come race day with full fuel tanks it might prove to be issue for teams.

[Melbourne Park]

I've seen a wheel come of that fast and cleanly in F1 cars before. Lots of times actually.

I am talking about removing the steering wheel though.

It looked like the STR driver pushed an ejector button, and the wheels left the vehicle, similar to the way an ejector seat leaves a jet fighter in a War Movie or in Top Gun.

The wheel retention devices are pathetic, they should either make them work or stop having them IMO.

Edited by Melbourne Park, 16 April 2010 - 03:44.

[gyptian]

gravel trap did its job

Michael Bay will be proud of that synchronized wheel explosion

Edited by gyptian, 16 April 2010 - 03:47.

[Kelateboy]

WTF just happened? Buemi is lucky to survive without a scratch!

The whole front suspension gave way. Anything to do with the ride height adjustment "tweaked" after Malaysian GP?

[Tufty]

WTF happened to WHEEL TETHERS??? I thought they were mandatory now???

[Kelateboy]

gravel trap did its job

That's because Buemi was only on 4th gear with speed of around 150km - 170km when his whole front suspension gave way.

Imagine if it had occurred on Turn 14 when he was breaking hard from 325km/hr speed? Scary thought!

[BiH]

WTF happened to WHEEL TETHERS??? I thought they were mandatory now???

they are but bbc guys said that they can only withstand 5000kg load limit.

[gm914]

Missed it! In fact the whole session.


Sounds insane! Thank goodness he's ok.

Can anyone youtube the crash?

[slideways]

They have been failing a lot over the past few seasons with wheels coming off cars without even touching barriers.

[Tufty]

they are but bbc guys said that they can only withstand 5000kg load limit.

Ah, thanks.

The fact that the force of both wheels amounted to more than 5000kg is scary, though... lucky noone was hit

[krapmeister]

Maybe STR have installed a neat new wheel-ejector system for the pitstops and Buemi pressed the wrong button?


Seriously though, glad that no-one was injured because of it - was pretty scary looking...

[ashnathan]

need youtube asap!

[ClubmanGT]

Have been a lot of slow motion replays of massive front wing flex, there's obviously some pretty sudden changes in loads due to the vibrations caused by the bumps.

[bobcat]

need youtube asap!

[Fergo]

That's because Buemi was only on 4th gear with speed of around 150km - 170km when his whole front suspension gave way.

Imagine if it had occurred on Turn 14 when he was breaking hard from 325km/hr speed? Scary thought!

But thats where it did happen, no?

[OssieFan]

only video I've found so far, bad quality but shows what happened. Insane!

[OO7]

BBC says its "fingertrouble", whatever that means.

I think by this they are suggesting human error, either at construction or more likely assembly.

[JForce]

videos?

[A Wheel Nut]

Bugger me!

[Melbourne Park]

Rules and description:
http://www.f1technical.net/articles/64

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 cables, each with a cross sectional area greater than 110mm², the purpose of which is to connect each wheel/upright assembly to the main structure of the car. The cables 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 cable must have its own separate attachment which :
- is able to withstand a tensile force of 70kN ;
- is able to accommodate a cable end fitting with a minimum inside diameter of 15mm.
Each wheel may be fitted with one or two cables, dependent upon their performance when tested under FIA Test Procedure 03/07. If one cable is fitted it must exceed the requirements of 3.1.1 of Test Procedure 03/07 and if two are fitted each must exceed the requirements of 3.1.2.
Each cable must exceed 450mm in length and must utilise end fittings which result in a tether bend radius greater than 7.5mm.

Rule:
http://www.formula1....s/8708/fia.html

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 cables, each with a cross sectional area greater than 110mm², the purpose of which is to connect each wheel/upright assembly to the main structure of the car. The cables 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 cable must have its own separate attachment which :
- is able to withstand a tensile force of 70kN ;
- is able to accommodate a cable end fitting with a minimum inside diameter of 15mm.
Each wheel may be fitted with one or two cables, dependent upon their performance when tested under FIA Test Procedure 03/07. If one cable is fitted it must exceed the requirements of 3.1.1 of Test Procedure 03/07 and if two are fitted each must exceed the requirements of 3.1.2.
Each cable must exceed 450mm in length and must utilise end fittings which result in a tether bend radius greater than 7.5mm.

Edited by Melbourne Park, 16 April 2010 - 04:01.

[Tufty]

Bugger me!

Tell me about it... one of the four scariest crashes of this millennium [that i remember offhand]:

Kimi Nurburgring 05 - similar but only one wheel.
Kubica Montreal 07 [08?] - Enough said.
Massa Hungary 09 - Ditto.
Buemi China 10 - Shouldnt even happen.

[A Wheel Nut]

Tell me about it... one of the four scariest crashes of this millennium [that i remember offhand]:

Kimi Nurburgring 05 - similar but only one wheel.
Kubica Montreal 07 [08?] - Enough said.
Massa Hungary 09 - Ditto.
Buemi China 10 - Shouldnt even happen.

Yeah, but Raikkonen's was somewhat preventable!

[Tufty]

Yeah, but Raikkonen's was somewhat preventable!

So was Buemi's, with a little attention to the track surface IMO

Tyres were definitely stupidly regulated in 05 though, no arguments there from me

EDIT: typo

Edited by Tufty, 16 April 2010 - 04:08.

[baddog]

they are but bbc guys said that they can only withstand 5000kg load limit.

I would suggest they were cut by whatever happened, so load bearing became a moot point.