87 replies to this topic

[FirstnameLastname]

Longest non use of a full safety car for 15 year currently… does help that Sargent is doing his crashes in the practice sessions though.

Place your bets: When will we next see a safety car? Either for a crash or bad weather, or a womble running onto the track.

Better not be a few laps before the end of AD24

[FirstnameLastname]

Surely it’ll be in Baku

[Clatter]

Baku or Singapore must be the most likely of upcoming races.

[PlatenGlass]

How long has it been?

[Nathan]

Monza because it was just brought up.

[JimmyClark]

Interesting. I guess the reliability has been amazing throughout the field (a favourite soft safety car is when a car is parked anywhere near the track), and we haven't had a street race for a while so accidents have been fewer.

[FirstnameLastname]

How long has it been?

Not been one since Canada. And with Logan retiring from F1, Bert’s job just got a lot more infrequent

[LolaB0860]

No FULL safety car in months, how ever can Martin Brundle manage his burning desire for it? I mean we, how can we manage it.

Edited by LolaB0860, 27 August 2024 - 19:22.

[Ferrim]

Long may it last.

[FirstnameLastname]

No FULL safety car in months, how ever can Martin Brundle manage his burning desire for it? I mean we, how can we manage it.

Frothing for a safety car usually when he sees a crisp bag on the track

[917k]

Surprisingly, we haven’t missed them…

[Beri]

Poor Maylander.

[sportyskells]

I have a strange feeling someone will cause a safety car after this thread was made

[pdac]

I have a feeling there will never be a safety car ever again

 

(or was that just a dream/nightmare?)

[Catalina Park]

I actually had a short career as a safety car driver. I was invited to drive the safety car at a V8 Supercar meeting in the early 2000s. 
I think it was the only meeting that year where the safety car wasn't used. 
 

[F1 Mike]

An interesting question, does anyone have stats on least safety cars in a season since 1994? Have there been any years without one since then?

[southernstars]

Poor Maylander.

 

I mean, pretty sweet job, really. He gets flown about to sit in an awesome car and doesn't need to do a whole lot of work right now. Bernd's getting older, he probably doesn't mind less driving these days.

[AlexPrime]

I don't like them, so I am happy 

[KWSN - DSM]

[Catalina Park]

Driving a safety car is fun, between races you get to do a lap or two. You get back to the pits with hot tyres and pick up rocks on the way in. (a few cars will drop gravel from the gravel traps in the pit entry) Then the tyres cool down with rocks stuck on them.
So when you go out on the next lap the car has absolutely no grip in the first turn, as you power out of the corner you start flinging rocks off and you might have some grip by the second turn. By the end of the lap the tyres are nice and sticky and ready to reload with more rocks.

[Alex79]

well done Baku imho

[Ruusperi]

An interesting question, does anyone have stats on least safety cars in a season since 1994? Have there been any years without one since then?

I don't think there has been a safety car free season since then. Obviously before Bianchi's accident SC was only meant to be used in exceptional situations, and normal car recovery was done under double yellows, like shown here:

(Video)

 

You know, even Monaco 1996 was SC-free, while if that happened today, there would be something like 10 SC periods.

But yeah, would like to see some statistics about the instances where SC has been used.

[Beri]

I don't think there has been a safety car free season since then. Obviously before Bianchi's accident SC was only meant to be used in exceptional situations, and normal car recovery was done under double yellows, like shown here:

(Video)

 

You know, even Monaco 1996 was SC-free, while if that happened today, there would be something like 10 SC periods.

But yeah, would like to see some statistics about the instances where SC has been used.

 

Even then drivers didnt respect the yellow flag rules

[Bleu]

I mean, pretty sweet job, really. He gets flown about to sit in an awesome car and doesn't need to do a whole lot of work right now. Bernd's getting older, he probably doesn't mind less driving these days.

 

I was kind of expecting him to retire in 2021 when he turned 50, because that's the time when in Le Mans categorization platinum driver turns to gold. But he is still there.

[danmills]

In KMag we trust...

[F1 Mike]

I don't think there has been a safety car free season since then. Obviously before Bianchi's accident SC was only meant to be used in exceptional situations, and normal car recovery was done under double yellows, like shown here:

(Video)

You know, even Monaco 1996 was SC-free, while if that happened today, there would be something like 10 SC periods.
But yeah, would like to see some statistics about the instances where SC has been used.

It's interesting how our perception of danger changes over the years. In the late 90s we'd applaud the marshalls for clearing away a car in a dangerous position within a lap when it initially seemed a certain safety car. And often a car in a difficult position would be simply left by the side of the track, and everyone thought it was no problem as it was well away from the racing line.
Re-watching such races now it seems absolutely bonkers

[PayasYouRace]

The thread title should really be “Dude, Where’s my Safety Car?”

[Sterzo]

It's interesting how our perception of danger changes over the years. In the late 90s we'd applaud the marshalls for clearing away a car in a dangerous position within a lap when it initially seemed a certain safety car. And often a car in a difficult position would be simply left by the side of the track, and everyone thought it was no problem as it was well away from the racing line.
Re-watching such races now it seems absolutely bonkers

Being of, ahem, "mature" years, I became an enthusiast in the fifties roughly at the time of the Le Mans disaster, and lived through the carnage of the fifties and sixties, the awful fires of the seventies, and a pervading sense of helplessness, as though there wasn't much anyone could do. And for a while the priorities were misguided, abandoning circuits instead of making the cars safer, and insisting the show must go on when in fact it doesn't have to. Racing is a hundred times better today for being safer. And the safety car is one of the great advances - though I happen to think it's now out of date and should be replaced by other technology.

 

And yes, it was bonkers.

Edited by Sterzo, 28 August 2024 - 21:32.

[FirstnameLastname]

The thread title should really be “Dude, Where’s my Safety Car?”

Sweet

- can a mod plz change?

[Grippy]

Found all the safety cars over the years;

https://jalopnik.com...la-1-1849619377

(slideshow click-through on image or 'next' at bottom of page).

 

All the times they were used;

https://f1.fandom.co...Car_deployments

 

[LolaB0860]

I mean, pretty sweet job, really. He gets flown about to sit in an awesome car and doesn't need to do a whole lot of work right now. Bernd's getting older, he probably doesn't mind less driving these days.

Isn't he still participating in (some of the) support race proceedings? And you get plenty of SC running in those.

Plus he probably needs to sit in many boring mundane meetings every weekend and also do the SC installation and track inspection laps for FIA. And anytime there's drop of water on track and everyone gets scared they request his services...

Anyway. F2 and F3 are pretty chaotic around Monza and Porsche Supercup also usually has more shenanigans there than on any other circuit, so there'll be SC for sure this weekend even if Brundle gets disappointed in F1 again

Edited by LolaB0860, 28 August 2024 - 22:30.

[Afterburner]

I actually had a short career as a safety car driver. I was invited to drive the safety car at a V8 Supercar meeting in the early 2000s. 
I think it was the only meeting that year where the safety car wasn't used. 
 

This got an "awwwww" out of my wife.

[Catalina Park]

This got an "awwwww" out of my wife.

I had given up racing and was invited to drive the medical chase cars (First Intervention Vehicles) at Bathurst and the Sydney tracks. I did this for a couple of years but gave it away after a few disagreements with officialdom. I was in a kind of grey area between the paid medics and the proper volunteer officials and neither side wanted to buy me lunch. (or cover me for injury) 
Then a year later I got a phone call from a mate who was the chief flag marshal, saying that they desperately needed a driver for the safety car for the next two days, I knew it really was desperate because they called me. 
I turned up, signed on, was given the car and a few instructions and was soon on the track! Lucky they never asked for my racing licence as it expired two years earlier. 

I thought I would get a lot of laps in the races since all the previous events had all been crash fests but this time it was incident free. But I got a free lunch. 
 

[DevilDare]

Parked in the barriers at Parabolica apparently.

[Fastcake]

I’ve got a vision of a succession of safety cars being sent out while the safety car is in the barriers, only for them also ending up crashed at parabolica, ending up with a Italian chap on a bike with flashing lights on his head guiding the racing cars safely to the pit lane.

[JL14]

Parked in the barriers at Parabolica apparently.

F1 safety car in bizarre crash during high-speed Monza test (motorsport.com)

[Baddoer]

Now you jinxed it!

[LolaB0860]

Plus he probably needs to sit in many boring mundane meetings every weekend and also do the SC installation and track inspection laps for FIA
 

 

Hopefully the boring meetings didn't lead to this.

[eibyyz]

F1 safety car in bizarre crash during high-speed Monza test (motorsport.com)

 

Mark Reuss slinks away...

[Ruusperi]

I wonder what's the procedure if that happens in the race? Red flag? That would obviously affect the race outcome as they can change the tyres during the red flag. I'm sure Mayländer has nightmares about that, lol.

[Ellios]

Wasn't hanging around ! 

 

https://imgur.com/a/...ety-car-Y1AbYpd

[Peat]

To me, it looks like there was a mechanical issue (brakes gone?) and he decided to induce a spin in order to scrub as much speed as possible. 

Also, looks like theres a puff of smoke/vapour from the (drivers) right hand side, right by the ground. 

[Heyli]

Found all the safety cars over the years;

https://jalopnik.com...la-1-1849619377

(slideshow click-through on image or 'next' at bottom of page).

 

All the times they were used;

https://f1.fandom.co...Car_deployments

Sadly that list has not been updated since 2022!

[PayasYouRace]

I wonder what's the procedure if that happens in the race? Red flag? That would obviously affect the race outcome as they can change the tyres during the red flag. I'm sure Mayländer has nightmares about that, lol.

There is a spare safety car.

[H0R]

You call that a safety car crash?

 

[Ruusperi]

There is a spare safety car.

I know, and probably spare Mayländer in case he's unable to continue. But for the swap, would they need to red flag the race if the SC crashes? It would be interesting if the race winner or podium is decided by a such a random event.

[PayasYouRace]

I know, and probably spare Mayländer in case he's unable to continue. But for the swap, would they need to red flag the race if the SC crashes? It would be interesting if the race winner or podium is decided by a such a random event.

I guess it would depend on the cleanup required. Otherwise all they have to do is deploy the spare and pick up the leader as normal.

[Nemo1965]

I actually had a short career as a safety car driver. I was invited to drive the safety car at a V8 Supercar meeting in the early 2000s.
I think it was the only meeting that year where the safety car wasn't used.

Bummer.

[TauriJ]

Wasn't hanging around !

https://imgur.com/a/...ety-car-Y1AbYpd

Da hell was that? It looked like he tried to do a scandinavian flick into parabolica lol

Edited by TauriJ, 29 August 2024 - 15:10.

[Frood]

I know, and probably spare Mayländer in case he's unable to continue. But for the swap, would they need to red flag the race if the SC crashes? It would be interesting if the race winner or podium is decided by a such a random event.

Yes, that's Bernd Zweiländer. He's got dual nationality.

(That's probably the only time I've ever done a pun in German!)