I REFER to the article 'Thriller of a Singapore F1 race' (ST, Jan17) accompanying the layout of a proposed race track.
I have been following the media reports regarding the proposed establishment of Singapore Formula One (F1) Grand Prix racing, but nothing has been mentioned about the safety of spectators.
Watch any racing documentary on the TV and one can see that crashes do happen. Race car components, such as rear flaps, wheels and body kits become dislocated or damaged when the cars crash into guard rails or into each other, and these components often fly off to where spectators are seated or standing in the grandstands.
Very close to the proposed race circuit, we have tourist attractions, government and commercial buildings, and well-known hotels.
Is the safety of these structures being looked into as well?
A close look at racing documentaries on TV shows that, where the sharp turns are, the road is tilted in such a manner that the outer edge is raised in order to help the race car when it turns.
As released to the media, the layout shows at least seven grandstands located at such turns.
The safety of spectators should be the foremost concern of the race organisers.
Abdul Islam
1 comment:
F1 governing body, the FIA, is very serious about driver and spectactor safety. All F1 tracks must meet strict regulations and pass stringent inspections before an F1 car could run on it. In the event of car crashes, the current formula calls for wheels be tethered to its chassis with ultra strong carbon fibre cables. This would greatly reduce the risk of wheels flying into the crowd. As far as I can remember, there hasn't been any spectactor death or injury.
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