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How important is crash-testing in
motorsports today?
Andrea Giubellini:
The first kind of
crash test was mandated by the rules
in the 1985 Formula One
championship and it was a frontal one.
From that moment on, the different
dynamic tests required to homologate
the cars have increased and include
front, side and rear crashes. It's clear
that they are really important because
the crash structure must absorb the
energy from the impact, reducing the
forces echoing themselves on the
driver's body. Indirectly, it's also really
important to test the elements used to
attach the structures to the chassis.
Fabio Grippa:
The crash-tests today are
really important in order to develop
the safety in motorsports. Crash-testing
is the only way to effectively test if a
structure has been well engineered,
calculated and manufacturer in order
to respond to the restrictive limits
imposed by the rules. Although a lot
can be done in the prior phases, some
factors can't still be effectively
predicted (for example, the
detachment of the front wing from the
car's nosecone during an impact) and
sometimes an actual impact is the only
way to evaluate the situation. The
crash tests, together with the static
tests completed on the chassis,
represents the final test on the
structures called to guarantee the
driver's survival in case of an impact.
The structures typically put through a
crash test are three: the nosecone, the
rear crash and the side crash
structures, respectively used to protect
the driver from frontal, rear and side
impacts. In addition to that, there are
a lot of static tests that are done on
the chassis in order to guarantee safety
in case of rolling and impacts with a
wheel, a kerb, etc.
How many people are working on this
aspect and how are they organized?
A.G.:
In our department, one person is
in charge of investigating new means
of calculating crashes with composite
structures, and his task is to transfer
the finding to all the other people
working in the field, in order to focus
on the "production" of structures
going to be installed on the cars. I can
say that five, six people are currently
working on structural analysis are
indirectly working in relation to crash-
testing development.
F.G.:
At least four Dallara departments
are involved in planning a crash test.
The technical department, which
“The first kind of crash test was mandated by the rules in the 1985
Formula One championship and it was a frontal one. From that moment
on, the different dynamic tests required to homologate the cars have
increased and include front, side and rear crashes”