Sparky
13 Mar 2001, 01:16
I remember member 'massifheed' posted in the "Third World War" thread about '...the Obligatory use of the HANS device this season.'
Not quite, but very soon...
Despite speculation to the contrary, the HANS upper body/neck restraining device will not be made a compulsory safety accessory in Formula 1 until the 2002 World Championship season.
Problems in getting this restraint system to fit comfortably around a driver's neck while strapped into the cockpit and the need for further overall development have been cited as the main reasons behind this deferment.
"It is optional for drivers to use this season," said Mike Gascoyne, Benetton's technical director. "We understand that it will be compulsory for anybody wanting to run at Silverstone for one specific day of an upcoming test, but given the need for additional development I think it was probably right to postpone making it mandatory until the start of next year."
Gascoyne added that he thought it would be a wise idea to make the HANS system mandatory from the start of next winter's test program in order to get drivers acclimatized to the system before the first race of 2002.
Is this device going to restrict the already tight confines of the Formula One cockpit even further?
Not quite, but very soon...
Despite speculation to the contrary, the HANS upper body/neck restraining device will not be made a compulsory safety accessory in Formula 1 until the 2002 World Championship season.
Problems in getting this restraint system to fit comfortably around a driver's neck while strapped into the cockpit and the need for further overall development have been cited as the main reasons behind this deferment.
"It is optional for drivers to use this season," said Mike Gascoyne, Benetton's technical director. "We understand that it will be compulsory for anybody wanting to run at Silverstone for one specific day of an upcoming test, but given the need for additional development I think it was probably right to postpone making it mandatory until the start of next year."
Gascoyne added that he thought it would be a wise idea to make the HANS system mandatory from the start of next winter's test program in order to get drivers acclimatized to the system before the first race of 2002.
Is this device going to restrict the already tight confines of the Formula One cockpit even further?
