WRC Testing

[smsgrafica]

You're joking, aren't you? The higher the impact speed, the higher the risk of injuries...

[stefanvv]

You're joking, aren't you? The higher the impact speed, the higher the risk of injuries...

No I'm quite serious actually. Cars will be wider and additionally strengthened. That will decrease the significance of the impact, but my question remains - how do You define how bigger the impact is in that case?

[Essaj]

I see only risk for trees with bigger chance to be chopped off (this isn't much of a waste if we consider the Amazon forest danger every day).

So are you saying that next years cars will just chop the tree in half if it hits them? We do have sad examples from impacts with trees and they aint beautiful.. I don't even want to bring them up more than this...

[smsgrafica]

Wow, just wow... It's basic physics... But I'll make it easy for you, with two extreme videos:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4oPVESVlhPU
80km/h impact with a 1999 Ford Focus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7dG9UlzeFM
200km/h impact with a 1999 Ford Focus

[stefanvv]

OK, nothing more to say.

[Zeakiwi]

At least there are accident data recorders to help work out what went wrong.
https://www.fiafoundation.org/our-wo...data-recorders

[Rally Power]

And you as a Portuguese should tell us others how to handle spectators since it's so well under control in there -.-

No idea what -.- means, but I’ve no problems saying how spectators control works in Rally de Portugal: only real rally fans watch it!

After the 80’s a strong safety campaign was launched and spectator’s behavior started to improve, but the real advance was in 2007, when we got back WRC. The organizers were pretty clear: in order to keep WRC in Portugal, spectators should be faultless and follow the strict safety rules.

It wasn’t easy to get used to access roads blocked, restricted spectators areas or being constantly upset by dozens of marshals and police agents, but we all understood those rules were necessary and now we happily obey them. The hooligans, the village idiots or any of the others non Petrolheads that couldn’t comply leaved, and no one misses them.

If it was possible in Portugal to turn wild crowds into responsible spectators, for sure it can be done everywhere.

[Mirek]

The increased risk with higher cornering speed is indisputable as it's pure physics and near non existent strenghtening of the body (the prototypes seem to have pretty common rollcages) makes no difference in comparison to the kinetic energy growing with a square of speed. On the other hand I am quite sure that the works drivers can handle it.

Main cause of tragic accidents is anyway violent rear-axle rebound on bumps or jumps and that's something where WRC cars are actually pretty safe due to long travel and very good dampers. Gr.N cars with very small travel and driven rear axle or anything with torsion beam rear axle is a lot worse in such situations.

[Rally Power]

Btw, isn’t the criticism on ’17 cars a bit over the head?

Till recently everybody felt WRC cars were annoying and they should be replaced. When the first ’17 protos tested, many found them still too close to current cars; later it was said they would be glued to the road and provide no spectacle; now the problem is that they’re too fast…

Jesus…rally fans are hard to please!

[Essaj]

No idea what -.- means, but I’ve no problems saying how spectators control works in Rally de Portugal: only real rally fans watch it!

After the 80’s a strong safety campaign was launched and spectator’s behavior started to improve, but the real advance was in 2007, when we got back WRC. The organizers were pretty clear: in order to keep WRC in Portugal, spectators should be faultless and follow the strict safety rules.

It wasn’t easy to get used to access roads blocked, restricted spectators areas or being constantly upset by dozens of marshals and police agents, but we all understood those rules were necessary and now we happily obey them. The hooligans, the village idiots or any of the others non Petrolheads that couldn’t comply leaved, and no one misses them.

If it was possible in Portugal to turn wild crowds into responsible spectators, for sure it can be done everywhere.

Yeah I know it's been way better after 80's like it's been anywhere else. Something still makes me think that Portugals spectator safety is not really up there but to be honest I havent been able to follow rally portugal in a few years. But I do remember that atleast in Fafe (might have been when it was run separately from WRC event) the spectators were still in pretty mental places.