Formula 2 - anyone seen it yet?

[patnicholls]

I caught one of the Valencia races and then today's one from Brno.

Hard to know what to make of it - it's certainly entertaining, but clearly lower-level than GP2 and WSbR probably. More like Formula Master which (confusingly) it seems to be running alongside at some events.

So far, I quite enjoy watching it and it's certainly low-cost as planned but it's highly unlikely that anyone'll be plucked from there straight to F1. Not to mention a total lack of media coverage - I've yet to see a single comment anywhere on Motorsport Forums about it!

[Nikki Katz]

No, I was only aware that it was on this weekend when race 1 results were posted on Autosport. Is it actually televised?

[patnicholls]

Eurosport have it as part of the World Touring Car coverage.

It would be wrong to say it's been promoted at all, however! (and crash.net doesn't seem to have any interest in it)

[Nikki Katz]

I was going to watch this today but it clashed with MotoGP. But it sounds like Henry Surtees has been quite badly injured in an accident in the race. I know I was a bit rude about him in another thread, but I hope that he's ok :S

[Robinho]

seen the incident with Henry on Youtube, looked quite innocuous, but he was travelling pretty fast when he came into contact with the wheel, he's been airlifted to hospital but no news on his condition at the moment - hope he's well

[markabilly]

Yeah I was trying to watch the motogp or superbike live, and ended up on the channel about the time they were showing replays..noticed the visior open.

as bad as the hit on the head, I think with the helmet, he would be fine unless as in Senna crash, some part penetrated the helmet

What I thought was scarry was that he onbviously did not brake and went pretty much straight in the barrier, possibly unconcious.

Those types of hits can produce severe neck injuries that the hans device is designed to prevent (Dale earnhardt daytona crash--not a big deal crash at all, just the momentum and the force angle from the impact was just right to cause the spinal cord to be fatally injured).

are they required to wear the hans in f2?

[Robinho]

yeah, all FIA series have HANS. whilst the helmet should have protected his head, the compression or twist on his neck coming into contact with an object of that size at that speed (probably somehwere up towards 100mph) could be nasty.

the combination of the knock, the compression/pressure on the spine (in a direction the HANS is not designed for) and a secondary accident when unconcious could have a number of consequences - i hope that he's not badly injured and being well looked after - fingers crossed for the lad

[markabilly]

Henry Surtees did not survive and died at hospital. My feelings go out to John Surtees and his family

[Robinho]

just seen the same news, really terrible to read that he did not pull through, thoughts with his family RIP Henry

[Nikki Katz]

If that's true then it's really terrible. It shows that this is still a dangerous sport - the cars are designed by Patrick Head after all.