Looking back at the number of head injuries that has resulted id fatalities or seriously threatened the career of drivers, one my think closed cockpit F1 cars is a looming inevitability. Most recently was the Massa incident where a spring pierced his helmet and into his head. Then there was the death of Bianchi whose head struck a tractor which retrieving another car at the rain socked suzuka track in 2014. We could go further back to Senna's fatal crash at Imola where a piece of the Williams suspension he was driving struck him in the head and result in his death.

In the open cockpit fomular, the driver's head has been most vulnerable as it is the least protected but exposed part of the driver. And is most delicate part of the driver's anatomy. The helmet worn for head protection is designed to absorb blunt impact but not impact with trajectiles or stationary pointed hard objects. Hence with the death of Bianchi, it if clear that the stakes are still too high for the drivers of F1 cars. Hence the question has been quietly asked if the open cockpit is still a viable proposition. Are the stakes acceptable? Would having a closed cockpit be undesirable and why?

This link ventures to show what a closed cockpit f1 car might look like
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/19/sp...ntlAudDev&_r=0

Would closed cockpit change the f1 experience for fans? Personally, l don't think so. I can see how it would change the experience for the driver. The sound of the car would be considerably muffled by the cockpit hood, hence would reduce the information that the driver gets from the sound of the engine. Kind of like getting off riding a motorbike to driving a saloon car. But cockpit hood can be a great asset to aerodynamicists as they would have an opportunity to improve the air flow characteristics with the shape of the cockpit hood.

So who s likely to not want it, possibly diehard racers who enjoy the risk element of racing. Who may want it, Engineers because of the added benefits of having it and teams genuinely concerned for the safety of their drivers. Not to mention the FIA, in their fight to make the sport safer. What about the fans? What do you think? Is is going to happen or just another PR thing?