Philip Yau Wing

[Alfa Fan]

TouringCarTimes - Asian: Mixed emotions after tragic crashes at Macau

I wonder how many of the drivers in the WTCC / F3 races felt comfortable racing after seeing the shocking standard of marshalling / medical care available at Macau over the weekend?

Phillip Yau Wing-choi's accident. Full Video. - YouTube

I'm only posting a video of the crash as it illustrates the point I'm making. The Chevrolet makes contact with the barrier at 00:19, and is at a full halt by 00:30, yet it takes 42 seconds for anyone to reach the car, during which the TV has had a chance to show not one, but two replays. There is then at least 46 seconds where just a solitary marshal is pulling hopelessly at the passenger side door of the car. Bearing in mind that the car has been on fire since the impact, the first fire extinguisher is only used on the car a whole 2 minutes and 10 seconds after the crash, with doctors arriving shortly after.

[BDunnell]

There is then at least 46 seconds where just a solitary marshal is pulling hopelessly at the passenger side door of the car.

And one, it seems, not wearing fire-proof clothing.

[JasonPotato]

I can see how someone could die from a bike crash but a touring car? Surely this shows that there's either a problem with the track or the car itself. Perhaps it was just a 1 in a million crash were he was just extremely unlucky?
Either way it didn't look like a crash which could kill someone, obviously a lot of g-force when he hit the wall but i have seen far worse with the driver has walked away.

Very shocking work by the marshals as well.

Personally i cant stand tracks like this, Macau, Porto, Pau. Monaco being the exception.

[Alfa Fan]

Not really, you only have to look at Ashley Cooper's fatal accident in 2008 to see a precedent. That accident is near identical to yesterdays. Anywhere you race with unprotected walls you raise the danger level, be it Monte Carlo in Grand Prix cars, Adelaide in V8s, ovals in Indycar, and Macau in touring cars.

[BDunnell]

It must be said that rarely will it be possible for an emergency services response to be absolutely immediate, and I have no idea what an acceptable response time in these specific circumstances is deemed to be. However, what this accident shows me, as a non-expert, is that the time for excuses regarding provision of more fireproof-suited fire marshals is surely over.

[wedge]

It took six minutes to cut him from the wreckage, but organisers insisted this was within the bounds of international road racing. They said that extricating him was made more difficult because his car was a left-hand drive.

"After the incident, two fully equipped rescue cars were at the scene, followed by the extrication car. The position of the racing car required cutting in order to facilitate extrication. At 13.19, the competitor was removed from the car, and at 13.20 Mr Yau was transported by ambulance to hospital where he was admitted at 13.24." read a statement from organisers.

Hong Kong racer Phillip Yau Wing-choi becomes second to die at Macau GP in two days | South China Morning Post

I thought about marshal training before. The basic training entails basic first aid, health and safety and basic car recovery.

I wouldn't wholely blame the marshals. They are in radio contact with race control who had to assess the incident.

And one, it seems, not wearing fire-proof clothing.

Would it be acceptable to wear in the summer not to mention there are a number of, errr, chunky marshalls.

Not really, you only have to look at Ashley Cooper's fatal accident in 2008 to see a precedent. That accident is near identical to yesterdays. Anywhere you race with unprotected walls you raise the danger level, be it Monte Carlo in Grand Prix cars, Adelaide in V8s, ovals in Indycar, and Macau in touring cars.

The marshalls weren't quick on the scene on that one either.

Mark Porter's crash at Bathurst 2006: mark porter crash - YouTube

[BDunnell]

I wouldn't wholely blame the marshals. They are in radio contact with race control who had to assess the incident.

Very true.

Would it be acceptable to wear in the summer not to mention there are a number of, errr, chunky marshalls.

I'm afraid I don't think either is a good excuse in this day and age.

[wedge]

I'm afraid I don't think either is a good excuse in this day and age.

The numbers for marshalling isn't good. In fact they're struggling add on person grievances like the BTCC.

Just a thought.

[MAX_THRUST]

Although the marshalls seem a little slow in the circumstances, I think both the clips above illustrate once it goes wrong and the driver is seriously hurt there is not much a Marshall can do except wait for the expert doctors and extraction teams. No one wants to move someone who is clearly in a bad way incase they make matters worse, and when it is clear someone has stopped breathing or suffered a serious trauma to the head it becomes a matter of time and again experts on hand to extract and resuss the driver.

It never stops amazing me how so many deaths in motorsport happen in accidents where when you watch them it looks like a nothing crash. We see bigger crashed and so often they walk away.

[GravettFan99]

Although the marshalls seem a little slow in the circumstances, I think both the clips above illustrate once it goes wrong and the driver is seriously hurt there is not much a Marshall can do except wait for the expert doctors and extraction teams. No one wants to move someone who is clearly in a bad way incase they make matters worse, and when it is clear someone has stopped breathing or suffered a serious trauma to the head it becomes a matter of time and again experts on hand to extract and resuss the driver.

It never stops amazing me how so many deaths in motorsport happen in accidents where when you watch them it looks like a nothing crash. We see bigger crashed and so often they walk away.

Ikr? I am so sad for him, his family, friends, and for the people who had to witness this. Quite a shame too, to die this way. You rarely hear of deaths in touring cars, so for the man to die like this, I'm sure, grieves everyone.