Diniz' car analysed
Pedro Diniz' car was analysed by the Red Bull Sauber-Petronas team when it was shipped back to Switzerland after the European Grand Prix. During his crash the roll-bar seemed to fail early. The engineers reported the following however: The roll hoop structure was subjected to severe dynamic forces. The first impact happened with a speed of approximately 95 kmph. The energy was absorbed by the predicted mechanism. After that, the roll hoop structure laterally hit the kerbs and further energy was dissipated by the roll hoop and its supporting structure. This high lateral load, far beyond the requested safety limits, consequently caused the rupture of the roll hoop. As the car rolled over again, the driver was protected by a secondary structure to the top of the survival cell. Final protection was also provided by the high head support as recommended by the FIA.
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