SAFETY DANCE
Supercars are among the fastest touring cars in the world with speeds in excess of 300km/h, forces over 5G and temperatures above 50C ... takes us inside the driver’s seat
1. FIREPROOF UNDERLAY
THE first item of protective gear is underwear but it’s not boxers or briefs.
Drivers wear full-length fireproof underwear including socks and a balaclava, as they work up to four layers of a material called Nomex.
It’s extremely expensive but the latest one-piece suits are also superlight, thanks to technology developed for Formula One. The downside is it traps body heat, making drivers very hot.
2. COOL SUIT
As temperatures routinely soar to more than 50 degrees, with very limited airflow into the cabin and no aircon, drivers wear a ‘cool suit’.
This is a vest with a series of pipes, like underfloor heating in a house, except that chilled fluid is pumped through it. The ‘radiator’ for the
system is housed in a cool box where the passenger would sit in a road car, cooled by dry ice and pumped through pipes that are fed out through a slit in the driver’s racesuit.
3. SHOES
The drivers’ boots have two jobs - fire protection and maximum feel of the pedals.
So the soles are super-thin and this can lead to problems, as heat from the engine bay sometimes is so extreme the drivers’ feet blister and the rubber on the soles melt.
4. GLOVES Like the rest of the driver’s clothing, their gloves must protect against fire but they are also padded to try and prevent blisters from the effort required to change gears. The leather grip is matched to suede covering on the steering wheel, which provides an almost velco-like grip. Damage to the hands can cause big dramas because drivers are pulling gears 30 or 40 times a lap and their hands work all over the wheel.
5. HELMET The latest helmets are made from carbon fibre and super-light, but also have internal air ducting to help with driver cooling.
They also have built-in communications gear and are plumbed so the driver can drink. The helmet is lined with fireproof Nomex. They are thick enough to take a hit but must be light enough to not throw the head forward upon impact.
6. HANS DEVICE
In 2006, a neck support system was made mandatory for all V8 drivers. The device is tethered to the helmet and then anchored in place beneath the shoulder straps of the six-point safety harness.
If there is a crash over 5G, it will take a lot of the weight off the helmet. It also prevents the neck from hyperextending during a collision.