Wickens breathes unassisted, Massa blasts Indycar safety

Robert Wickens is now breathing unassisted for the first time since his huge crash at Pocono, while Indycar has been criticised over safety concerns.

“For the first time following his August 19 incident at Pocono

Raceway, Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver Robert Wickens is breathing without medical assistance and speaking with his family,” read a statement from SPM.

It’s a positive step in his recovery after the Indycar rookie underwent an operation on his injured spine, following a crash that also broke his right arm and both legs.

Former Formula 1 driver Felipe Massa took to social media to blast Indycar over what he perceived as the series lagging behind F1’s safety standards.

“When you see all the accidents that happen in F1 and Indycar in the last years, we can say that F1 is always trying to improve with halo, track changes, virtual safety car, etc. to improve safety, and Indycar is not doing much,” he tweeted.

“It’s unbelievable to see a circuit like Pocono with an average speed of around 360km/h [224mph] and you see the walls lower like that, with the fences, it’s so, so dangerous for the safety.

“Sorry to say that, but they need to look [at it] for the safety of the drivers.”

Indycar chose not to comment on Massa’s view while Wickens remains hospitalised. That’s been taken by some as too conservative because Indycar could point to a series of recent developments that prove

Massa to be ill-informed.

Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing’s Graham Rahal decided to take Massa on. He replied on Twitter saying: “It’s a little easier to do things [to improve safety] when your budget is hundreds of millions a year, [with a] new chassis every year built in-house etc.”

Rahal also pointed to the windscreen concept that, to his eye, will be more elegant than the halo, and just as effective.

One thing is certain – it’s systematic of Indycar’s approach. The windscreen has been kept under wraps as it undergoes ballistic testing and Indycar is keen not to set a deadline for it before the concept is proved sound. That’s in addition to the new aerokit for 2018, which removed aero appendages that could become dangerous debris, and featured a revised side-impact structure to help end a run of pelvic injuries.