Managing the unexpected in F1
The weekend in Shanghai was disrupted by pollution problems and capricious weather. This forced the FIA and organizers to find emergency solutions.
Friday’s session once again painted a poor picture of F1 as the drivers were only able to complete around ten laps each, before the two practice sessions were shortened and then simply canceled.
Certainly the rain was falling on the city, but it was indeed the lack of visibility caused by the ambient pollution that prevented these sessions from taking place. The reason is that the medical helicopter was unable to land on the hospital’s helipad, which is intended to handle life-threatening emergency situations in the event of a track accident.
Now this hospital was located 40 kilometers from the circuit, which meant it could only be reached by air, as FIA regulations required the hospital to be reachable within a maximum of 20 minutes.
The drivers were therefore forced to dismount and wait as time passed, even though the track was largely usable. While most of them stayed warm in their garages, Lewis Hamilton played his role as a popular star by personally distributing merchandise featuring his likeness to the audience in the stands.
Zak Brown, the new director of McLaren, also called on the FOM to plan for other forms of entertainment if this situation arises in the future: « Should we open the paddock and let the fans in? Obviously, we all had to remain on alert during the tests because we didn’t know until they told us we wouldn’t do it. So I think we need to have a backup plan. It’s the best we can do, we can’t change the weather. »
If no backup plan was arranged for the fans who missed their Friday, an alternative was found regarding the hospital, to ensure that the pollution would no longer prevent the helicopter from taking off. Thus, the FIA announced on Sunday morning that another hospital, located just five kilometers away, had been equipped with the necessary equipment, especially in neurosurgery.
This ensured that the race could take place without having to take into account the pollution cloud engulfing the Chinese city. This clearly shows that F1 knows how to find solutions, but it’s just unfortunate that these solutions are only found at the eleventh hour and after the sad spectacle of cars being stuck in their garages while Carrera Cup drivers were able to conduct their own tests…
With the participation of www.racingbusiness.fr
