Formula 2 - anyone seen it yet?

[patnicholls]

I caught one of the Valencia races and then today's one from Brno.

Hard to know what to make of it - it's certainly entertaining, but clearly lower-level than GP2 and WSbR probably. More like Formula Master which (confusingly) it seems to be running alongside at some events.

So far, I quite enjoy watching it and it's certainly low-cost as planned but it's highly unlikely that anyone'll be plucked from there straight to F1. Not to mention a total lack of media coverage - I've yet to see a single comment anywhere on Motorsport Forums about it!

[Nikki Katz]

No, I was only aware that it was on this weekend when race 1 results were posted on Autosport. Is it actually televised?

[patnicholls]

Eurosport have it as part of the World Touring Car coverage.

It would be wrong to say it's been promoted at all, however! (and crash.net doesn't seem to have any interest in it)

[Nikki Katz]

I was going to watch this today but it clashed with MotoGP. But it sounds like Henry Surtees has been quite badly injured in an accident in the race. I know I was a bit rude about him in another thread, but I hope that he's ok :S

[Robinho]

seen the incident with Henry on Youtube, looked quite innocuous, but he was travelling pretty fast when he came into contact with the wheel, he's been airlifted to hospital but no news on his condition at the moment - hope he's well

[markabilly]

Yeah I was trying to watch the motogp or superbike live, and ended up on the channel about the time they were showing replays..noticed the visior open.

as bad as the hit on the head, I think with the helmet, he would be fine unless as in Senna crash, some part penetrated the helmet

What I thought was scarry was that he onbviously did not brake and went pretty much straight in the barrier, possibly unconcious.

Those types of hits can produce severe neck injuries that the hans device is designed to prevent (Dale earnhardt daytona crash--not a big deal crash at all, just the momentum and the force angle from the impact was just right to cause the spinal cord to be fatally injured).

are they required to wear the hans in f2?

[Robinho]

yeah, all FIA series have HANS. whilst the helmet should have protected his head, the compression or twist on his neck coming into contact with an object of that size at that speed (probably somehwere up towards 100mph) could be nasty.

the combination of the knock, the compression/pressure on the spine (in a direction the HANS is not designed for) and a secondary accident when unconcious could have a number of consequences - i hope that he's not badly injured and being well looked after - fingers crossed for the lad

[markabilly]

Henry Surtees did not survive and died at hospital. My feelings go out to John Surtees and his family

[Robinho]

just seen the same news, really terrible to read that he did not pull through, thoughts with his family :( RIP Henry

[Nikki Katz]

If that's true then it's really terrible. It shows that this is still a dangerous sport - the cars are designed by Patrick Head after all.

[Robinho]

just a freak accident unfortunately - loose wheel, hitting a driver.

brings it home how dangerous motorsport can still be, and that no-one should ever be so complacent to believe otherwise.

http://www.autosport.com/news/report.php/id/77088

[christophulus]

Terrible news. It was a freak incident and I kind of knew he wasn't going to come out of this well. :(

[UltimateDanGTR]

i cant believe that.

I was there at brands today, at paddock hill bend. It was a great days motor racing, but the news of henry's death is something i am totally shocked about.

At the time im not sure anyone round the main straight part was aware of the seriousness of the incident, i dont think anyone realised watching the tv screens that he was struck on the head.

Later on in the day there was an announcement that he was in intencive care, this is terrible news. everyone moaned aswell on lap 2 in the wtcc race 2 when the safety car was deployed so the air ambulance could take off. we didnt realise the link at the time. we know now.

It is a real shame. he was looking very promising today, i was impressed by his speed. RIP Henry. a death I will never forget, because I was there. I feel a little bit of guilt.

a series having a death in its first year is horrible, but it could of happened in any series.

having seen the replay over and over, im not surprised. The F2 race had some good racing, but it was a staggered troubled race today. maybe it was one of those days.

first death in a major series this side of the atlantic since well, ages.

RIP Henry. we will miss you, a true rising star.

[gm99]

I didn't have a good feeling when I saw the incident live on Eurosport earlier today, and my worries grew as there weren't any updates on his condition for a long time.

R.I.P. Henry and my condolences to his friends and family!

[DazzlaF1]

It looked innocuous but it looked a very nasty smack in the face with that tyre, id imadgine he was travelling at least at 120mph when he hit the tyre. But to hear afterwards that he is dead as a result is a huge shock, and a cruel reminder that despite all the safety precautions and improvements, it is still a dangerous sport and death can still occur.

My deepest thoughts and condolences go out to John Surtees and his family who i imagine must be in pieces now ;(

[Somebody]

Poor guy. Condolences to his family.

Talking about it as a "freak accident" though (and bearing in mind that I haven't seen the footage)... why was the wheel flying about TO hit him? In particular, are the wheel tethers underspecced?

[Nikki Katz]

Poor guy. Condolences to his family.

Talking about it as a "freak accident" though (and bearing in mind that I haven't seen the footage)... why was the wheel flying about TO hit him? In particular, are the wheel tethers underspecced?
It's supposed to have passed the same safety checks that F1 cars do, but I can't say that I've seen wheels fly like that since the early 00s in F1. Surtees' wheels also flew off when he crashed.

This is really sad, the first death in F1 or any of its feeder series since I've followed it.

[Ranger]

Terrible accident for someone way too young. :(


Poor guy. Condolences to his family.

Talking about it as a "freak accident" though (and bearing in mind that I haven't seen the footage)... why was the wheel flying about TO hit him? In particular, are the wheel tethers underspecced?

F2 cars pass current F1 crash tests. Tethers and all.

If the same collision happened in F1, it would still have been fatal.

It was a freak accident any way you look at it.

[Sonic]

! Ten years since the death of another rising tallent and now we loose Henry. :(

We still miss you Neil and RIP Henry Surtees.

[DazzlaF1]

F2 cars pass current F1 crash tests. Tethers and all.

If the same collision happened in F1, it would still have been fatal.

It was a freak accident any way you look at it.

Absolutely, the wheel tethers are tested just as thorougly as every other part of the car in the crash tests, but now and again, just like other parts of the car, the tethers can be prone to failure.

The accident yesterday was like you say a freak incident, the wheel could have gone anywhere, unfortunately for Henry he was in the wrong place at the wrong time.

[Somebody]

F2 cars pass current F1 crash tests. Tethers and all.

2005 crash tests. Not 2009.

[V12]

Henry Surtees' tragic accident was a freak at the end of the day, and could have happened to anyone in any series that races cars with open wheels and open cockpits, and IMO is no reflection on F2 as a series, which is a steaming pile of .... and an insult to the history of the name it carries for so many other reasons.

[elis]

Henry Surtees' tragic accident was a freak at the end of the day, and could have happened to anyone in any series that races cars with open wheels and open cockpits, and IMO is no reflection on F2 as a series, which is a steaming pile of .... and an insult to the history of the name it carries for so many other reasons.

Wow, & I frankly find that last sentence an insult to the teams & drivers competing in the series as is now.. How insulting for them & more so for the family of Henry to hear couch critics calling the series a steaming pile.. to use your own 'eloquent' wording.

jmo

[F1boat]

The series is OK. Very sad that Henry died, really, but as we saw in Budapest, could have happened in any series. Motorsport is dangerous. About the championship itself, it is nice, with a lot of overtaking. They overtook each other in Imola, which was considered impossible for overtaking in F1 - not sure about GP 2. The cars are not pretty as in GP 2, but still cool. And I am happy that I saw formula cars racing at Imola. I miss this track :(

[Mekola]

Alas, Andy Soucek is now the champion of the series, and won a free F1 test with Williams for that.