The good news is that Fernando Alonso has been passed fit to race by doctors appointed by the FIA. Meanwhile the mystery surrounding his crash, which McLaren descried as a ‘normal testing crash’ at the time, takes a new twist.
McLaren reveal in a recent statement,“While there was nothing evident in the extensive car telemetry data, nor anything abnormal in the subsequent reconstructions and laboratory tests, Fernando recalls a sense of ‘heavy’ steering prior to the accident. Consequently, the team has fitted an additional sensor to the car, to increase our data capture.”
McLaren also confirmed “Since his Barcelona testing accident, Fernando has followed a rigorous, specialised training programme, designed and closely monitored by leading sports scientists, to ensure his safe and timely return to racing.
“At the McLaren Technology Centre last week, Fernando met with his engineers and drove the simulator, to bring him up to date with the latest developments on the MP4-30 chassis and power unit.
“As part of that process he spent time with senior engineers, discussing the accident and reviewing the comprehensive data and analysis, all of which has been shared with the FIA.
“Fernando is very much looking forward to getting back into the car and making a substantial contribution to our collective efforts with Honda, to accelerate the required improvement to our on-track performance.”
Why the hell mclaren accept the damn truth about the accident. My s*^t
“to bring him up to date with the latest developments on the MP4-30 chassis and power unit.”
Translation:
“Now, Fernando, we think we can overtake the Marussia…”
“…just not in a straight line.”
You mean when the Marussias have a software problem that prevents them from leaving their garage?
Not that this helped the KMan in the slightest… 🙂
McLaren…the new Spyker!
So Fred is slowly getting back pieces of his memory…..
My name is Fernando Bourne.
Very good. Are you suggesting an implant? Hm. As I recall he did remember his name, just not where he was, what he was doing, or the year …or his age. . .or. . .or. . .
This weekend might be interesting (in a good way, I hope).
lm
Whatever deep dark secret that’s being hidden in the heavily fortified vault at the MTC, he’s out to find the truth…..
This year should be riveting
No Bourne remembered nothing about himself but he sure remembered how to kick major arse at the drop of a hat!
That’s a interesting idea applied to formula one. Imagine a full amnesiac driver fully pissed off and on deadly form only who was hell bent on finding the truth of which public relations shady character robbed him of his personality ..@
Any electricians out there?
On like 8 or 9th hand I got the info that he was fried with 18amps – that sounds like a hell of a lot to me but maybe not if it was for a very short while. Are those police tacers not like 10amps?
-joe
and so the legend continues…..
1 volt at a 1,000amps will kill you, but 1,000 volts at 1amp is harmless. You would need to know how many volts and at what ampage it was before it’s possible to say if Fernando was electrocuted, how bad the kick was.
Also if it was A/C or D/C current, can’t remember off hand, but I’m sure 1 is more dangerous than the other at the same volt/amp levels, just can’t remember which way round or is and why.
I hate electricity, it’s got no mouth and teeth, but shit, it bites hard. I have had my fair share of electrocutions over the years. They can really really hurt 😠
I’m no expert, but from memory F1 teams deal with DC in the context of KERS… (Which to my knowledge is the deadlier…) And I have very little doubt that it’s well, well above 1amp. There is a good reason why F1 drivers started jumping like little rabbits out of cars in testing 2008 (or 2009), when KERS was being tested for the first time. They still do on occasion (Kobayashi from his Caterham in Singapore 2014).
Again, I’m no expert, but my suspicion is that you simply do not survive an electrocution from a modern F1 car… The mere fact that Fred is breathing points to it having little or nothing to do with electrocution.
It seems even 1amp (and much less than that) can be deadly (or very, very harmful) depending on the exposure time.
Not the best reference, but interesting comments:
http://electronics.stackexchange.com/questions/129302/what-are-the-highest-dc-and-ac-voltages-or-currents-that-can-be-considered-as-sa
“DC causes permanent muscle contraction and thus the danger with DC is that you can’t let go. On the other hand, the heart muscle (and the Sinoatrial node) has a higher chance of recovering to normal operation after one steady DC event. AC indeed leaves you with at least some control over your muscles so you might be able to let go. ”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_shock
“The current may, if it is high enough, cause tissue damage or fibrillation which leads to cardiac arrest; more than 30 mA[6] of AC (rms, 60 Hz) or 300 – 500 mA of DC can cause fibrillation.”
So even a 30mA AC could provoke a heart-attack….
I think some of it also depends on the route the charge takes through the body. Electricity takes the path of least resistance.