Lando Norris bashes F1 over rain visibility issue, calls for significant changes around driver safety after Dinalo Van’t Hoff’s unfortunate death
Lando Norris wants to see significant improvement around driver safety in motorsports.
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Lando Norris and Dinalo Van't Hoff (Credits: Sports Illustrated)
Lando Norris, the McLaren Formula 1 driver, was among the first ones to share his condolences over the unfortunate death of Dutch driver Dinalo Van’t Hoff in Spa. He feels that the rain visibility issue at the pinnacle of motor racing is a major issue that the sport’s hierarchy has to get on top of.
Lando Norris has spent several years racing around various kinds of circuits, and he believes that during wet conditions, the spray from cars is a big issue that leads to unfortunate crashes. Over the years, several incidents have occurred because of low visibility all across the motorsports world.
Norris being a young driver/experienced F1 driver, is well aware of facing such issues. While stressing about it to Motorsport, he said, “Between so many things that are done for safety, I think this is one of the next biggest topics I would say that needs to be changed. When you’re not in the car, you don’t realise how bad it is. You can’t see from here to the wall [five metres ahead]. You can’t see anything.”
“So, if there’s a car stopped here, you have no chance to react. And that can happen in Spa, that could have happened here. If someone went off up through turn two [at the Red Bull Ring] you don’t see them until it’s too late.” The 23-year-old has talked in detail about how difficult it is to tackle wet conditions.
Lando Norris’s take on the FIA’s upcoming mudguards test in Silverstone
Since the death of Dinalo Van’t Hoff, FIA has got heavily criticized over the safety of the drivers, and amongst all this, it has come to light that FIA and F1 are going to hold mudguards(to be used only during rain) test after the 2023 British Grand Prix. It is a step that could solve the wet conditions issues of the drivers.
Lando Norris, while talking about the test, said, “I think is a good thing that we’re doing the test in Silverstone because you may as well close your eyes half the time going through turn two, whose team is involved in the trial. It’s almost a better thing to close your eyes because you have to wish for the best sometimes.”
While the FIA is trying to do its best to make motor racing as safe as possible, the fact can’t be ignored that the cars are getting faster year after year in the various motorsports categories. It is going to be in the best interest of everyone that a solution is found at the earliest so that critical incidents don’t occur again.
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Rishabh Negi
(3244 Articles Published)