Prototype gloves tested in free trials in Istanbul

The FIA ​​never stops advancing safety in motorsport. New example this weekend at the Turkish Grand Prix where several drivers – Lewis Hamilton, Sebastian Vettel, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, and George Russell – received federal approval to test a new glove prototype.

Since the start of the 2021 season, the FIA ​​safety department has been carrying out a research project with the aim of improving the resistance of gloves when they are exposed to very high heat.

This work necessarily results from the terrible crash suffered by Romain Grosjean at the 2020 Bahrain GP. Surrounded by the flames, the Frenchman was able to escape the infernal blaze at the cost of incredible courage but he was unable to escape serious injuries to his hands, the scars of which he still bears today . In its post-crash report, the FIA ​​raised this point and promised a study and measures. Word kept.

Its new concept has not yet received official approval from the Motor Sport Council, so it cannot be used in racing. However, the regulatory body wanted to carry out full-scale tests to find the best compromise between safety and dexterity behind the wheel.

Since 2019, gloves used in F1 are equipped with a biometric chip allowing the occupants of the medical car to access the driver's health information in real time (heart rate, blood oxygen level, etc.) after an accident.

Once again, the FIA ​​demonstrates that it is not resting on its laurels in its fight to make motorsport safer, which will always remain a dangerous discipline by definition.