Mysterious accident in Formula 1: Why Fernando Alonso became unconscious? – Tagesspiegel

18:26 clock Karin Storm

Fernando Alonso has his accident apparently unhurt. However, since the McLaren racing team is silent about the cause of the accident, all kinds of rumors are circulating.

Three hours after the accident of Fernando Alonso came the all-clear. “Fernando Alonso is doing well, all medical examinations in hospital have no violations found,” announced the McLaren team. From the management of the Spaniard, however, was reported at the same time on Twitter, Fernando Alonso should stay at least overnight for observation in the clinic. However, on the cause of the accident, the team wanted to say anything yet, pointing to statements, “which will give it later.”

At the same time there was a statement that Jenson Button, the second driver, no longer as planned in the afternoon will go. This pointed to a complicated problem to be solved at McLaren.
Mysterious accident was the two-time Formula 1 world champion, McLaren-Honda, which happened just after half past one in the tests in Barcelona, ​​from the beginning. “I was right behind Fernando. He did not go fast, so 150 km, “said Sebastian Vettel. “Suddenly he turned right and pushed to the side a few times against the wall.” Alonso was not only much slower than usual on the way in this curve, he went off on the inside of the track – usually the case an accident the other way around.

It is also remarkable that supposedly once the warning light was concerned already the initial impact with the car, which signals an impact load of 15 g. This would mean that the impact would have been much harder than I thought, contrary to all optical impressions which had the photographers on the site, and low damage to the car. Crucial for the effect of the forces on the human body is not only the height of the values, but the duration of the impact. In the case of the delay Alonso said to have worked with more than 50 milliseconds with 15 g. That would be quite long and could well have a brief unconsciousness result. That the Spaniard had initially been at least extremely dazed until he had then reacts again confirmed marshals.

The Secrecy of McLaren raises questions

Alonso was then taken to the track Hospital. From there, it was called the International Automobile Federation FIA and McLaren unanimously: “Fernando is conscious. He speaks with the doctors. “But after the two-time world champion was flown by helicopter to a hospital as a” precautionary measure “. This is rather unusual, if not confirmed the suspicions of the routine examination in the Medical Center.
The secrecy raises questions. Just like the turning of the car to the right, that was not explicable for after moving Vettel, and the observation of some photographers, Alonso’ve been sitting with hanging down head in the cockpit and gives the impression that not something okay with it , Video images that could provide clarity, there is not – the crucial point is located in the blind spot of the line cameras.

Because the team about a possible cause of the accident was silent, came up with all sorts of speculation. Had happened in the car of Alonso before the accident something unusual? Had the Spaniards get about an electric shock caused by an energy-recovery systems? “Unlikely, but not completely ruled out,” said engineers from other teams. Another suspect: gasoline or battery fumes could have gotten into the cockpit and have triggered a nausea in Alonso. The latter can happen when batteries by burning. Can provide education only McLaren. To say that one needs for a long time, would not be credible. That the data are all in today’s Formula 1 once, everyone knows that. First of all, the team did not specify whether when to expect further explanations though.