SAFETY FIRST
Ahead of the Monaco weekend, the FIA moved to prevent “aggressive” rear jack point designs in a constant quest to improve F1 safety. In a note sent to teams, Laurent Mekies, the governing body’s safety director, explained that the shape of the jacking point might have exacerbated the consequences of the horrific crash that cost F4 racer Billy Monger both his legs when he hit a stationary car at Donington Park last month.
“Following several front-to-rear incidents over the past months in various single-seater categories, the FIA would like all F1 teams to ensure that their rear jacking point designs cannot act aggressively during such an incident,” Mekies wrote in the note.
“Considering the strength, shape and position of the jacking points, they may become one of the initial points of contact in a crash with another car and alter the performance of the crash structure of the other car.
“The use of aggressive designs will not be permitted from the Monaco GP onwards. All jacking points used from that date must first be approved by the FIA technical department.”
Set below the rear crash structure that extends the gearbox, these jacking points often feature sharp edges that can cut through the monocoque of another car in case of an accident. Mekies added that lawful designs must be “geometrically not the first point of contact between the nose and the RIS [rear impact structure]”, and “protrude no more than 45mm from surface of RIS.”
The FIA note prompted several teams, including Ferrari, to change their rear jack points, as shown above.
