Massa suffers serious injury - helmet strike by Barrichello's broken suspension

[John Scherrer]

Hungarian qualifying, suspension part falls from Rubens' car and strikes Massa on the helmet.

Hope he's going to be ok.

John

[AndyLUFC]

[quote="lapujs"]
Hungarian qualifying, suspension part falls from Rubens' car and strikes Massa on the helmet.

Hope he's going to be ok.

John

[/quote]

In an induced coma with 2 skull fractures. Unbelievable accident! What are the odds of a spring being in the same airspace as Massa's helmet! The link goes to a pic of Massa's injury. Don't click if that would be something you'd not want to see.

As unlucky as it was, it was remarkably lucky that the spring of Rubens' car didn't hit an inch lower and left. Hope he pulls through OK - he's definitely one of the good guys in F1.

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/f1/uutiset.shtml/arkistot/f1/2009/07/920735

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74QpLUGQB_k

[DFext37 Fielding]

[quote="AndyLUFC"]
[quote="lapujs"]
Hungarian qualifying, suspension part falls from Rubens' car and strikes Massa on the helmet.

Hope he's going to be ok.

John

[/quote]

In an induced coma with 2 skull fractures. Unbelievable accident! What are the odds of a spring being in the same airspace as Massa's helmet! The link goes to a pic of Massa's injury. Don't click if that would be something you'd not want to see.

As unlucky as it was, it was remarkably lucky that the spring of Rubens' car didn't hit an inch lower and left. Hope he pulls through OK - he's definitely one of the good guys in F1.

http://www.mtv3.fi/urheilu/f1/uutiset.shtml/arkistot/f1/2009/07/920735

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74QpLUGQB_k
[/quote]

Holy Cow!!!

[MonsieurX]

How the hell did that spring spring there?

Makes you wonder about driving on the highway and even normal roads without a helm or astronaut protection, roll bars and etc from roadeorites, fraking flinging particles, tumbling dryer action, etc...

[benyeats]

Amazingly bad luck, Rubens was a long way ahead of him so amazing the spring was still moving by the time Massa arrived, but good luck it hit where it did and not in the centre of the visor.

[AndyLUFC]

With whatever the clever bugger F=MxA or something, it was an equivalent hit of 1600 lbs! It's not looking great for him at the moment apparently. He'll be induced sedated for at least 2 more days!

Monsieur X - It absolutely has made me think about my helmetless freeway jaunts.

[Heywood-Yablowme]

Very scary stuff. If a man of Massas talent can get hurt in such a manner..it make me feel very mortal. I sure hopes he pulls through this with no complications.

[dp35]

At least where I live, there's a much higher chance of getting hit by random debris on our roads/freeways than there is at any racetrack.  This is eye opening in terms of driving the Atom on the freeway, especially without a helmet on.

[fiestycolumbian]

[quote="dp35"]
At least where I live, there's a much higher chance of getting hit by random debris on our roads/freeways than there is at any racetrack.  This is eye opening in terms of driving the Atom on the freeway, especially without a helmet on.
[/quote]
I was about to say the same thing. It definitely gives you pause before driving the atom on public roads, where debris from tires, glass, etc. is almost commonplace.
Look at the damage a 800g object did to a world class athlete, with probably the best constucted helmet on the planet. Yikes!!
I definitely have to look for a better helmet now.

I definietly hope for Massa to have a good recovery. It reminds me of da Matta's accident in a champcar a few years ago, where he hit a deer, and suffered a severe concussion, hematoma, etc. da Matta took more than a year to recover, and finally got back into a car 2 years after that. When it comes to the brain, recovery time is truely up in the air.

fiesty

[jon b]

I really hope Massa makes a full recovery.

This is indeed rare but is a horrible reality check on what can happen. Having driven 5000 miles in a cater"am without a windscreen and helmet and now 5000 miles in an atom without a windscreen, I have been very lucky not to have been hit by some sort of road debris.

In some respects it was lucky this 2lb spring was still moving as the impact speed will have been reduced to maybe 110 ish mph. I am very suprised of the damage this has done

As stated on the Henry Surtees thread, I am reconsidering atom ownership and I'm thinking about  other ways to get my kicks, watch this space.....

[Steve]

[quote="jon b"]
I really hope Massa makes a full recovery.

This is indeed rare but is a horrible reality check on what can happen. Having driven 5000 miles in a cater"am without a windscreen and helmet and now 5000 miles in an atom without a windscreen, I have been very lucky not to have been hit by some sort of road debris.

In some respects it was lucky this 2lb spring was still moving as the impact speed will have been reduced to maybe 110 ish mph. I am very suprised of the damage this has done

As stated on the Henry Surtees thread, I am reconsidering atom ownership and I'm thinking about  other ways to get my kicks, watch this space.....
[/quote]

Why not get a windscreen for the Atom?

[jon b]

Have you, why not?

On a serious note, I have been thinking about my car options for some time. With the delay on the delivery of my 3 I may just sell my 2 now and then consider next steps, delaying delivery if the 3 until next March

[Hedge]

[quote="jon b"]
On a serious note, I have been thinking about my car options for some time. With the delay on the delivery of my 3 I may just sell my 2 now and then consider next steps, delaying delivery if the 3 until next March
[/quote]

But why, John? I mean, why get in another Atom?
If you're concerned about the risk, then don't you take the risk out of the equation by not getting in an Atom?

Cheers, Hedge

[Driver]

If you are worried about such risks you also stand just as much a chance of getting hit in many other scenarios. Just as easy for a hubcap to fly off a car and hit you in the head walking your dog. When it's your time, it's your time.

[jon b]

There comes a time when you think about your options. This reality is just another reason for me to consider other options. How much have I driven the atom in the last year - oh maybe a few hundred miles....The reality isn't about whether I'm man enough to drive an Atom