Sky Sports F1 commentator Martin Brundle recently did an ‘Ask Me Anything’ session on the Formula 1 subreddit where one fan asked him about the importance of ‘seating position’ in an F1 car. The user asked Brundle this because of the variety of racing cars he has driven in different motorsport disciplines over the years.
While putting forth his perspective, the former McLaren F1 driver recalled how he did not feel “safe” while driving one of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes cars recently. Brundle said, “I recently drove one of Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes and you’re buried inside the car with the halo and the headdress and the hands device around your neck.”
“And I didn’t actually feel particularly safe – I felt more trapped,” he revealed.
Comment
byu/SkySports from discussion
informula1
Brundle was likely referring to Mercedes’ 2023 car — the W14. Reportedly, Hamilton himself had complained about his seating position being too far forward in the cockpit. Given F1 drivers have to optimize their vision and their center of gravity in the car, the seat being in the optimal position is crucial.
Mercedes addressed this in their 2024 car — the W15 — while also ironing out its rear instability issues. Since then, Hamilton has been much more comfortable with the positioning of his seat.
Brundle’s feeling of being unsafe was due to the additional elements in the cockpit, such as the headrest and the halo above the driver’s head. Although they made him feel ‘trapped’, these features were implemented to protect the drivers, significantly improving safety compared to the ’80s and ’90s when Brundle raced in F1.
Brundle stated how if a driver crashed back in the day, there was a high possibility of any of their limbs breaking.
Even the absence of a halo-like device made drivers a lot more vulnerable to flying objects like a broken tire or debris hitting them during an accident. Thankfully, they happen much more rarely today.
