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Max Verstappen reveals if you get an electric shock in an F1 car, it would kill you

Tejas Venkatesh
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Max Verstappen reveals if you get an electric shock in an F1 car, it would kill you

Max Verstappen highlights the unseen risks of driving F1 cars, especially in the hybrid era.

Max Verstappen is a pretty fearless driver. When you ask the Dutchman which driver or team or circuit he fears the most, he bluntly shrugs it off.

But there is one thing that the Dutchman pays great attention to. And no, it’s not just Max but every F1 driver. And it is the fear of getting an electrical shock.

But this is not an everyday shock that one would witness while preparing old wires or fixing a build at home. Some of these shocks would kill you!

An F1 car has a lot of Electrical energy buzzing through it. Although inside a car, a driver’s monocoque is well insulated, he can still be harmed if the body of the car is charged.

Drivers are usually briefed about such dangers by their engineers. They are specifically asked to not lay hands on the chassis at certain times. Or even jump out without laying a finger on the body to avoid a shock.

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In an interview, David Coulthard asked Max if he has any ‘Battery anxiety’ when he steps into his Red Bull car. Max’s answer was in simple terms a yes!

He said, “Sometimes when I retire the car I ask if should I jump out without touching the car. Or even when the mechanics are working on the car.” He stated he hasn’t suffered any electrical shocks till date.

But he is extremely cautious about it saying, “It would kill you. If you get an electric shock in an F1 car, you’d be dead.” And to reiterate, Max was not joking and we can explain why!

Also Read: 103 GP winner Lewis Hamilton wishes for closer racing between F1 cars

Why Max Verstappen fears electrical shock in an F1 car

When Max Verstappen told “It can kill you,” he meant it. As mentioned Engineers ask drivers to exercise great caution when it comes to electrical issues. It can be potentially more dangerous than a high-speed crash

An F1 car has many electrical components inside it. It has Kimoeters of wires and 1000 volts of electricity buzzing through. The Kinetic Energy Recovery Systems (KERS) capture and store the kinetic energy produced during a race when the car.

The MGU-K & MGU-H are used to provide an additional boost in power. But the newer generation cars are more dependent on many electrical components, with F1’s push towards cleaner racing.

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But this can prove dangerous at times. In case of a crash or system, failure drivers face the risk of suffering a shock. Hence before anyone is allowed to touch the car, it should be electrically grounded.

There is a tiny LED light in an F1 car that turns green if it is safe to handle. If the light is not green, the car will potentially shock you if there is a fault with the ERS system.

Drivers, team personnel and the trackside marshals also wear insulating gloves to protect them from any such cases. To date no F1 personnel, driver or mechanic has suffered from a serious shock and the aim is to keep the number of fatalities at 0.

Also Read: When Helmut Marko lost his one eye and saw an abrupt end to his F1 career

About the author

Tejas Venkatesh

Tejas Venkatesh

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Tejas Venkatesh is a Motorsports writer at The SportsRush. He started watching F1 in 2007 and fell in love with the sound of the revving V8s. A technical nerd, tejas loves to nerd over the technical beauty only motorsports can achieve. He calls himself a Vettel fanboy and spent the night crying after Hockenheim 2018. Apart from F1, Tejas is an avid Chelsea Fan and loves football.

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