Crash Testing Carbon Fiber F1 Parts

What happens when you crash test the parts of a Formula 1 car? Crash-tests in F1 are mandatory for the car to be approved by the FIA and, subsequently, released to be placed on the track for testing and competing in the F1 Championship as a whole. In all, at least 15 crash tests are performed for a car to obtain its approval. For the frontal dynamic test, the chassis is mounted onto a trolley and fired at a solid wall and for the side and rear tests a heavy trolley is run into the chassis at force and a crash test dummy is also used to measure what happens to a driver in extreme deceleration. The dummy’s chest must not exceed 60G for more than 3 milliseconds. The side of the cockpit is also subjected to a 15-tonne ’’squeeze test’’ which it must resist for at least 5 seconds with no evidence of structural failure. This video shows a Red Bull car being tested in 2013 (keep in mind that the testing regulations likely have changed a lot since then). Check out this amazing slow-motion! Were you expecting this type of failure? Carbon fiber has a completely unique failure mode!