MOTORSPORT: Frontal head restraints to be compulsory

As a new, “greener”, more road-relevant era of Formula One gets under way in Melbourne, there’s an important move to improve safety in Australian motorsport – and a slight sign of improvement in Michael Schumacher’s condition.

The Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS) has mandated the use of frontal head restraints (FHRs) in all international and national circuit races, road events and off-road events in Australia from July 1 this year.

The only exception will be where a particular type of vehicle is specifically exempted.

From the start of next year FHRs will be compulsory at all state circuit races, road events and off-road events, again except where specifically exempted due to the type of vehicle.

The move is a significant safety initiative by CAMS and means that many racing cars will need to be modified, although in most cases that will be limited to seats being changed.

FHRs are made to stop the head from whipping forward in a crash, without restricting the movement of the neck. FHR devices called HANS, meaning head and neck support, have been compulsory in F1 for more than a decade and are used in V8 Supercar racing too.

CAMS chief executive Eugene Arocca said the cost of a basic FHR was equivalent to two good-quality tyres.

“It would be difficult to logically argue against the mandating of FHR, particularly given the FHR will outlast the tyres by a number of years,” Arocca said.

“Safety is paramount in this sport. Ultimately the [motorsport] industry will embrace FHRs at all levels.

“The facts and the information supporting FHRs is overwhelming. Use an FHR and your chances of surviving a significant motor sport incident are far better.”

CAMS driver development manager Karl Reindler said HANS saved his life in his famous fiery start-line accident in a V8 Supercar race at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway in 2011.

“I walked away from that accident with some burns, but had I not had my FHR on who knows what the result could have been?” Reindler said.

“The devices are a lot more affordable now than what they used to be.

“You can’t put a value on life.”

Legendary V8 Supercar driver Mark Skaife said FHRs were “absolutely required” and making them compulsory was a “significant moment” in the history of Australian motorsport.

“All drivers at all levels will be better off,” Skaife said. “The shift in policy is like when seat belts were introduced.

“At the end of the day we would not go racing without seat belts.

“FHRs are the same. They take a little bit of getting used to, in making sure the seat belts conform to body shape, but for me it’s a 100 per cent guaranteed thing that you should wear for any sort of motorsport.”

Meanwhile, seven-time F1 world champion Michael Schumacher has shown “small, encouraging signs” of recovery in the induced coma he has been in since his December 29 skiing accident in France.

Schumacher’s manager Sabine Kehm released a statement overnight on behalf of Schumacher’s family because of the heightened interest in his condition as the new F1 season begins at the Australian Grand Prix this weekend.

“We are and remain confident that Michael will pull through and will wake up,” Kehm said. “There sometimes are small, encouraging signs, but we also know that this is the time to be very patient.

“Michael has suffered severe injuries. It is very hard to comprehend for all of us that Michael, who had overcome a lot of precarious situations in the past, has been hurt so terribly in such a banal situation.

“It was clear from the start that this will be a long and hard fight for Michael. We are taking this fight on together with the team of doctors, whom we fully trust. The length of the process is not the important part for us.

“It is heart-warming to see how much sympathy his family is shown and I can say that the family is extremely grateful for it. However, it should not be forgotten that Michael's family is dealing with an extremely intimate and fragile situation. And I would like to remind all of us that Michael has always actively kept his family out of the public eye and consequently protected their private lives.

“We try to channel all the energies we have toward Michael and we firmly believe that this will help him. And we believe that he will also win this fight.”