Concerns raised over cockpit safety

David Coulthard's collision with Alex Wurz in last month's Australian season-opener has raised concerns over cockpit safety, with leading figures calling on the FIA to look into possible changes

Red Bull Racing's Coulthard was trying to overtake Williams's Wurz when he miscalculated his timing. The two collided, with Coulthard's Red Bull car lifting off and flying across the nose of the Williams - missing Wurz's hands and head by centimetres.

"I think it highlighted just how at risk the driver can be in that kind of situation," Coulthard told reporters at Sepang.

"I never obviously, when I started the manoeuvre, ever imagined that I would crash into Alex and if I was silly enough to start that manoeuvre thinking that was going to happen I would never imagine I would come across the cockpit missing him by a very small amount.

"So inevitably that is an area that will be talked about and looked at for the future for safety."

In fact, it has been discussed already at the highest levels.

Team boss Frank Williams, who did not go to Australia and is also absent from Malaysia, was on the telephone to FIA president Max Mosley in the immediate aftermath.

"I've discussed it with Max, and Max has got (FIA race director) Charlie (Whiting) involved with our guys to learn about it," Williams told Reuters this week.

"It (the car) could easily have taken his (Wurz's) fingers off on the steering wheel as it went across, and also damaged his head. There's still danger out there; there will be a close look at that to see what we can do."

Coulthard, a former director of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), recommended bringing forward a discussion with the Technical Working Group to see if there was anything that could be done to further improve safety.

"Inevitably in these situations it is when it is brought home how easy it would be to have a serious incident, then it moves up the importance list," he said.

"When I spoke to (Williams co-owner) Patrick Head after the event, he suggested it was a couple of years away before they might look at doing something.

"But maybe now it could be possible to have an improved cockpit protection for next season already, so this is something to be discussed and agreed and we, as the GPDA, can only encourage them to do that and see what the result is."