Former Marussia driver discusses F1 safety on the F1 Midweek Report; Watch the show in full at 8.30pm on Sky F1 on Wednesday
Thursday 27 August 2015 09:40, UK
Max Chilton has told the F1 Midweek Report he believes the sport will have closed cockpits within the next five to 10 years.
The subject of exposed drivers has once again returned to the forefront of the safety agenda after Justin Wilson lost his life after being struck by debris during an IndyCar race on Sunday.
Chilton saw his former Marussia team-mate Jules Bianchi pass away last month after sustaining a head injury at the 2014 Japanese GP and the Briton believes the introduction of closed cockpits is inevitable.
"That is the one weak area we have left in motorsport and that is the one bit we need to make a little bit more safe," Chilton said.
"There are dangers to having them, because if you are trapped you can't get out, but from what I have seen in the footage they are super strong. I think we just need to find a way of making it so that whatever type of crash you have you can get out 100 per cent.
"You wouldn't even think about being hit by debris if you were covered, you wouldn't even know about it, it probably wouldn't even leave a mark. So it is something I think is definitely the route to go. It might be in five years, it might be in 10 years, but I can guarantee you there will be covers eventually."
Chilton believes that in light of Wilson's fatal accident the push for closed cockpits will now gain extra momentum.
"It was only last week that I was looking on YouTube of videos of the FIA testing jetfighter-style cockpit covers," he added.
"I think we can come around and design something that we are safer from debris, head-on collisions, tyre walls and we can still get out. I think this will definitely push that forward."
Chilton has been racing in IndyCar feeder series Indy Lights this year and had been eyeing a move to the senior series next year. But he admits he is having second thoughts due to the dangers, particularly following Wilson's death.
"It does make a few different choices in where you go in your career path, I've moved to racing in America because I wanted to do IndyCar," he said.
"But I've been having second thoughts about it because of the dangers of IndyCar and this was before the accident that happened at the weekend.
"Now after what happened to Justin it is making me think whether it is the right choice or not because the speeds in IndyCar are so high."
