Motorsport Week
  • Formula 1
    • 2023 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2023 Formula 1 Standings
    • 2023 Formula 1 Team/Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • 2022/23 Formula E Team/Driver Line-up
  • IndyCar
    • 2023 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2023 IndyCar Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2023 WRC Calendar
    • 2023 WRC Standings
    • 2023 WRC Driver Line-up
  • MotoGP
    • 2023 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2023 MotoGP Team/Rider Line-Up
    • 2022 Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • 2023 WEC Calendar
    • 2023 WEC Hypercar Team/Driver Line-up
  • More
    • IMSA
      • 2023 IMSA GTP Team/Driver Line-up
      • 2023 IMSA Calendar
    • Formula 2
      • 2023 Formula 2 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 2 Driver Line-up
    • Formula 3
      • 2023 Formula 3 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 3 Driver Line-up
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
LIVE
No Result
View All Result
  • Formula 1
    • 2023 Formula 1 Calendar
    • 2023 Formula 1 Standings
    • 2023 Formula 1 Team/Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 Formula 1 Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • 2022/23 Formula E Team/Driver Line-up
  • IndyCar
    • 2023 IndyCar Calendar
    • 2023 IndyCar Driver Line-Up
    • 2023 IndyCar Standings
  • WRC
    • 2023 WRC Calendar
    • 2023 WRC Standings
    • 2023 WRC Driver Line-up
  • MotoGP
    • 2023 MotoGP Calendar
    • 2023 MotoGP Team/Rider Line-Up
    • 2022 Championship Standings
  • WEC
    • 2023 WEC Calendar
    • 2023 WEC Hypercar Team/Driver Line-up
  • More
    • IMSA
      • 2023 IMSA GTP Team/Driver Line-up
      • 2023 IMSA Calendar
    • Formula 2
      • 2023 Formula 2 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 2 Driver Line-up
    • Formula 3
      • 2023 Formula 3 Race Calendar
      • 2023 Formula 3 Driver Line-up
    • DTM
    • WSeries
    • Technical Insight
    • Galleries
    • About/Contact
    • Privacy Policy
No Result
View All Result
Motorsport Week
Home Feature

Feature: Bourdais’ dangerous struggle with excessive heat behind the Aeroscreen

by Kevin Dejewski
2 years ago
A A
0
Feature: Bourdais’ dangerous struggle with excessive heat behind the Aeroscreen

Bourdais feels the Aeroscreen, in its current form, is not suited for street circuits. Photo: IndyCar

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Looking ahead to a hot and humid double-header from Detroit, Sebastien Bourdais has opened up about just how much the extra heat of IndyCar’s Aeroscreen affects him behind the wheel.

While Bourdais acknowledges that the extra protection afforded by the safety device is positive on Superspeedways, he feels the windshield portion should be removed on slower circuits in the name of driver safety.

The Aeroscreen, which was introduced to IndyCar at the start of 2020, has produced a side-effect in the form of a constant battle to keep the drivers cool behind the wheel.

The problem is considerably worse on slow street courses, which have concrete barriers to trap the heat on the circuit and do not allow the cars to run the speeds needed to move the hot air out of the cockpit.

RelatedPosts

NTT extends title partnership deal with IndyCar

NTT extends title partnership deal with IndyCar

7 hours ago
Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid

Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid

8 hours ago

Instead of air circulating throughout the cockpit, the Aeroscreen forces air over the top of the driver’s head, leaving them to sit in stagnant air that becomes unbearably hot over time.

Ahead of this weekend’s double-header in Belle Isle, Detroit, which is forecast to have temperatures approaching 90°F (32°C), Bourdais explained in an interview with MotorsportWeek.com the problem and how it has affected his performance.

“We have one very IndyCar specific issue [that led to the Aeroscreen],” explained Bourdais.  “It’s the superspeedways.

“They found a great solution, it works awesome. They developed an amazing product. But it’s got a consequence that when the conditions are critical, and they’re going to be this weekend with a double-header, it makes life miserable.

The close proximity of the concrete barriers keep the Detroit circuit scorchingly hot in the summer sun. Photo: Kevin Dejewski

“Some guys react better to dehydration and heat than others. I’m not one that deals with heat very well.

“The biggest issue is the humidity. The problem is when those suits seal up with water. There’s no exchange anymore. It’s like a plastic bag.”

Bourdais was pressed about other races that have been hot and humid since the Aeroscreen’s implementation, and was asked if there were any times were he felt overheated to the point that his performance behind the wheel was affected.

“Yes. Both times in St. Pete. The last 10-15 laps were a drag. Last year, I basically stayed off Scott [Dixon] because I was afraid I would misjudge something and take the championship leader out. So I just stayed away.

“The last 10 laps this year weren’t as bad. But at some point you just stop the aggression because you feel like you’re exposed. You’re losing awareness. It’s not a good scenario.”

Over the past year and a half, IndyCar has trailed and introduced a few additional components to help with the driver heat problem.  There are optional scoops that teams can affix to the top of the Aeroscreen, for instance, that direct air downwards towards the driver.

The higher speed road courses present much less of an issue than the street circuits. Photo: Kevin Dejewski

There are also other solutions that are potential solutions, such as cool suits and cool boxes or even removing the windscreen portion of the Aeroscreen on slow speed street circuits.

But Bourdais was dismissive of those solutions, marking them as either not effective or not feasible without a directive from the IndyCar Series itself.

“The scoop doesn’t do anything,” said Bourdais.  “All it does for me is give me some buffeting in the helmet because the air comes right down and then hits you in the head. It doesn’t touch your body, which is what we’re trying to do.

“We [AJ Foyt Racing] don’t have an R&D team working on cool suits. If the series would go out there and say ‘it’s a safety issue and everybody should run this,’ we would be very happy to purchase a system that’s been proven and put it in our cars. But we don’t have the resources.

“We’re already trying to figure out, to the best our abilities, setups and develop the team forward. We don’t have guys sitting at the shop figuring out we cool the driver. 

“I feel like a lot of the decisions are being made on behalf of the driver, by guys who are not in the cars. There is no discussion.”

Tags: aeroscreenbourdaisDetroitGPIndyCar
Share746Tweet466Share186

Related Posts

NTT extends title partnership deal with IndyCar
IndyCar

NTT extends title partnership deal with IndyCar

7 hours ago
Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid
Formula 1

Steiner: No longer a backmarker team on the F1 grid

8 hours ago
Bottas questions push to scrap F1 tyre blankets
Formula 1

Bottas questions push to scrap F1 tyre blankets

12 hours ago
Load More

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

NTT extends title partnership deal with IndyCar
IndyCar

NTT extends title partnership deal with IndyCar

March 27, 2023
IndyCar engine manufacturers hold 2024 hybrid test at IMS
IndyCar

IndyCar engine manufacturers hold 2024 hybrid test at IMS

March 24, 2023

Drivers’ Standings

#DriverPoints
Will Power523
Josef Newgarden503
Scott Dixon503
Marcus Ericsson484
Scott McLaughlin482
Álex Palou457
Patricio O'Ward456
Colton Herta362
Alexander Rossi361
Felix Rosenqvist360

Click here for full Drivers’ Standings

 

Motorsport Week

© 2023 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Other Links

  • About & Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Motorsport Monday

Follow Us

No Result
View All Result
  • Login
  • Sign Up
  • Home
  • Formula 1
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • 2023 F1 Calendar
    • Team/Driver Line-Up
    • Session Results
    • Driver Penalty Points
  • Formula E
    • Latest News
    • 2022/23 Formula E Standings
    • 2022/23 Formula E Calendar
    • Session Results
  • MotoGP
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • WRC
    • Latest News
    • Standings
    • Calendar
  • IndyCar
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
    • Standings
  • WEC
    • Latest News
    • Calendar
  • Live Updates
  • Other
    • Formula 2
    • Formula 3
    • Moto2
    • Moto3
    • WSeries
    • DTM
    • IMSA
  • Galleries
  • About/Contact
  • Privacy Policy

© 2023 Motorsport Media Services Ltd

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
X