5thumbs, not to steal your thunder, but I was so heavily into the sport from about '00 to '08 that I even used to go to the FIA page and read each year's new technical and sporting regs. Or at least the highlights.
I mean, they get down to the nitty-gritty.
Here's the mandatory testing method required for 100% of steering columns this year:
The parts referred to in Article 10.4.4 must be fitted to a representative test structure; any
other parts which could materially affect the outcome of the test must also be fitted. The test
structure must be solidly fixed to the ground and a solid object, having a mass of 8kg (+1%/-0)
and travelling at a velocity of not less than 7metres/second, will be projected into it.
The object used for this test must be hemispherical with a diameter of 165mm (+/-1mm).
For the test, the centre of the hemisphere must strike the structure at the centre of the
steering wheel along the same axis as the main part of the steering column.
During the test the striking object may not pivot in any axis and the test structure may be
supported in any way provided this does not increase the impact resistance of the parts being
tested.
The resistance of the test structure must be such that during the impact the peak deceleration
of the object does not exceed 80g for more than a cumulative 3ms, this being measured only
in the direction of impact.
After the test, all substantial deformation must be within the steering column and the steeringwheel quick release mechanism must still function normally
Note that last requirement. Without it, Alonso would never have been able to get out of the cockpit.
And that's just the steering column, the survival cell and cockpit regs are 4 pages all by themselves.
In that clip you can also see the driver's HANS devices around their shoulders and helmets, that was actually brought over from NASCAR only a couple of years ago and I'm absolutely positive Alonso would have been paralyzed if not dead from a broken neck without it.
each:
