Lewis Hamilton, Carlos Sainz, Daniel Ricciardo, Sebastian Vettel and George Russell are testing new glove prototypes during the free practice sessions of the Turkish Grand Prix. These are designed to ensure that the drivers are even safer on the track.
Formula One organisers were shocked when Romain Grosjean suffered serious injuries when his car caught fire during the race in Bahrain last season. It caused the driver to be unable to participate in the season and ended his Formula One career prematurely.
It prompted further investigation into the safety of the gloves worn by the drivers. In Turkey, four different suppliers are testing their designed versions that should at least limit injuries in the future. Hamilton and Sainz are testing the gloves made by Puma, Ricciardo those made by Sparco and Vettel and Russell those made by OMP.
The complexity of new gloves
According to one of the race commissioners, the production was not easy. "The specific changes to the glove specifications required to achieve this increased protection must be balanced with the comfort and dexterity needed to operate the car safely and for long periods of time," he told Formel1.de.