Design of a Wrist Protection System for Racing Drivers in Crash Scenarios

This thesis addresses the design and preliminary development of a wrist protection system aimed at reducing the risk of injuries to racing drivers during crash events. Hand and wrist fractures often occur when drivers do not release the steering wheel at the moment of impact, which causes sudden and violent steering wheel rotations and results in excessive loads on the wrist. Existing biomechanical data on fracture loads are used as a starting point, together with the analysis of real crash events - most notably the accident involving Daniel Ricciardo at Zandvoort in 2023 - and are translated into equivalent torque values on the steering system. These findings serve as the basis for defining the system’s design requirements, which also consider compatibility with current steering assemblies, packaging constraints, allowed materials, available power sources, and compliance with FIA technical regulations. On this basis, two conceptual solutions are developed and modelled: a rack-integrated damper (v01) triggered by an acceleration threshold, and a conical clutch (v04) placed in series with the steering column and designed to slip once a predefined torque is exceeded. Both concepts are validated through numerical simulations using a MATLAB-based framework combined with crash load data, showing their ability to significantly reduce the forces transmitted to the driver’s hands during impact, while remaining neutral during normal driving conditions. An embodiment design phase defines the main functional components of each solution, includes preliminary structural verifications, and verifies their integration within the tight spatial constraints of a minor formula vehicle. The damper concept proves more compact and performance-oriented, though more complex and costly, while the clutch concept results simpler, more economical, and easier to maintain. The study concludes with an assessment of weight and cost implications and suggests further investigations on the influence of such systems on steering feedback, and vehicle handling, as a possible step towards their future implementation and regulatory adoption in single-seater racing.