The FIM has received a report, written under the supervision of Mr. Danny Aldridge, Technical Director of MotoGP™, regarding the crash that occurred during free practice for the Catalan Grand Prix, in which Luis Salom, Moto2™ rider n°39 , tragically lost his life.
You can consult here but it is written in English.
So that everyone can read it, we offer you our own full translation.
We would like to point out that we are in no way professional translators and that as a result, our text may contain errors or approximations.
Nevertheless, we have translated as closely as possible to the words, which, if not avoiding certain heaviness, should reflect the ideas fairly faithfully.
Photo credit: Aldridge Report
Report from the Technical Director
Accident of Luis Salom, No. 39, during FP2 Moto2 of the Catalan GP.
This report was prepared based on the inspection of the motorcycle by the Technical Director and the Director of Technology, and on the review of the telemetry data recovered immediately after the accident at the Montmelo circuit. The motorcycle was then sealed with tamper-proof plastic seals and then handed over to the custody of forensic expert Angle Calzada Gomez. An advanced inspection of the motorcycle took place in the presence of members of Team SAG, the Salom family and an independent telemetry expert, Lluis Lleonard Gomez, appointed by the family, when the motorcycle was returned to the team on June 29 2016.
HAS). Condition of the motorcycle
Immediately after the accident, Luis Salom's motorcycle was delivered directly to the technical room located in box 1.
Upon inspection of the motorcycle, it was noted that the throttle side handlebars were loose and could easily be removed from the clamp that secures it to the fork tube. It is likely that this could be a consequence of the accident.
The rear wheel showed very significant damage resulting in part from its crushing on itself. This type of damage is common when the wheel hits a solid object after a high-speed fall. There is no evidence that the wheel was at fault or in any way caused the accident.
The front and rear tires were inspected and were in good condition, with the front tire still inflated. The data showed that the rear tire pressure was at the recommended pressure of 1,4 bar at the time of the accident. This confirms the rupture of the rear rim is a consequence, and not the cause, of the accident.
The rest of the motorcycle showed damage consistent with a high-speed crash. There were no other mechanical issues found on the motorcycle that presented cause for concern.
The condition of the motorcycle and the initial findings were confirmed during the second inspection.
B). Data analysis
The data recorded by the motorcycle's ECU was downloaded and a comparison was first made between the data of the track section concerned during the previous lap and that of the same section during the lap in which the event took place. 'accident. The data is reproduced below. Mr. Gomez then downloaded the data from the driver's fastest lap and made comparisons between that lap and the lap on which the accident occurred.
The upper part of the graph is from a previous lap at turn 12.
The bottom part of the graph is the data from the accident at turn 12.
The throttle data in the top graph (yellow) shows a typically normal throttle grip that closes just before producing brake pressure before corner entry.
The throttle data in the bottom graph appears anomalous because instead of being fully closed, it shows throttle partially closed at approximately 45% for a period of 0,3 seconds, before being fully closed.
After the throttle is completely closed, braking pressure (in pink) has occurred.
The wider movement of the front and rear suspension (red and green respectively) during braking in the low graph, after the throttle is closed, shows the instability of the motorcycle just before the front speed reduces rapidly which indicates a loss of control of the front of the motorcycle leading to an accident.
Confirming the initial analysis, Mr. Gomez reported that his data showed that at the time of the accident the motorcycle was 4 km/h slower than during its fastest lap, but that at the time of braking the rider was 7 or 8 meters closer to the curve than during his fastest lap. He confirmed that, on the straight between the two corners, there was a partial throttle closure.
Mr. Gomez speculated that the pilot may have turned around and, when he looked forward again, misjudged his position or was a little off course. This could have resulted in a higher braking pressure than usual, which telemetry showed. As a consequence of being off course and being braked with the machine tilted, the front wheel lost its grip, causing the fall.
Mr. Gomez confirmed that he was not able to observe anything unusual that could be cause for concern. He also confirmed that there was no evidence in the data that showed a problem with the track surface, including possible bumps.
Danny Aldridge, MotoGP Technical Director July 17, 2016
