Wheel Tethers - Just how dangerous is a flying F1 tyre anyway?

Summary by Krater

This video explains the mechanics and history of Formula 1 wheel tethers, detailing how Zylon fiber ropes prevent detached wheels from flying away during crashes.

From the video

Answers: How do Formula 1 wheel tethers work and why are they so strong?

• Formula 1 wheel tethers
• Zylon fiber strength
• momentum and kinetic energy in crashes
• evolution of safety tethers in motorsport

What it concludes

• Wheel tethers are designed to prevent detached wheels from flying away from the car during accidents.
• A bus traveling at 10 km/h has significantly more momentum than a pillow flying at 100 km/h due to its massive mass.
• Formula 1 wheel tethers are made of Zylon, a lightweight fiber with extreme tensile strength and heat resistance.
• Modern Formula 1 cars use three independent tethers per wheel for redundancy.
• Each tether must be able to function completely on its own, ensuring safety even if one or two tethers fail.