F1 drivers say it’s time to look at Closed Cockpits
"I probably tend to agree we should at least check and try or test the idea. We are in 2014, we have the technology, we have airplanes and many other examples used in a successful way, so why not to think about it? All the biggest accidents in motorsport in the last couple of years have been head injuries so it's probably one of the parts where we are not on the top of the safety. Even in my case, in 2012 at Spa (dramatic 2012 Belgian GP start line crash), I probably could have died there in corner one if it had been 10 centimeters closer to my head. If the technology is there available and there is the possibility I would not exclude [closed cockpits] for sure." Fernando Alonso
"I totally agree with Fernando – it would be interesting to try to work on that possibility. Definitely for my accident, it would have been perfect. For Jules, I don't know." Felipe Massa
"I've got sort of mixed feelings. For F1 cars since the beginning of F1, and open-wheel racing, [open cockpits] is one of the things that is very special. On the other hand, as Fernando has touched on, there are a lot of reasons to look at closed cockpits for the future." Sebastian Vettel [Editor's Note: Someone tell Vettel the engines used to be in the front too. Change is progress. They are called open wheel cars, not open cockpit cars.]
"There are positives [with closed cockpits] obviously in terms of a safety point of view. But this is F1, it has been open cockpit since the start of time so it's a very big change for the sport to make." Jenson Button