Ralf Should Sit Out For 6 Weeks

[TedN]

Story Here

Ted

[Aysedasi]

Is that all?

Just 6 weeks........

[garcon]

Without knowing too much about the writer's qualifications, I'm willing to accept that as a doctor and Pitpass medical delegate he has some idea what he's talking about. It represents informed opinion that is useful background.

Some may not know that F1 doctor Professor Sid Watkins is one of the foremost neuro-surgeons in the UK so is acutely aware of the dangers of this kind of concussion. As Suzy pointed out elsewhere, he is currently combining his profession and hobby in carrying out detailed research into the long term effects of this kind of brain trauma in the context of F1.

[Mr V]

I just hope that for Rafe's sake, he doesn't try and rush back. This is the second serious head injury he's had in 10 months. I would hate to see what would happen, if he rushed back and had another accident.

[Kicking-back]

It's unlikely Sid would let him rush back.

[esorniloc]

6 weeks, more like 6 months!

[BootsOntheSide]

I hope Ralf takes this advice seriously, because everything in his past year combines quite badly.

[Kirk]

Based on some concussion experiences in hockey players, it could take a while to return to normal. If he indeed has signed with Toyota for 2005, announce it very soon; perhaps it would be in everyones best interest to opt out of Williams now!? And when he feels 100 percent do some laps with Toyota in a testing capacity. Both Williams and Toyota may find some common ground there. We'll see.

[BootsOntheSide]

Very true Kirk, and Gene deserves the chance to run a stretch of races.

[Fiorentina 1]

Originally posted by esorniloc
6 weeks, more like 6 months!

What are you guys talking about? In IRL & Cart guys get knocked out all the time after hitting the wall and they don't sit out for 6-months. 10-days, and he'll be 100% again.....For get about it.

In 97 Scott Sharp had 3 concussions in 1/2 season. He's fine. I think de Ferran missed 1 race and was back in the car the following weekend, this happened two years in a row. I think you guys are making a big deal out of nothing.

[Kicking-back]

I'd listen to the opinion of someone medically qualified.

[Suzy]

Originally posted by garcon
Without knowing too much about the writer's qualifications, I'm willing to accept that as a doctor and Pitpass medical delegate he has some idea what he's talking about. It represents informed opinion that is useful background.

Some may not know that F1 doctor Professor Sid Watkins is one of the foremost neuro-surgeons in the UK so is acutely aware of the dangers of this kind of concussion. As Suzy pointed out elsewhere, he is currently combining his profession and hobby in carrying out detailed research into the long term effects of this kind of brain trauma in the context of F1.

The biography I have of Dr Iain Corness reads as follows:

"Dr Iain Corness is a medical doctor who has had several concurrent careers in his lifetime. In addition to medicine, he was a professional racing car driver and designer assigned to a works team in Australia, ran a commercial photography studio (he is a member of the Australian Institute of Professional Photographers), a restaurateur who had his own Thai restaurant in Australia and a professional journalist and travel writer who had his own column in one of Rupert Murdoch’s daily papers, as well as writing for several glossy magazines."

I've had a look at some of his stuff and I'm very comfortable that he knows exactly what he is talking about.

[Suzy]

Originally posted by Fiorentina 1
What are you guys talking about? In IRL & Cart guys get knocked out all the time after hitting the wall and they don't sit out for 6-months. 10-days, and he'll be 100% again.....For get about it.

In 97 Scott Sharp had 3 concussions in 1/2 season. He's fine. I think de Ferran missed 1 race and was back in the car the following weekend, this happened two years in a row. I think you guys are making a big deal out of nothing.

But we're not making a big deal out of anything! Ralf had a serious concussion last year and was forced to miss a race. Concussion is a brain injury; it is nasty, it is serious, it can be fatal in some cases. To then subject an already-"injured" brain to some incredible G-forces repeatedly is irresponsible. And the back injury too. I've said elsewhere that, if the spine goes, everything else goes with it!

(I'm not a doctor but, prior to moving into the field of managing a cancer journal, I used to work in Neuroscience and related-stuff journals so I know what I'm talking about. I'm also a fully-qualified First Aider)

[alesi95]

Hurray!!!!! No more Ralf.

[deeks6]

Ralf should sit out...FULL STOP.

[Kicking-back]

The last two posts are totally disrespectful, given what's happened.

[Utopian]

when he feels 100 percent do some laps with Toyota in a testing capacity.

This would be a wise plan. WHEN he is better, if Williams and Toyota reach mutual agreement of course, it would be highly handy for him to integrate himself nice and early into his new team.

I also think that out of Gene and Pizzonia, Williams should stick with Gene for the rest of the season because they naturally want as many team points as possible (with both drivers looking kind of out of the hunt of a high finish in their championship), and he's the man most reliable to bring home the bacon IMO.

[Utopian]

mutual agreement

What am I saying? Surely all agreement must be mutual!

[Adam43]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
The last two posts are totally disrespectful, given what's happened.

Quite.

and this isn't even being PC, which I fight against. Sometimes there is a time to be polite. I thought it was bad when posters had to say "I'm not a fan of Ralf, but..." I thought it goes without saying that you wish someone well.

I'm looking forawrd to A.N.Other geting a chance in Williams, but I'd rather the normal driver was in there.

Do most posters hope certain drivers get injured so they don't drive? Is this the norm, am I out of step?

[Kicking-back]

Adam, excellent post.

Sadly it seems there are those who appear to think a man being injured is just part of a soap opera rather than his real life.

[avsfan733]

Originally posted by Kicking-back
I'd listen to the opinion of someone medically qualified.

not a doctor but from having the concussion experience six different times i can offer my two cents as to what I have had at least two different nuerologists tell me.

First diagnosed concussion (hockey) I was told to sit out of anything contact related until I had gone ONE WEEK without any headaches or memory problems. The second time (hockey again) I was told ONE MONTH without any signs of the concussion and was told to do daily tests which my parents did with me and actually made me realize how serious they were also was my first CAT Scan which showed nothing. The third was the most serious (last hockey one) I was unconcious for approx ten minutes...that was Six Months of nothingand also limited excercise During that time I was told to go to the nuero unit at John Hopkins University which was kinda cool and they could actually see the signs on my brain which they said is a very bad sign.
The fourth and Fifth where both lacrosse related with the fourth being very minor and the fifth being moderate. After that I was told to be very cautious playing contact sports, the sixth was a very minor one from a car accident but Because of the history I was cautious with it.

Now I won't step on Sid's judgement obviously he knows better than me but I have learned to be ridiculously cautious of concussions Maybe Ralph's concussion isn't that serious maybe he was just dazed by the impact or had the wind knocked out of him. But going 200 MPH being safe rather then sorry is not a guidline its an absolute rule if ralph is to lose concentration for even a split second (which I have found to be one of the longest lasting effects of a concussion) he could very well get himself killed or get someone else killed

[HDTVKSS]

Does anyone remember the huge shunt that James Courtney had while testing the jag a couple of years ago? (rear wing failure i think?) . that left james with suvere concussion that was bad enough to costhim the Brit F3 championsip that he was running away with before the accident. apparantly he was getting suvere migraines to the point where he just couldnt concentrate behind the wheel. this put his career on hold for at lesat 6 months, and derailed any hope he had ofgetting in an F1 seat.

while im not a huge fan of ralf, i hope that he can pull it togeather having no long term effecand is back frustrating me with his antics on the racetrack somtime soon.

[Ralf]

Originally posted by alesi95
Hurray!!!!! No more Ralf.

pfft!

Ralf will be listen to advise from this forum to see when to come back

[z2252314]

When I watch Rugby (thats league) I frequently see players get taken off for concussion, only to watch them return 10 mins later. However, thats Rugby, a sport that doesnt require 100% precision. A Rugby player, hockey player, soccer player, could probably get away with playing shortly after concussion (though they probably shouldnt) because their sport doesnt require them to make split second decisions which are life threatening. If a hockey player has a lapse of concentration after concussion the worst case scenario is that he misses the puck, a soccer player misses the goal, and a rugby player misses a tackle. For an F1 driver, a lapse in concentration could meean driving into a concrete barrier at 300 clicks or even worse, driving into a competitor at 300km's an hour.

Im no doctor, and I wouldnt have a clue as to what Ralf should or should not do. However, if I was an F1 driver, I wouldnt step foot into one of those vehicles unless I knew my mind was functioning 100%...not 99.9% but 100%!!!!

[f1manoz]

Given how heavy Ralf hit that wall, that would have been one serious bout of concussion and one that won't be easy to recover from.

If Ralf cares about his recovery, he will take time returning to the seat.