The primary purpose of installing an airbag in the vehicles is to ensure that the driver’s head does not hit the steering wheel or the dashboard in case of a crash. So, one might question the glaring absence of airbags from one of the most powerful and most dangerous racing cars, the Formula 1.
Airbags are absent in F1 cars because other appropriate security measures are taken. These safety systems are better suited to the task of protecting the driver of F1 racers than an airbag.
First of all, the driver of an F1 racing car could not be flung out unless the Formula 1 itself completely falls to pieces. The drivers wear both the helmets and the Head and Neck Support (HANS). The device is perched on the shoulders of the racer and in the case of a crash can protect the driver from fatal Basilar skull fracture.
The Formula One driver does not wear the conventional three-point seatbelt. Instead, the five-point harness keeps them firmly tucked into their seat. These precautionary and safety measures ensure that the driver will not hit his head on the front panel of the car.
Apart from these basic steps, the driver of F1 sits in a survival cell, highlighted in yellow in the image below. The survival cell is aptly named for its rigidity protects the driver in case of a crash.
Now you know why there are no airbags in F1 racing cars!