FIA-approved harnesses are an essential piece of safety kit that are fitted across a spectrum of motorsport vehicles.
Drivers and co-drivers will need FIA-approved race harnesses to compete in motorsport events from rallying through to touring car competitions and hill climbs.
To participate in track day events, the organisers will often also insist that the car is fitted with a validated FIA race harness.
Therefore, when you take a peek into, say, any WRC rally car, a plethora of FIA-approved safety kit instantly greets you as you open the door of the vehicle. This includes FIA-approved seats, roll cages, and occupants wearing specialist FHR devices and approved helmets.
These are just a few of the safety items now used to make motorsport safer, giving drivers greater confidence to push their cars to the limit.
The purpose of this article is to highlight the contribution the humble racing harness has brought to motorsport.
We will introduce you to different brands, explain the configurations, and point you to product pages where you can learn more about the wide range of Turn One harnesses we have in stock.
Which motorsport categories are FIA-harnesses normally deemed essential?
In the following motorsport disciplines, race harnesses are typically considered obligatory.
Meaning the race organiser won't let the car past the start line unless you have these correctly fitted, and that the harnesses have not passed there expiry date.
Therefore, whether you're entering the national single venue rally or Monte Carlo Rally, a racing harness is needed, no matter the level of driving skill the driver possesses.
Here’s where an FIA-approved harness will be needed (non-exhaustive list)
- Rally cars, WRC and National Rally Championships, to name a few of the competitions
- Circuit racing, which includes Touring Cars, GT Racing and Formula cars, Hill climbs, Rallycross and any serious competition will require the proper FIA harness.
While track day events don’t require then, if you want to protect yourself properly you should seriously consider fitting them in your car.
Correct mounting is key:
Correct mounting and installation determine the level of protection that the racing seat and harnesses can provide.
Therefore, the harnesses will need to be mounted in accordance with the FIA guidance.
Whether you're buckled into a Lancia Stratos HF or a Hyundai i20 N Rally1, the mounting needs to be set up correctly regardless of the car you’re using to compete.
No modifications or alterations
After FIA homologation has been granted there are labels on every strap that has the homologation number and carry the official FIA hologram. These identifications must stay in place, no label then no start, it's important not to modify the racing harness setup as this will again un-validate there use.
For example, changing buckles or altering strap length can compromise the integrity and effectiveness of the racing harness.
What are the different types of racing harnesses we can purchase?
Before loading the car onto the trailer for race day, drivers, co-drivers, and various race teams will diligently follow the guidance required to compete. For those chasing the last few grammes then expect to pay for the privilege. Lightweight harnesses save you just grammes as they still have to be strong enough to pass the stress tests they are put through, so there is only so far a manufacturer can go to before they fail testing.
So balancing costs against weight saving becomes not such a serious consideration, and in our brand of Turn One you have all the various options, at a sensible weight but at a tremendous saving over other brands.
In relation to FIA-approved harnesses, here are some of the main configurations:
4-point racing harnesses
This is considered the minimum configuration level; it sometimes provides insufficient protection for certain competitions.
The reason 4-point harnesses are not used in some motorsport competitions is the increased risk of “submarining”.
This has nothing to do with entering a submarine and more to do with slipping down and out of the bottom straps of the harness during a collision or during high-speed braking.
The force of an impact, depending on the collision or braking force, can therefore cause the driver and co-driver to slip out of the racing harness!
Therefore, this is an important consideration.
5-point harness – adds an anti-submarine strap
To reduce the risk of drivers and co-drivers submarining, an extra strap is often used.
Another option, therefore, when selecting a racing harness, is to select a 5-point harness.
Why we recommend a 6-point racing harness
The 6-point racing harness is the most popular and preferred choice for many drivers. This means that whether you are competing in rally, drift, or track competitions, this option offers superior protection for the reasons we will now outline.
HANS or Standard Harness options
The wearing of a HANS device has meant the manufacturers produced a harness with different top straps, this in comparison to the black option. The upper straps of a HANS version goes from 3 inch webbing to 2 inch, this to help with locating the strep onto the HANS device.
If you wear a HANS device then either the 3 inch upper straps or the narrower option can be used. But if you don’t then a 3 inch version would be more advisable as it spreads the load on your collarbone under g-force.
Here’s how the 6-point harness is configured:
The 6-point harness is normally configured with two shoulder straps, two lap belts and two anti-submarine straps. The lower straps carry the locking buckle where the side and upper chest straps locate into.
This configuration is preferred and widely used because it distributes braking and collision forces more evenly. Therefore, if the rally driver needs to slam on the brakes at 100 mph+, the braking forces will be distributed across the pelvis, shoulders, and hips.
Compare this to a 4-point harness: due to the risk of submarining, you would not necessarily see your co-driver disappear into the car's footwell when braking at those speeds, but slide down they would and lessen the protection to a point.
Let's now deep-dive into how the 6-point harness offers superior protection.
Stops pelvis rotation
Especially in forms of motorsport where the roads are massively uneven, this is important.
Although a rollover can occur in any form of motorsport, there is sometimes ample runoff on either side of the track to allow for reduced-speed collisions.
In rallying, well, the runoff might be an embankment followed by dense forest. For example, if you're competing in Rally GB in Myherin forests, well, there’s potential for a car to slide on loose gravel, then move into woodland without much chance of slamming on the brakes.
Therefore, the 6-point harness is preferred, especially in serious motorsport vehicles, as it can prevent pelvic rotation and help prevent spinal compression injuries.
High-G force Rally impacts
Therefore, whether you are competing in rally competitions or just taking your Ford Escort RS1800 out for a quick spin on a private road, do opt for a 6-point harness- this is the option we would recommend.
A correctly fitted 6-point harness, coupled with a roll-over cage and a good-quality racing seat, will exponentially improve your chances of sustaining less serious injuries.
In rallying, as mentioned, the potential for high-G-force impacts is arguably much higher due to the surrounding objects and obstacles inherent to navigating each rally stage.
How long can we use our racing harness before it expires?
An FIA-approved racing harness has a life span of 5 years, but In UK motorsport events the life of the current homologation has an extra 5 years life, so up to 10 years when competing on UK national events.
That said, a thorough visual inspection of the harness will be conducted by a scrutineer before each competition.
Here’s what the racing officials often want to check:
Intact and clear FIA label
When purchasing quality brands such as “Turn One Racing Harness”, the harnesses will come with a clear FIA label attached.
This way, the racing officials, when conducting a car inspection, will instantly see that you have purchased the right safety kit from a trusted supplier, such as from Nicky Grist Motorsports.
Condition of the webbing
If you're carrying out repair work on your car, it's possible to catch the harness, say, with the sharp corner of an old metal toolbox.
This could cause a slight break in the material, which compromises the integrity of the harness.
A badly fitted harness may rub against a metal edge and cause fraying which is another failure.
This often means the harness will need to be replaced. Therefore, especially before any major competition, and for your own safety during practice, you should inspect the harness webbing for signs of tears.
Approved hardware and correct mounting angles
It's not good enough to flip out the old MIG welder and weld in a few brackets before race day!
The harness and racing seat need to be anchored and secured to the car in accordance with the applicable FIA guidance. Heavy duty o-rings are require to be mounted into the body shell and strong FIA mounting brackets into the cars floor plan.
Correct mounting angles are therefore very important to adhere to.
What if I am only an occasional track-day driver? Do I need a 6-point harness?
If you’re a track day enthusiast, perhaps you’re an MD of a company that likes to blow off some steam at Brands Hatch, Donington Park Circuit or perhaps Oulton Park Circuit?
You may have a race-tuned BMW M3, but you're not sure which racing harness to buy.
Well, when it comes to track day events, adherence to safety equipment requirements is often less strict than when compared to entering a motorsport competition.
However, the risks remain the same; the risk of injury persists. Therefore, it often comes down to choice; however, you could opt for a 4-point harness rather than a 6-point harness if you prefer when participating in track-day racing.
Are there any common mistakes that some drivers fall into in relation to using racing harnesses?
Yes, just as racing helmets vary massively in quality, so does the effectiveness of a racing harness.
Using a race harness with a reclining road seat
For the racing harness to work correctly, the harness and racing seat need to work like a hand in a glove.
Meaning they must work together; therefore, a reclining road seat will not be as effective as an FIA-approved racing seat.
No roll cages
Without a roll cage, the car's shell will be compromised in a crash, the impact forces will not be distributed as evenly, and this can result in serious or fatal injury in the event of a rollover.
Therefore, the racing harness is a key piece of equipment; however, wearing a harness doesn’t mean a roll cage is not needed. The two are needed, and must work together to better protect the occupants of the car.
Expired FIA belts
A classic rally car might have been parked up for some time, or you might have an old Mini Cooper S parked up within your garage. The mere sight of that Mini may take you back to times of watching the Monte Carlo Rally in the early 1960’s.
However, those harnesses and belts might be outdated and decaying in that damp garage.
The point we are therefore making is that racing belts don’t last forever.
Especially due to our damp climate here, U.K. materials break down and become less effective.
Therefore, before that Mini Cooper is put back into use, make sure any expired FIA belts get replaced.
Which brand of racing harness do you highly recommend?
Turn One racing harnesses are made in the U.K by a company called “TRS”.
This British company have been trading since 1989; during that time, it has secured a rock-solid reputation for producing high-quality motorsport harnesses.
TRS, as a brand, is now synonymous with quality manufacturing, yet the volume of Turn One harnesses purchased allow these racing products to sell at very affordable prices.
The businesses manufacture everything from 3-point through to 6-point harnesses.
These products come accompanied by different homologations depending on the product.
Don’t see a racing harness that you need?
Do call our friendly and highly knowledgeable team on 01981 241 040; we will do our utmost to help you.
Whether it's an FIA-approved helmet, racing seat or harness, we have everything you need.
If the item is not currently listed on our website, we will do our best to source the item from our trusted network of motorsport suppliers.
