Safety in MotorSport

[December 0]

There has been a lot of discussion about safety both on and off the track in recent years, and of course, it has been highlighted by the marshall's death in Melbourne.

People are claiming that the sport is too dangerous now, and that the speeds are out of control. My opinion is that even with grooved tyres to slow down the cars, the lap times being recorded are phenomenal. But the speed is why we watch.....to see the skill the drivers have at handling that speed.

When you go to a watch a race, it is clear on your ticket that the responsiblity and safety is in your own hands. People throwing their arms in the air saying that tracks aren't safe enough are making it difficult for those others that are WILLING to accept the risks involved.

Marshalls, drivers and F1 fans must be willing to accept the risks and consequences if they wish to follow the sport. There is no law stating that you must attend a race in person, and coverage is sufficient to mean that personal attendance is a choice.

If a fan, driver or marshall has made that choice, it is because they love the sport and are willing to accept the risks involved.

I hope they don't further slow down the speed and fury of Formula One to calm down the alarmists out there!

[Triggman 0]

I agree that watching the skill of the drivers is inpressive. However, I also believe that the sport cannot go on with the current state of affairs. People need to know that they can go to a race of any kind and feel relatively safe. Also, the benefits of racing (entertainment and improved passenger vehicles) can be attained in an environment with lower top speeds. Everyone knows that we can build a car that can break the sound barrier......but do you want to drive it to work? And when we go to a race the race will take longer and we will get more for our money.

[avalencia 0]

Hello Everybody,

My heart is with Triggman, but my racing blood tells me we will watch F-1 as long as its fun to follow a race.

[Alan Mackinlay 0]

As with all sports where there is some risk to life and limb, there must be a balance between competitor safety and spectator safety and spectacle.  There are stringent rules for venues and similarly stringent rules for cars in F1

I am not yet sure of the circumstances of the unfortunate incident in Melbourne but the circuit safety was a very strong focus in the original design and it has been improved on a little each year.  No doubt there can be further improvements as a result of investigations into the actual mode of failure of the safety systems but they have advanced a great deal in the 13 years that I have been involved in this aspect of the sport in Australia.

Unfortunately I have not been an active participant for the last few years dur to offshore work comittments.

As for the sandgropers, I am a Melbournite who has spent some months in the west but now have the furtune to be employed in Suva.  I have been following F1 events for a bit over twenty years but the scheduling is even more difficult here than it was in Melbourne.

[TotalF1 SamB 0]

I quite enjoy the crashes in F1, to be perfectly honest - find me someone who doesn't! It is sad, though, when someone dies...

I have to say, I can't really criticise anyone who jumped on the bandwagon with the death of the marshal - I was sitting at the front cheering it on in my last column!

[Dave Muttram 0]

Sad to read of people who enjoy watching crashes and then claim to be motor racing fans!!!

[TotalF1 SamB 0]

Whatever you're on about, mate...

[December 0]

Its because the safety aspects in motorsport are so high that crashes are spectacular. Of the majority of accidents that occur, the ratio for death is low.

I remember when Gerhard Berger went into the wall, his car split and then burst into flames, and a huge fireball occurred. Then Gerhard got out of the car after the fire was out, and yes he had a few minor burns but that was it!!!!

It is accidents like these that are spectacular and yet astound us with just how much protection is provided for both the driver and spectator.

Of course there will be some accidents that don't have such good results, ie a driver is seriously harmed or killed, but generally it is the high level of safety that ensures less people are killed.

I see nothing wrong with enjoying the showiness of crashes, but like all, i DESPISE it when someone is hurt by it.

I also stopped watching f1 after ayrton died; i had lost faith in the security and safety provided by the sport. But deep down I am a motorsport fan, and I returned glued to the set 2 years later.

The issue is this tho......

DO WE STOP RACING CARS BECAUSE THOSE 'NOT IN THE INDUSTRY' FEEL ITS UNSAFE?

or do we heed those who ARE in the industry when they feel it isn't safe?

After the marshall died in Melbourne there was some talk of slowing the cars down by around 70mph to prevent these deaths. Would you really want that? Do you feel that F1 is safe as much as such a dangerous sport can be?

[TotalF1 SamB 0]

Motorsport IS dangerous - that's the appeal of it...or else we'd all watch televised chess for the thrilling strategies, and I'd have nothing to write about every 2 weeks

JV has already said that it is this whole dangerous element which he enjoys about the sport - and he claims that he's prepared to give that all up if the FIA change things for the worse...

[December 0]

Exactly part of my point, Sam.

Dave Muttran obviously enjoys the speed and skill of motorracing, but like you i also enjoy the spectacular accidents....provided noone is hurt.

[TotalF1 SamB 0]

Strategy and skill play a big part, as well - I'm not going to start drooling over Senna, but if I had to watch 22 Gaston Mazzacanes push each other off the track every other Sunday, I'd be miffed!

(Edited by TotalF1 SamB at 10:59 am on Mar. 17, 2001)

[Kingly 0]

Sam, you must be upset...you cant even watch one of them now

[GeoffandSandy 0]

Firstly I'd like to say just how saddened I am by Michele Alboreto's death. I remember him pushing a not very competetive Ferrari to its limits & always being cheerful in the inevitable "why didn't you do better" interviews.

Goodbye Michele.

This topic is safety in motorsport & I agree with the view that we all know the sport is dangerous but we still attend.

Slowing the cars top speed probably won't help, but reducing downforce & thus cornering speeds just might.

The Le Mans cars are far more dangerous than F1 as their aerodynamics seem to make them prone to flipping.

This has been a problem for many years.

If I remember correctly that's how Bruce Mclaren died.

I hate to see crashes & won't watch bike races at all because of the number of crashes which occur.

[rotaryboy 0]

drivers know the risk and i am becoming more aware of this as well the  more races i watch but this is motor racing we want action, passing ,crashes i love the crashes (not when its ferrari haha)

[rotaryboy 0]

if we are to have a race there can not be any speed restrictions at all if they implement speed restrictions what are we out for a sunday drive. its madness. and im not too excited about this tc either but to be fair if everyone can use it then it makes it more equal. i suppose but i like a bit of good old sideways action

[TotalF1 Jens 0]

Definitely crashes are enjoyable to watch but you cannot do anything but hope noone got seriously hurt.

But F1 needs that speed and I am hoping for Max and Bernie to just let it happen, they cant stop it! If they made it so safe then yes, we would be watching 22 Mazzacanes on a Sunday drive, and thats not a very interesting event there!

[GeoffandSandy 0]

There is something worse than 22 Mazzas!

To satisfy the safety gurus & also to get rid of that nasty competition & nationalism I suggest.

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[Andrew 0]

Personally I would still question if the above scenario was actually any safer. Racing a Lada would have to make you nervous wouldn

[GeoffandSandy 0]

It would have to be safer as the Niva 4wd is verrrry slow & it corners like a plate of jelly on a roller coaster.

You are right about electrical problems, no tricky computers & all that hi-tech stuff.

No need to worry about traction control as they can't spin wheels on mud let alone dry bitumen.

A few more safety conditions.

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[rotaryboy 0]

yes you could have niva f1 4 mins lap times it would be great for those close up camera angles haha

[diver3784 0]

As probably everybody in this topic already said, everybody involved in the F-1 sport knows about the safety or not in it.

But i believe that the safety for the drivers is extremely high. Just remember Michael Schumacher's accident in England in '99. If this accident would have happened about 5 years earlier, he would have died, experts said. But he just broke his leg. There are probably other more recent accidents like this one, i just wasn't able to watch the last races.

I myself enjoy accidents as long as i know that nobody gets harmed. If a person gets harmed, it's not funny or exciting anymore. But if nobody gets harmed, the accidents are still spectacular and can be, well, i wouldn say be enjoyed, but at least exciting.

Ayrton's accident in 1994 was really sad, even though it enabled my favorite driver to win the championship that year, but every racecar driver that dies is a tragic loss for the whole sport. Even though i'm not a great NASCAR fan, i was shocked when i heard about Dale Earnhardt's death this year.

[GeoffandSandy 0]

There is another aspect of motor sport safety we haven't considered. The safety of the fans from each other.

The recent soccer riots world wide shows how lucky we are that we can go to a race anywhere in the world & expect a highly excited but well behaved crowd with no threat of violence.

Is it because the sport is inherently more dangerous or what?

Diver, your mention of Ayrton's death prompts me to mention that Roland Ratsenberger died that same weekend & no one seems to remember him.

The sport claims the not so famous as well.

[diver3784 0]

I remember Roland Ratsenberger, he died the same weekend, but Senna was just one of the greatest drivers ever! Of course the loss of RR is sad, too, but that Senna died took a lot of action out of the races.

About the safety of the fans from each other, i, too, think it's great that nothing like the soccer riots happens. I guess that there is a bigger rivalry among soccer fans than F-1 fans. I, personally, feel sad when something in a race happens, and i don't care if it's my favorite driver (MS) or his biggest opponent of the season. I just don't want to miss anybody in the race because everybody plays a vital role.