Overview

When Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger were killed at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, it focused the minds of Formula 1 officials and race fans alike on whether it was right to expect a driver to risk his life. A flurry of regulation changes followed. The author examines the philosophy and technology behind Formula 1's ever-evolving safety regulations, and talks to the men who have helped raise standards. There was deep resistance to change in a sport that still romanticised the era when it was not unusual for several drivers to be killed during a season. The book examines the history of risk, from the days when the RAC announced that should drivers not care for trees alongside the Brands Hatch circuit, they themselves must remove them. The author presents statistics on driver deaths and technical advances and looks at a range of issues involving: the increase in advertising and sponsorship which provoked a move towards safety features such as chicanes, tyre barriers, run-off areas and gravel traps; the FIA president Jean-Marie Balestre's introduction of a template for circuit design and how he raised technical standards in cars; how Jackie Stewart, widely mocked for his safety campaigning, led the fight for seat belts, fireproof overalls and full-face helmets; and BRM boss Louis Stanley's battle to make safety the top priority.

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9781859606643

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