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Safety in Formula One
Motorsport safety From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Safety in Formula One has significantly improved since the first Formula One World Championship in 1950. There have been major changes to the way cars are designed, protective equipment for drivers, incident response, and the layout of racing circuits. Notable examples of safety improvements to reduce fatalities and injuries include helmets, fire resistant racing suits, tyre walls, and an on-site medical team; all of which were not present during the early years of the sport.
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Background
As of 2025, there have been 33 fatalities during Formula One events.[1] There were no World Championship fatalities between 1994 and 2015, following safety reforms in the wake of the death of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.[2][3] The death of Jules Bianchi, which remains the most recent death in the World Championship, helped contribute to the introduction of virtual safety cars in Formula One and the halo device in all open-wheel FIA championships.[4][5]
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Car design
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The use of carbon fibre monocoques, also called survival cells, have been used in Formula One since the McLaren MP4/1 was introduced in 1981.[6][2] Monocoques help protect drivers during collisions and high speed impacts by absorbing energy and reducing the risk of injuries.[7][8][9]
For the 2018 season onwards, the FIA mandated the use of a Halo device on all cars. The halo—which is made out of titanium—aims to protect the driver's head in the event of flying debris or other objects from above.[7][10] While other options were considered, including an aeroscreen developed by Red Bull Racing and the "Shield", the halo was ultimately chosen.[11] The halo's introduction was controversial, and met with heavy backlash.[12][13][14] Since then, the device has been credited with saving multiple lives during on track incidents; most notably Charles Leclerc during the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix, Romain Grosjean during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 Italian Grand Prix, and Zhou Guanyu during the 2022 British Grand Prix.[2][15][16][17] In addition to the halo, roll hoops are placed in front and behind the driver to minimize the impact in the event that a car flips over.[18]
Beginning in 1999[a], Formula One cars were required to have a single wheel tether made out of zylon in order to prevent tyres from detaching at high speeds.[20][21] The single wheel tether design had two notable failures, with marshal deaths occurring at the 2000 Italian Grand Prix and the 2001 Australian Grand Prix due to flying wheels.[22][23] A second wheel tether was introduced for the 2011 season as a result of an increase in accidents, such as Henry Surtees' fatal crash during the 2009 Formula Two season.[20][24][25] A third wheel tether was introduced for the 2018 season.[26]
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Driver protection
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Helmets
Helmets have been required for Formula One drivers since 1952.[7][27] In the early decades, helmets were open faced and provided little protection. At the 1968 German Grand Prix, Dan Gurney became the first driver in Formula One to wear a full-face helmet, which laid the ground work for stronger helmets with more face protection.[28][29] In 2011, Formula One required that a Zylon strip be placed onto driver helmets as a result of Felipe Massa's helmet being penetrated by debris during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.[29][30][31] Modern Formula One are made up of a carbon fibre outer shell, an inner foam liner, and a fire resistant Nomex liner.[27] They are able to help prevent against impacts, crushes, projectiles, penetration, and fire.[32]
Head and neck support
Headrests, which were introduced in 1996, play a crucial role in preventing whiplash and decrease the amount of strain that is put onto a driver's head and neck.[33] The HANS device was made mandatory in 2003, and provides additional support for a driver's head and neck by connecting to the driver's helmet and seatbelt. Additionally, it reduces the risk of basilar skull fractures, which caused the death of Austrian Formula One driver Roland Ratzenberger in 1994.[34][27]
Clothing
Racing suits (also known as overalls) became mandatory for drivers in 1963, and were required to meet fire resistant regulations for 1975 onwards.[27][19] Racing suits incorporate Nomex to make them fire resistant, and must resist flames for 12 second test at 700 °C (1,292 °F) according to a Motorsport.com report in 2020.[35][36]
Just like racing suits, Formula One drivers' gloves are incorporate Nomex and must meet specific fire resistance standards. Gloves also record biometric data that provides information to medical teams about a driver's condition. Drivers also wear balaclavas, typically with only one hole for both eyes. Underwear consisting of a long sleeved shirt, "long johns", and socks—all of which are fire resistant with the use of Nomex—is required by the FIA.[27][36] During the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, the rule regarding fire resistant underwear made headlines after an unprecedently long two hour driver briefing by Niels Wittich, the Formula One race director.[37][38][39][40]
Seatbelts
Six point seat belts were made mandatory beginning in 1972,[19] and have been required since then. According to Aston Martin and Mercedes, seat belts are made out of Kevlar and incorporate titanium buckles.[41][42]
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Incident response
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Present since the championship's creation, marshals play a large role in ensuring the safety of drivers, personnel, and spectators during a race. They have a variety of tasks, including removing debris from the track, assisting damaged or disabled cars, scrutineering, and displaying racing flags.[33][43] Marshals report to race control, which is primarily responsible for coordinating responses to incidents and reporting any regulation violations. Led by the race director, the team is mostly composed of officials from the FIA.[44][45]
The safety car is a vehicle that can be deployed by the race director that sets a pace speed for the race cars, typically following an incident that requires marshals to go on track (such as recovering a disabled or damaged vehicle).[46] The first use of a safety car during a Grand Prix was during the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, when a Porsche 914 driven by Eppie Wietzes was sent on track to control cars following multiple incidents and bad weather. The safety car was formally introduced during the 1993 season, and has been present since then.[47] As a result of Jules Bianchi's eventually fatal[b] crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile introduced the virtual safety car (VSC) system for the 2015 season onwards. A virtual safety car is responsible for slowing down cars when there is an incident on track, but without sending out a physical safety car onto the track.[48][49]
Medical response
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Formula One first full-time doctor was Sid Watkins, who was hired by Bernie Ecclestone (then serving as the chief executive of FOCA) in 1978. At the time, circuits had very limited medical facilities. Watkins worked to improve medical centres and personnel.[50] At the 2024 British Grand Prix, the medical staff consisted of 123 personnel, two trauma teams, specialised doctors, and radiology equipment. This is in comparison to 1996, which reportedly had 40 personnel.[51] Watkins also advocated for a car staffed by a professional driver, an anesthesiologist, and himself.[50] This became known as the medical car, which has been used ever since. The medical car is equipped with an extensive amount of equipment, including supplies for resuscitation, trauma, and burns. Additionally, there are ambulances and extraction units positioned around a circuit to assist with medical response.[52] Watkins was succeeded by his deputy, Gary Hartstein as Formula One's Medical Delegate.[50] As of the 2025 season[update], Ian Roberts serves as the FIA Medical Delegate for Formula One.[52]
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Circuit layout
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Over time, the design of racing circuits have changed to ensure safety and minimize the impact of crashes. Barriers are a crucial part of this, keeping both the spectators and drivers safe when if a car exits the track.[6] Barriers have been greatly improved over time, with commonly being made out of concrete and hay bales, with the latter being banned as a result of Lorenzo Bandini's crash at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.[33][53] In modern circuits, tyre walls, armco barriers, Tecpro barriers, and occasionally SAFER barriers are installed to absorb & disperse energy when a car crashes into them, which helps reduce the car's speed and force during the impact.[10][54]
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Gravel traps are a form of run-off area that help slow down out of control car in the event that it exits the track. For this reason, gravel traps are most commonly placed near straights and high speed corners. However, as speed increased over time, gravel traps became less effective at slowing down cars at such high speeds; an example of this being Michael Schumacher's crash at the 1999 British Grand Prix. Run-off areas made out of asphalt and tarmac are also commonly used as it is easier to rejoin the track, in addition to providing more grip.[55][56][57]
Following the Death of Ayrton Senna, Formula One and the FIA took action to eliminate high risk corners. Chicanes were temporarily added at Tamburello in the Imola Circuit and Eau Rouge/Radillion at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps.[10][58][59][60]
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps has a long history of safety concerns and changes since its opening in 1921. At the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix, Chris Bristow and Alan Stacey were both killed. The scheduled race in 1969 was cancelled due to boycotts over the circuit's layout and safety, primarily led by Jackie Stewart. The race was held in 1970, but was not held again after that until 1983.[61][62] Multiple changes have occurred to the layout of Eau Rouge and Radillion in since the circuit's return to the Formula One calendar. Anthoine Hubert[63] and Dilano van 't Hoff[64] were both killed at the corner complex while racing in Formula 2 and Formula Regional European, while Lando Norris' aquaplaning during the 2021 Belgian Grand Prix[65] all caused backlash and sparked changes to the circuit's layout.[64][66][67][68]
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile provides grade rankings for racing circuits across the world, on a scale of one to six. In order to host a Formula One race, a circuit musts be Grade One. A circuit being Grade One shows that it is compliant with various regulations involving safety, facility, accessibility, and more.[69][70][71]
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Refueling
Refueling during Formula One races was formally introduced into pit stops during the 1982 season by Brabham, and was banned two years later for the 1984 season due to safety concerns. After a decade, refueling was reintroduced in 1994 and banned once again prior to the 2010 season, as a result of continued safety concerns and efforts to cut costs (such as refueling equipment) for teams.[72][73][74] Notable incidents relating to refueling during races include Heikki Kovalainen & Kimi Räikkönen at the 2009 Brazilian Grand Prix and Jos Verstappen at the 1994 German Grand Prix.[72][73][75]
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Notable organizations and figures
The Grand Prix Drivers' Association serves as the trade union for Formula One drivers, first being established in 1961 and reformed in 1994 following the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.[76] The organization helps advocate for safer regulations on behalf of the drivers.[77]
Many individuals have helped contribute to safety improvements in Formula One, with some notable examples being: Jean-Marie Balestre, former FIA President;[78] Max Mosley, former FIA President;[79] Jackie Stewart, 3x Formula One Drivers' Champion;[80][81] and Sid Watkins, former Formula One Medical Delegate.[82]
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See also
Notes
References
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