Sir Sterling Moss on safety in F1
Discussion
Question
What do you think about the head protection plans in Formula 1? In your era there were no seatbelts, and even proper, safe crash helmets, but happily, F1 has become a lot safer for nowadays. However I think that the FIA is overdoing this 'safety thing' with these closed cockpit plans, aren't they? Motorsport cannot be 100% safe, and particularly unlucky accidents can always happen, not just in racing, but on the roads, or in every sport.
Answer
SM: "I don’t like the idea too. Obviously it makes it as safe as you can but they are really emasculating the sport too much. I feel that they should have more road circuits like Monaco. Monaco would never be held now unless they had user rights because it is not safe enough. Well, motor racing is not safe. If you want to be in a safe sport then go and play tennis. The danger was one of the plus points which encouraged me and other drivers to race."
What do you think about the head protection plans in Formula 1? In your era there were no seatbelts, and even proper, safe crash helmets, but happily, F1 has become a lot safer for nowadays. However I think that the FIA is overdoing this 'safety thing' with these closed cockpit plans, aren't they? Motorsport cannot be 100% safe, and particularly unlucky accidents can always happen, not just in racing, but on the roads, or in every sport.
Answer
SM: "I don’t like the idea too. Obviously it makes it as safe as you can but they are really emasculating the sport too much. I feel that they should have more road circuits like Monaco. Monaco would never be held now unless they had user rights because it is not safe enough. Well, motor racing is not safe. If you want to be in a safe sport then go and play tennis. The danger was one of the plus points which encouraged me and other drivers to race."
The problem is that F1 is no longer just a hobby for a group of devil may dare gents, as it was in Moss's day. It's a massive global, commercial enterprise with live TV coverage and sponsors to keep happy.
The bottom line is, it's not good for business (either that of F1 itself or the associated sponsors) if someone dies on a Sunday afternoon in front of millions of viewers. It's those considerations, rather than those of the likes of Moss, or indeed the hardcore fans, that will win out eventually.
Welcome to sport in the 21st century.
The bottom line is, it's not good for business (either that of F1 itself or the associated sponsors) if someone dies on a Sunday afternoon in front of millions of viewers. It's those considerations, rather than those of the likes of Moss, or indeed the hardcore fans, that will win out eventually.
Welcome to sport in the 21st century.
lauda said:
The problem is that F1 is no longer just a hobby for a group of devil may dare gents, as it was in Moss's day. It's a massive global, commercial enterprise with live TV coverage and sponsors to keep happy.
The bottom line is, it's not good for business (either that of F1 itself or the associated sponsors) if someone dies on a Sunday afternoon in front of millions of viewers. It's those considerations, rather than those of the likes of Moss, or indeed the hardcore fans, that will win out eventually.
Welcome to sport in the 21st century.
That is the strange thing about us fans. When Senna and Ratzenberger died the sport suddenly had a spike in interest.The bottom line is, it's not good for business (either that of F1 itself or the associated sponsors) if someone dies on a Sunday afternoon in front of millions of viewers. It's those considerations, rather than those of the likes of Moss, or indeed the hardcore fans, that will win out eventually.
Welcome to sport in the 21st century.
I suppose it is a bit like trying not to look at a nasty crash driving home from work but for some reason the head turns.
The last thing anyone wants is for a driver to be badly injured or killed.
But we have not had a death in F1 since 1994. Yes Bianchi died but this was more to do with a huge digger being on the side of the track and Bianchi trying to make up a bit of time under yellows. F1 had plenty of scares in the past regarding diggers at the side of the track.
The Halo would not have saved Bianchi, Senna or Ratzenberger.
The virtual safety car is working wonders and this was a great idea and should continue but the Halo is just taking things too far.
Yes times change but surely the DNA of F1 is at risk.
lauda said:
The bottom line is, it's not good for business (either that of F1 itself or the associated sponsors) if someone dies on a Sunday afternoon in front of millions of viewers. It's those considerations, rather than those of the likes of Moss, or indeed the hardcore fans, that will win out eventually.
Unfortunately human nature being what it is, tragedy in sport does generate interest.If we want to make motorsport totally safe, it's going to be a row of simulators at the nearby cafe.
king thickEric Mc said:
Whatever about safety, why do so many people struggle with Stirling Moss' name?
Sterling Moss owns a furniture store.https://www.sterlingfurniture.co.uk/
I even know it is Stirling which is very worrying
I've never seen an accident in f1 a halo would have prevented. Maybe the spring that hit massa would have been deflected. The wheel tethers and hans are the best and don't visually marr the sport. The biggest worry with the surtees crash was the ease with which the wheels became detached.
ELUSIVEJIM said:
That is the strange thing about us fans. When Senna and Ratzenberger died the sport suddenly had a spike in interest.
I suppose it is a bit like trying not to look at a nasty crash driving home from work but for some reason the head turns.
The last thing anyone wants is for a driver to be badly injured or killed.
But we have not had a death in F1 since 1994. Yes Bianchi died but this was more to do with a huge digger being on the side of the track and Bianchi trying to make up a bit of time under yellows. F1 had plenty of scares in the past regarding diggers at the side of the track.
The Halo would not have saved Bianchi, Senna or Ratzenberger.
The virtual safety car is working wonders and this was a great idea and should continue but the Halo is just taking things too far.
Yes times change but surely the DNA of F1 is at risk.
For me, F1 changed after Imola. It took me ages to get back into the sport.I suppose it is a bit like trying not to look at a nasty crash driving home from work but for some reason the head turns.
The last thing anyone wants is for a driver to be badly injured or killed.
But we have not had a death in F1 since 1994. Yes Bianchi died but this was more to do with a huge digger being on the side of the track and Bianchi trying to make up a bit of time under yellows. F1 had plenty of scares in the past regarding diggers at the side of the track.
The Halo would not have saved Bianchi, Senna or Ratzenberger.
The virtual safety car is working wonders and this was a great idea and should continue but the Halo is just taking things too far.
Yes times change but surely the DNA of F1 is at risk.
I'm not sure what your point with Bianchi is. He died on circuit during a race.
The halo is a reaction to near misses. Are you suggesting we should wait until we've had a death or two that the halo would have saved before putting it on? If so then we should remember that, according to the reports at the time, on Mosley's in tray when Ratzenberger and Senna died there were recommendations that safety should be improved and how.
The DNA of F1 before Jackie Stewart effort's changed matters was multiple deaths and serious injuries every year. I'm glad we've evolved from that.
The Halo would have saved Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson. I think it would have saved Senna too, but so would wheel tethers. VSC would have saved Bianchi. I don't think Halo would. I'm not sure anything would have saved Ratzenberger although there were some other incredible crashes where people survived. Rubens that same weekend and Martin Donnelly should probably both have died by the same measure.
I'm one of the few who doesn't care whether the close the top of the cockpit. But I certainly don't want to go back to watching people die unnecessarily.
Jez
I'm one of the few who doesn't care whether the close the top of the cockpit. But I certainly don't want to go back to watching people die unnecessarily.
Jez
Z3MCJez said:
The Halo would have saved Henry Surtees and Justin Wilson. I think it would have saved Senna too, but so would wheel tethers. VSC would have saved Bianchi. I don't think Halo would. I'm not sure anything would have saved Ratzenberger although there were some other incredible crashes where people survived. Rubens that same weekend and Martin Donnelly should probably both have died by the same measure.
I'm one of the few who doesn't care whether the close the top of the cockpit. But I certainly don't want to go back to watching people die unnecessarily.
Jez
I'm not sure it's possible to say in any of those incidents...Senna was done for by a suspension arm wasn't he? Ratzenberger may have been helped by the high sides/HANS (his off remains one of the most chilling things I've ever seen in sport).I'm one of the few who doesn't care whether the close the top of the cockpit. But I certainly don't want to go back to watching people die unnecessarily.
Jez
I agree about closed cockpits. But not sure Halo is the right idea.
Moss also has something of a point IMO.
Murph7355 said:
I'm not sure it's possible to say in any of those incidents...Senna was done for by a suspension arm wasn't he? Ratzenberger may have been helped by the high sides/HANS (his off remains one of the most chilling things I've ever seen in sport).
I agree about closed cockpits. But not sure Halo is the right idea.
Moss also has something of a point IMO.
At the expense of sounding unfeeling, and in addition to HANS (which would have almost certainly saved him), Ratzenberger would have been helped by either (a) having a sense of self-preservation, or (b) receiving a black/orange flagging. He had a damaged front wing. He didn't pit to have it fixed. It failed.I agree about closed cockpits. But not sure Halo is the right idea.
Moss also has something of a point IMO.
These days, with HANS, he would in any case have just walked away, most likely.
The problem with HALO is that it is designed as a quick fix: it will bolt pretty much straight onto existing tubs. As a result, it has to have the vertical strut.
A redesign of the cockpit area could almost certainly allow the vertical strut to be removed. A long R&D phase would most likely allow a version of Red Bull's windscreen to be made to work (especially with monocoque changes).
But no, there must be a bolt-on solution. So here we are. Sadly.
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