Certain events this season serve as a warning sign that much work still needs to be done in improving driver safety

The last driver to be killed in Formula 1 was Ayrton Senna back in May 1, 1994. Since then, numerous safety measures have been implemented in the Formula 1 car to improve drivers’ safety. And after 13 years, no driver has been killed despite several shunts that were more brutal than that which killed Senna. We need only to look back at this year’s Canadian Grand Prix to see the major advancements in car safety. The BMW Sauber of Robert Kubica clipped the back of Jarno Trulli’s Toyota upon approaching turn 11. The front of the Sauber was up in the air as it approached the inside wall at high speeds. Kubica was unable to steer and couldn’t slow down in time since only the rear tires were touching the ground thus compromising the efficiency of the brakes of the car. A crash was inevitable. The Sauber bounced off the inside wall, was catapulted into a somersault as the car hurtled across the track there by bashing again into the outside wall. Yet after all that, Robert Kubica was released from the hospital the next day nursing an ankle sprain.

This incident is a testament of the modern safety of Formula 1 and many have praised the technological advancements that have spared so many lives. But before jumping up-and-down to celebrate these advancements, it is imperative not to be complacent and to analyze this season to improve safety even more. If one thing is certain, Formula 1 safety is still not full-proof.

This season has shown warning signs that shed light on how another death could occur. Hopefully these issues will be addressed before the event of another fatality. The season opener for instance saw a collision between Coulthard and Wurz. Coulthard was attempting to overtake by diving down the inside line. Wurz on the other hand closed the opening. Unfortunately, Coulthard was carrying too much speed and hence couldn’t make the necessary adjustments to avoid contact. Coulthard’s Red Bull Renault hit the side of Wurz’s Williams and was then hurled airborne. The side pod of the Red Bull missed Wurz’s head by just roughly 15 centimeters. There was no doubt what the outcome would have been if the car didn’t miss.

Perhaps, the focus in safety is too much on how the car can protect the driver in the worst kinds of impact. Such is good to prepare for the worst case scenario. However, it is also equally important to focus on how to avoid major crashes. After all, it follows that the lesser the crashes, the lesser the risk of injury or fatality. The Tilke designed circuits have designs that consider crash avoidance by having wider roads and decent run-off areas. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway on the other hand has a shock-absorbing wall in turn 13 to drastically reduce the impact that the car absorbs. Unfortunately, the older tracks in F1 don’t have such benefits. Some have sweeping bends with just a couple of yards of grass separating the concrete wall from the track. If anything went wrong, a huge shunt would definitely be the result. With the two big incidents this year, further track modification is definitely a must. Like in Canada, had there just been more tire barriers, the gravity of Kubica’s shunt would have been drastically reduced. Although other solutions will no doubt be expensive, any cost is worth it for the benefit of the driver. After all, 15 centimeters is too close for comfort.