Today it makes even more sense to remember Sid Watkins (1928-2012), the neurosurgeon physician who forever transformed Formula 1 safety.
If today Formula 1 is one of the safest races in the world, and if yesterday Romain Grosjean came out practically unharmed from inside the Haas F1 Team car, it is due to Sid Watkins and all those who have succeeded him in this battle for safety in the motor sport.
His legacy is not just a text. But it was this British neurosurgeon who fought the first battles to institutionalize and guarantee safety in motor sport. “No, he wasn't a pilot, no, he wasn't an engineer and he wasn't a designer either, he was a doctor. And it's fair to say that he's done more than anyone else for many years to make Formula 1 as safe as it is today,” said Ron Dennis, in 2012 upon the death of “The Professor,” nicknamed by which Sid Watkins was known in the paddock.
Sid Watkins and security measures
Sid Watkins arrived in Formula 1 in 1978, at the invitation of Bernie Ecclestone, with a very clear objective: to stop deaths in Formula 1. Between 1967 and 1978 alone, the premier modality of motor sport had claimed the lives of 14 drivers.Medical assistance was practically non-existent and, above all, inefficient. It was Sid Watkins who institutionalized medical procedures and safety standards in Formula 1. Rapid assistance cars, helicopters, teams and permanent medical facilities on circuits, etc. In short, everything we take for granted today.
How great was its power? Grand Prix simply did not happen without the positive opinion of Sid Watkins. And no, it was not a mere administrative procedure. The specifications that the circuits had to respect were demanding. So demanding that they excluded historic Formula 1 circuits, such as Brands Hatch, until their recommendations were fulfilled: the construction of a hospital on the circuit. A stance that earned Watkins many antibodies together with circuit promoters in the four corners of the world.
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The car that assisted Romain Grosjean immediately after this weekend's accident was introduced by Sid Watkins. But the best thing is to listen to the stakeholders:
But going back to the historical episodes, one of the most famous happened precisely in 1978. With 85,000 people already sitting in the stands of the German GP, Bernie Ecclestone guaranteed that there would be no race if one of Sid Watkins' team doctors couldn't be present in the room from the race direction, the place where bad news comes fastest.
The running direction showed resistance, but had to give in: “I want you to _____, either let the doctor in or go home,” retorted Bernie Ecclestone. And yes, there was a race this weekend. And yes, there was a doctor in the race direction room.
“The Prof” (the teacher), as he was known, also distinguished himself for having helped save the lives of the Finnish Mika Häkkinen, twice world champion, the Brazilian Rubens Barrichello and the Austrian Gerhard Berger. But the lives that his fight for a safer Formula 1 has saved cannot be counted.
The accident that changed Formula 1
One of the most memorable episodes of his career happened in Imola, in the fateful year of 1994. A year marked by several tragedies in Formula 1, among them, the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger.
Naturally unhappy, Watkins never backed down from trying to make Formula 1 safer. Immediately after that weekend, the FIA created the Expert Advisory Safety Committee and named Watkins chairman. Safety standards in place since 1994 have meant that Formula 1 has continued with no fatalities on the track since 1994 — although Jules Bianchi succumbed to injuries at the Japanese Grand Prix several months after his accident, which contributed to the development of the equipment. Halo security that today equips the discipline's single-seaters.
In addition to this group, Sid was also responsible for the safety improvements in karting and rallies. In 2004 the three groups were brought together in a single body, the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, in which this British medical record remained in the lead until 2011.
Without his contribution, most likely the safety of Formula 1 would not be today at the level it is today. Because as we've seen this weekend, when it comes to security, every detail counts. There is no time to lose.
FINAL GRADE. This is the first article in a series of new articles that Reason Automobile will publish on safety in Formula 1. Stay tuned.