In reaction to Fernando Alonso escaping a high-speed crash at the weekend, four-time IndyCar champion Dario Franchitti said the Spaniard was lucky to get out of it alive. But, in reality, luck had little to do with it.
In terms of driver safety, the sport is in a better place than it has ever been, and while Alonso was able to continue racing after his Alpine-Renault clipped Lance Stroll’s Aston Martin, he would probably have been largely unscathed even if he had shattered into a wall.
From their advanced helmets and fire-resistant suits to the halo cockpit protection devices that keep them safe in their vehicles, technological advances ensure the drivers are much safer now than ever before.
Other safety regulations which have been introduced, including pit lane speed limits and safety cars, have also gone a long way to give drivers, their teams, their families and the fans the opportunity to engage in the sport knowing the participants are in as good a position as they can be, considering what it is they’re doing.
Granted, it’s still one of the most dangerous sports in which to compete, and anyone who participates in motor racing must be well educated on the very real dangers before they get in a car.
But at the highest level of the sport, a great deal of effort has been made and a lot of money has been spent to make sure that the people who entertain us on Formula One tracks are about as safe as they can possibly be while driving at 300km/h.
And though it may seem morbid to celebrate fewer deaths, when what we really want is no deaths, the safety regulations and equipment in place has greatly reduced the risk.
In the 25-year period between 1953 and 1978, a total of 25 drivers died during Formula One races, but in the 44 years since then, only four drivers have passed away during a top-flight contest.
And as relieved as we may all be when they escape crashes unhurt, it’s not so much about luck as it is about the effort that has gone into the sport to make it so.
For the progress that has been made in recent decades, we can all be grateful.
