Dan Wheldon
I’m not a big Indycar fan and I didn’t know Dan Wheldon personally. I’ve never met him either. But I couldn’t let the recent tragic event pass without paying my respects to the double Indy 500 champion. It is clear that he was a great talent behind the wheel and it is with great sorrow that his life was taken so early. The world of motorsport has united in their grief at the passing of ‘One of their own’. Whether you are a Driver, Mechanic, Team Member, Organiser or just a fan of Motorsport you cannot help but feel great sadness at the passing of Dan Wheldon. My thoughts and condolences go out to all his family and friends during this difficult time, especially his wife and two young children who will now grow up without a father. It is such a shame that it has taken such a terrible event to make people notice what a true motor racing great he was.
To many, Motorsport is a drug. Once you have experienced it you want more and more. The highs are euphoric, but the lows can be devastating.
Rest in Peace Dan.
Safety First
The Monaco Grand Prix has drawn to a close and to be honest I feel very disappointed. The win was handed, gift wrapped to Red Bull with a bow on top. Had the race been able to run the course, no doubt Jenson Button would have taken the win with both Alonso and Vettel running on very worn tyres against Button’s fresher ones.
However, the weekend threw up few talking points but this blog entry will discuss one major issue in formula one and motorsport in general. Most people will have seen Sergio Perez’s accident in qualifying three on Saturday which ultimately bought safety into the forefront of people’s minds. Thankfully safety within motorsport has improved immensely as the years have passed and rightly so. Cars get faster and faster so the risk to drivers would ordinarily get higher and higher. But thanks to the improvements in car and driver safety the risks have been reduced.
Thanks to improved safety measures, Perez sufferent minimal injuries at Monaco
Gone are the days when Formula One and the death of drivers went hand in hand and dreadful images such as those of Zolder in 1973 as David Purley tried in vain to free Roger Williamson from his burning car whilst marshall’s stood idly by are a thing of the past. Safety within motorsport is evolving rapidly and coupled with the training given to marshall’s and their ability to deal with all situations are a testament to all involved.
Unfortunately, some improvements can only be made as accidents happen. It takes an accident to make people aware of a certain problem before that issue can be addressed, therefore there will always be freak accidents coupled with the fact divers push cars to the limit it is an inevitability accidents will happen. But thanks to current safety features those accidents rarely see serious injury. It never ceases to amaze me at how a driver can walk away from huge accidents such as the recent Indy 500 practice accident involving Simona de Silvestro and the huge Porsche crash at San Marino.
After an incredible high speed crash at Indianapolis, De Silvestro walked away with just minor burns
It is the incredible safety features in place that meant Perez only suffered minor injuries at Monaco and had that happened 20 years ago, the results could have been a lot worse. Although many improvements have come too late for all the great drivers who have given their lives doing something they love, but ultimately motorsport is dangerous and we all know that. But the great work behind the scenes developing improvements mean that the fatalities and serious injuries have become rare. It’s those who develop new safety features and the marshall’s trackside on hand to step in when needed that are the unsung heroes of motorsport and all drivers need to be thankful for it. Long may these improvements continue to help make this sport so great.
My Model Toyota 88C
