Mosley Warns GPDA

[fly_ac]

If my son were just about to enter F1, I know this much: I'd rather his safety were in the hands of the FIA, than in the hands of a bunch of young men in their twenties who have proved by their choice of profession that they are not exactly risk-averse.

I agree.
The FIA, I think will have competent people to see to track safety and drivers are not the experts when it comes to track safety.

However If a team or driver feel that something or some part of a track/car is unsafe the FIA should at the least look into it, and I believe that they will. If they, the FIA don't then they are Idiots.

[Bagwan]

Good point, tamburello. And remember Jacques Villeneuve's attitude on every safety issue? He was always contemptuous of drivers who wanted to reduce the risks of motor racing. He thought they were all wet. There's no guarantee that future GPDA's will not have those anti-safety tendencies. If my son were just about to enter F1, I know this much: I'd rather his safety were in the hands of the FIA, than in the hands of a bunch of young men in their twenties who have proved by their choice of profession that they are not exactly risk-averse.

The GPDA is a lobby group . That's what they should be .

For the driver , it's like hiking to a cliff edge , that gets more slippery as you approach .
Having either good hiking boots , or agile , confident feet can get you closer , but designing the cliff is the most direct route to that edge .

Being players in the the game , the drivers can't ever come from an unbiassed position .
They want to be seen as best , and that means closest to the edge .

Jacques and his "anti-safety tendencies" was telling the truth . It is what all the drivers want when they are behind the wheel . He wanted a track , and to be fastest on it .

[Mark in Oshawa]

I don't agree with it, but should the safety issue really include the drivers?

I only ask because, if I remember correctly, the current head of the GPDA was on the radio on the warm up lap at Indy 05 saying that he wanted to race....which, considering that Michelin had strongly advised the team not to race because they couldn't guarantee the safety of the tyres, surely was a reckless attitude?

With an inconsistent approach to safety such as that, is it any wonder that the FIA believe that the drivers are not experts in safety issues?

Good point Tam, another example of a race driver mentality is with the late great Dale Earnhardt. His attitude towards some of the safety advocates in NASCAR was to tell them "If they don't think racing is safe, let them sit on an anthill so the ants can eat out their candy ass!" Of course, as we saw, he was dead partially because he made alterations to his seat and seatbelt to add to his comfort in the car, and he wasn't wearing the HANS device.

Drivers tend to be illiogical to be sure but I think the point has been made more than once that Max doesn't exactly do that consensus building thing, and the arrogance of the FIA going back before Max is almost legendary. A little more tact would be a start wouldn't it?