Safety in Formula One has significantly improved since the inaugural Formula One World Championship in 1950. There have been major regulatory changes to car design, protective equipment for drivers, incident response procedures, and the layout of racing circuits. Notable examples of safety improvements to reduce fatalities and injuries include full-face helmets, fire resistant racing suits, tyre walls, and an on-site medical team; none were present during the early years of the sport.
The use of carbon-fibre monocoques, also called survival cells, have been used in Formula One since the McLaren MP4/1 was introduced in 1981.[2][7] Monocoques help protect drivers during collisions and high-speed impacts by absorbing kinetic energy and reducing the risk of blunt force trauma.[8][9][10]
Crash tests were introduced in 1985, initially only to the front of the car.[11] Following the deaths of Senna and Ratzenberger in 1994, the number of crash tests was increased, with the addition of side-impact and roll hoop tests.[11] These were made more challenging to achieve over time, with the 2025 technical regulations including nearly 20 different impact tests.[12]
Beginning in 1999,[a] Formula One cars were required to have a single wheel tether made out of zylon to prevent tyres from detaching at high speeds.[11][21][22] The single wheel tether design had two notable failures, with marshal deaths occurring at the 2000 Italian and the 2001 Australian Grands Prix due to loose wheels.[23][24] A second wheel tether was introduced for 2011 ensuing an increase in accidents, such as Henry Surtees's fatal crash during the 2009 FIA Formula Two Championship.[21][25] A third wheel tether was introduced for the 2018 season.[26]
Helmets have been mandated for Formula One drivers since 1952.[8][27] In the early decades, helmets were open-faced and provided minimal protection. At the 1968 German Grand Prix, Dan Gurney became the first driver to wear a full-face helmet in Formula One, which became normalised by the end of the decade and prompted the design of stronger helmets with increased facial protection.[28][29] In 2011, Formula One required that a Zylon strip be placed onto driver helmets as a result of Felipe Massa's helmet being penetrated by debris during qualifying for the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.[29][30][31] Modern Formula One helmets are composed of a carbon-fibre outer shell, an inner foam liner, and a fire-resistant Nomex liner.[27] They have protective qualities against impacts, crushes, projectiles, penetration, and fire.[32]
Racing suits, also known as racesuits or overalls, became mandatory for drivers in 1963, and were required to meet fire resistance regulations for 1975 onwards.[27][11] Racing suits incorporate Nomex to increase fire resistance and must resist flames for a 12-second test at 700°C (1,292°F).[35][36]
Just like racing suits, Formula One drivers' gloves incorporate Nomex and must meet specific fire resistance standards. Gloves also record biometric data that provides information to medical teams about a driver's condition. Drivers also wear balaclavas, typically with only one hole for both eyes. Underwear consisting of a long sleeved shirt, "long johns", and socks—all of which are fire resistant with the use of Nomex—is required by the FIA.[27][36] During the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, the rule regarding fire-resistant underwear made headlines following an unprecedented two-hour driver briefing by Niels Wittich, the Formula One race director.[37][38][39][40]
Marshals have a variety of flags to communicate messages to drivers
Present since the championship's creation, marshals play a major role in ensuring the safety of drivers, personnel, and spectators during a Grand Prix weekend. Their job includes removing debris from the track, assisting damaged or disabled cars, scrutineering, and displaying racing flags.[33][43] Marshals report to race control, which is primarily responsible for coordinating responses to incidents and reporting any regulatory violations. Led by the race director, the team is primarily composed of officials from the FIA.[44][45]
The safety car is a vehicle that can be deployed by the race director that sets a reduced speed for the competitors, typically following an incident that requires marshals enter the circuit—such as recovering a disabled or damaged vehicle.[46] The first use of a safety car during a Grand Prix was at the 1973 Canadian Grand Prix, when a Porsche 914 driven by Eppie Wietzes was sent out to control cars following multiple incidents and bad weather. The safety car was formally introduced during the 1993 season and has been present since then.[47] As a result of Jules Bianchi's eventually fatal accident at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix,[b] the FIA introduced the virtual safety car (VSC) system for the 2015 season onwards. A VSC is responsible for slowing the pace when there is an incident on track, but without sending out a physical safety car.[48][49]
Formula One's first full-time doctor was Sid Watkins, who was hired by Bernie Ecclestone—then serving as the chief executive of FOCA—in 1978. At the time, circuits had limited medical facilities. Watkins worked to improve medical centres and personnel.[50] At the 2024 British Grand Prix, the medical staff consisted of 123 personnel, two trauma teams, specialised doctors, and radiology equipment; the 1996 edition reportedly hired 40 personnel.[51] Watkins also advocated for a car staffed by a professional driver, an anesthesiologist, and himself.[50] This became known as the medical car, which has been used ever since. The medical car is equipped with an extensive amount of equipment, including supplies for resuscitation, trauma, and burns. Additionally, there are ambulances and extraction units positioned around a circuit to assist with medical response.[52] Watkins was succeeded by his deputy, Gary Hartstein, as Formula One's Medical Delegate.[50]As of the 2025 season[update], Ian Roberts serves as the FIA Medical Delegate for Formula One.[52]
Circuit layout
Over time, the design of racing circuits have changed to ensure safety and minimise the impact of crashes. Barriers are a crucial part of this, keeping both the spectators and drivers safe if a car exits the track.[7] Barriers have been greatly improved over time, originally being made out of concrete and hay bales, with the latter being banned as a result of Lorenzo Bandini's crash at the 1967 Monaco Grand Prix.[33][53] In modern circuits, tyre walls, armco barriers, Tecpro barriers, catch fences, and occasionally SAFER barriers are installed to absorb and disperse collision energy, helping reduce the deceleration force on the driver during the impact.[13][54]
A Formula One car in a gravel trap
Gravel traps are a form of run-off area that help slow down an out-of-control car in the event that it exits the track. For this reason, gravel traps are most commonly placed near straights and high-speed corners. However, as speed increased with technical innovation, gravel traps became less effective at slowing down cars; an example of this was Michael Schumacher's crash at the 1999 British Grand Prix. Run-off areas composed of asphalt and tarmac are also commonly used as it is easier for drivers to rejoin the track, providing more traction.[55][56][57]
The FIA provides grade rankings for racing circuits across the world, on a scale of one to six. In order to host a Formula One race, a circuit must be "Grade One", showing compliance with various regulations involving safety, quality of facilities, accessibility, and more.[68][69][70]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
