[Training] Safety at current Jerez Testing and F1 generally

[FJB]

Hi

I was a marshal in the 1960's and 1970's for the BRSCC and BARC and we prided ourselves that we would be in attendance at an incident in 30 seconds at the most.

I have been getting concerned over recent years that the marshalling at F1 events has been very slow, almost disinterested. I can remember last year Rosberg hitting head on a safety barrier, and it was almost 2 minutes before a marshal attended. Should he have swallowed his tongue etc he would no longer be with us.

I attach a photo from the current testing of the 2015 cars at Jerez, where you can see a barbed wire fence the other side of an access road from a very low barrier at the track. Link to photo. http://tinyurl.com/ncaexah

Complacency seems to be abounding. What would Jackie stewart think about it all?

[Tucky]

This is more Greem's area of expertise, but from what I see watching the races it seems like the marshals aren't allowed to run out on the track unless given the say so for their safety. Seems like a catch 22 if that's the case.

[Sodemo]

Well, it is the inside of the circuit and any car involved in an accident is going to be heading away from the area described. I'm all for the safety of track workers and marshals, but i'm also all for spectators having a good view of the track, unobscured by debris fences. In a lot of cases I can understand why the fences are there, but there are a number of areas on tracks like Silverstone, where the fences make no sense and simply ruin the view for paying spectators.

[Mike Bell]

Originally Posted by FJB

I attach a photo from the current testing of the 2015 cars at Jerez, where you can see a barbed wire fence the other side of an access road from a very low barrier at the track. Link to photo. http://tinyurl.com/ncaexah

Complacency seems to be abounding. What would Jackie stewart think about it all?

The fence on left is between spectator areas and circuit perimeter road used by emergency vehicles. Presumably barbed wire discourages spectators from climbing over it!

[Greem]

You can't take one incident and use it as a broad brush; look at Kimi's 2014 Silverstone crash - incident team were with him inside 20s (quicker actually, the video I've seen from the spectator area turned away for 10s).

Also worth bearing in mind that drivers are in radio contact with the team, FOM/FIA listen to that so can make a judgement very quickly on whether to hold resources back until the session is neutralised. Drivers - by their own admission after Bianchi's accident in Japan - do not slow down for yellow flags, with the cars being very much more on the edge then they used to be (and quicker) this means a momentary loss of control can have far reaching consequences.

Tests, by comparison to races, have always run with fewer boots on the ground.

Photos (and TV cameras) can make risks appear where they aren't by foreshortening the view and coming from reverse angles, too. In 2013 I looked like I was standing on the grass at Luffield on TV but I was behind a barrier in terms of approaching cars!

I'm not saying there isn't complacency about, there very likely is in some places/people but it's not as generalised as you might perceive.