This week, I watched what can only be considered as the best film ever made about F1 racing: John Frankenheimer’s 1966 classic Grand Prix. No other racing film has come close to surpassing it.

In the film, John Frankenheimer gives a realistic account of the dangers of racing cars fast in the 1960s, and possibly in today’s modern age. Yes, the cars are safer — but the risks remain. Risk is still a big factor in every formula of racing: bikes, cars, boats and planes.

The film’s main character, Pete Aron (James Garner), says:

I don’t think there’s one of us who doesn’t ask himself at least once in the middle of a race, “What the hell am I doing here?” Of course, when it’s over, we conveniently forget that we asked ourselves that question. I think about it and a lot of reasons I don’t know. Maybe to do something that brings you so close to the possibility of death and to survive it is to feel life and living so much more intensely.

So, with the recent and sad news that British IndyCar driver Dan Wheldon and Italian MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli died while competing, people have called for more stringent safety measures to be taken. The question is, should it happen?

Flowers and messages are seen at a makeshift memorial for Honda MotoGP rider Marco Simoncelli in Coriano, northern Italy, in October. Picture: Reuters

Formula One hasn’t lost one of its competitors since that horrible weekend in 1994. On that weekend, it lost Ayrton Senna, one of the greatest racers the world had ever seen, and Roland Ratzenberger.

Since the start of F1 racing in 1950, the sport has lost 45 drivers, excluding those great drivers who died during other racing events, such as Jim Clark. The most notable of the 45 are Senna, Jochen Rindt, Ronnie Peterson, Gilles Villeneuve, Elio de Angelis, Tom Pryce and Wolfgang von Trips.

In all forms of motorsport, the tracks that have claimed the most lives are:

• Indianapolis Motor Speedway — 56
• Nürburgring — 48
• Monza — 30
• Daytona International Speedway — 24
• Le Mans — 24

The thing is, risk is still a factor in racing, just like everything else. It is the reason why we love the drivers. They do things in a car that we normal “mortals” can only dream about. This is why they are paid so much money.

Now, I’m not saying it is OK for them to die because they are paid millions. The drivers or riders know the dangers of the sport the day they start.

I believe more can be done for the safety of racing. Running so many cars on such a small oval was never going to be a good idea. The drivers told the officials this before the race that claimed the life of Wheldon took place.

The event organisers should be held accountable for what happened to Wheldon. What happened to Simoncelli was just an accident. There is nothing anybody could have done to prevent it. The same could and probably will happen again. There is no way you can make the sport safer against that sort of thing.

Abu Dhabi preview:

This weekend we have the Abu Dhabi race. This is going to be interesting — the main reason being that the championships have been done and dusted for the season and the teams have nothing to lose.

They are going to go out there to put up a good show, and we could see some reckless driving from some of the drivers.

So, what will happen?

Podium: Hamilton, Webber, Button

Tags: safety