Manoah2u wrote:offcourse there is free choice, and being concious of the dangers, which are seen as a risk.
however, death does not bring any benefit to the sport.
Look at a person like Gilles. Gone too soon. What could have been?
Look at Senna. Amazing achievements, taken too soon. What could have been?
We got lucky with Schumacher, during his F1 campaign. Lucky that we got to see his potential and worth.
A true legend with a legacy. Is that due to improved safety? you bet.
Jos Verstappen: if the neck protection was not implied, he would have been killed during that Spa accident.
thankfully, there's improvement in safety and he still lives this day and we get the benefit of seeing his son
perform in F1 - someone who would not be here today if it was not for F1 safety (Max might have been born,
but without dad, never would have been where he is today).
Kubica : thanks to safety features, he survived that insane Canada crash. but it also shows that sports where
safety is less a concern compared to F1, you lose everything in an instant. Imagine if rally would have been as
safe as F1 - we'd still have Kubica in F1 today, probably even him being a WDC. now we are stuck with field
fillers the equivalent of Ericsson. is that better? i dont think so, personally.
Again, Bianchi knew the risk he took, but no driver was happy the race was still going on @ that fateful gp.
if the FIA actually had thought about safety and value of life - not just that of the drivers, as the marshalls
could have been crushed just as easy during that accident - then they would have stopped the race and
Jules would have been amongst us today, possibly driving @ Ferrari.
Death and injury ROB us of special and valuable things and moments. It can never be taken back, it's gone forever.
To avoid that loss is something worth a lot.
It's nonsense to think safety should be stopped in F1. if somebody has a deathwish or wants to play with his own life during racing,
there are many better ways to go. Dragracing, stock car racing, indy, and much much more.
It's better 'playing God' and saving lives, then to leave things to the devil........
Well although you might not see that, I agree with you in many respects. I am also sad that we were robbed of Senna, Bianchi, Gilles, Kubica and others. All extraordinary sportsmen and people. Oh God, how I would love to see that humble Kubica being world champion! Or Senna having 5 titles!
But where I tend to think differently is that the free choice should still prevail and that with safety - as with everything in life - it is about the extent. If you go too far (for example with this halo devices or windscreens, or closed cockpits) you will absolutely change the core of what - in this particular case - F1 was about. Driving in the the fastest open cockpits open wheel cars to the limits. By peeling of the danger aspects you are just making a cat out of tiger. Than it is no longer a tiger, it is cat. Then it basically turns out to be video game. If we agree that it should be cat and that we do not want tigers, then OK. But do not call it tiger then! And personally, I am not keen on following cat= F1 stripped down to child video game.
There are closed cockpit series so if any of the F1 drivers feels endangered, they can switch to DTM for example. If they are really afraid, they can play chess. Freedom of choice.
Try ask yourself this question - would you rate the likes of Senna, Gilles, Hunt, Lauda that highly if there wasn't the element of danger/bravery/warriors - Senna finishing the race stuck in one gear with cramps barely able to get out of that car; or that famous moment when Senna jumped on Mansell's car (he would be surely penalized today for unsafe conduct), or that 4-5 touching of Gillesse's car with competitor in full speed in one lap, or Senna and Mansel at the end of the straight at full speed sparks flying out with none of them willing to yield, Lauda jumping into the car after his horrific accident when he was quite far from being fully healthy and thus driving was even more dangerous ? Isn't it also part of the reasons why millions of people still admire them even after decades? Isn't it fascinating to watch those greats racing on the limit knowing that if the make mistake they will fly out of the track and possibly get killed? Driving to the limit, sometimes overstepping it?
I repeat - nothing can be fully safe, let alone motorsport. Let's cherish those brave sportsmen but do not change it to some sterile discipline. I can't remember who of the F1 world champions said that but he clearly said that the element of the danger was why he drove back in the days when it was extremely dangerous (will try to look it up but it was in some documentary so it might take a while). I agree with him. There is no free lunch - there is always something for something. You won't get the buzz without danger, you just won't. Let people decide if they are willing to risk to get the adrenaline buzz and feel of joy when they exceeded their limits in dangerous situations.
I understand the human's need to prevent death, injuries and consequent misery and sadness. That is really good quality in man. But let's realize that people should have right to choose and that people will die even if we try to prevent that - freak accidents, bad luck, illnesses. Even I can't still fully grasp that reality regarding my own life and choices I do but I try. I do not agree with the omnipresent rash pushing of the principle "even if it saved one life" in pretty much all activities that are being executed willingly by sane adult people. If that principle was applied, no one should basically get out of their beds. And btw. we wouldn't sail to America hundreds years back or landed on the moon. The world and universe is dangerous place.
