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F1 safety: Continuing the crusade

The work carried out by the late Sid Watkins, one of F1's greatest safety pioneers, will continue in his memory. Adam Cooper recalls a conversation with Watkins in 2004 and outlines the vital developments made since the mid-1990s

The death of Sid Watkins has robbed motorsport not just of a much-loved personality, but a man who did more than any other to improve safety standards - not just in F1, but at all levels of the sport.

He didn't do it on his own, of course. It was Bernie Ecclestone who encouraged Sid to improve medical facilities in the years after he became the F1 doctor in 1978, and Max Mosley who, following the 1994 Imola weekend, gave Sid the responsibility of overseeing safety developments in all areas. He pursued that in close partnership with Charlie Whiting, who continues to lead the drive for safety, aided by a strong team of FIA experts, and by the teams themselves.

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