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[texasmr2]

This doc has been aired in the UK but not here in the US so it was all new to me.

[The_Stig_Money]

Thanks for the nightmares Tex, great documentary

all the fellow F1 fans and drivers who died in the sport they loved.

I am glad to see the improvements, we take them for granted sometimes

[Amanda]

It was on the BBC the other day along with the 60th anniversary documentary and The Flying Scotsman.

I've always found that era of F1 fascinating, terrifying and horrific at times, but fascinating.

[darwin dali]

It was on the BBC the other day along with the 60th anniversary documentary and The Flying Scotsman.

I've always found that era of F1 fascinating, terrifying and horrific at times, but fascinating.

It's a bit like the Middle Ages, isn't it?

[Bubbie]

It was a good documentary, thanks for sharing. I was shocked at how cavalier they were about safety back in the day. No safety belts even. Like DD said it was indeed a bit like the dark ages.

But the narrative stopped right in the middle of the story. Where is the discussion of the safety that we now have in F1 and how it was turned around? It almost seems like they had to cut the movie "ooops, running out of time... Put a text banner in that says all was great by next year and end it there". At least they should have had another 10 or 15 minutes chronicling the improvements up until now.

It is a fascinating topic and I would love to see a followup that continues the narrative through the later 70s till now that tracks the fight that continued, the improvements made and the tragedies that still occurred and still caused more changes for additional safety. Perhaps it could also have a bit about how in striving to make F1 safe, they have removed some of the "razor-edge" feeling and made the sport too technical. Huge run off areas and impeccable safety have made it where the drivers no longer have that fear and that 'riding the razors edge' that Fittipaldi described in the film.

[texasmr2]

On that note I must emphasize that back then G-forces were probably not understood enough. My meaning is that a driver now will most likely not be thrown from the car and the 'safety cell' will keep all limbs intact and the HANS device will 99.99% detour a 'basil skull fracture' but the G's a human brain can endure is an area we will never be able to overcome.

Regarding your implication that the drivers no longer have fear is abit far fetched imho because anybody in their right mind knows that racing is dangerous. Safety rules cannot aways protect a driver from serious injury or even death.

[darwin dali]

On that note I must emphasize that back then G-forces were probably not understood enough. My meaning is that a driver now will most likely not be thrown from the car and the 'safety cell' will keep all limbs intact and the HANS device will 99.99% detour a 'basil skull fracture'

Personally I prefer oregano

[texasmr2]

^^^ My bad thats what I meant I just threw alittle Texmix in for good measure .

[Bubbie]

Regarding your implication that the drivers no longer have fear is abit far fetched imho because anybody in their right mind knows that racing is dangerous. Safety rules cannot aways protect a driver from serious injury or even death.

We will have to agree to disagree on this one. I feel it is human nature to become accustomed to feeling safe without other stimulus telling you that it isn't. Their brains may tell them that racing isn't safe but they won't have that gut feeling that what they are doing is unsafe. No driver has to worry about dying if they overcook a corner nowadays, so they aren't running the "ragged edge"... Heck they don't even have to worry about being out of the GP. They have a huge runoff area to pull a 180 and get back on track.

I don't think going back to the way things were or even imposing danger by removing safety features is the way to go - they were all hard fought improvements and made sense. I am just commenting on the fact that it does make for a different sort of sport. I would at least like to make it punishing to their race if they overdo a corner and land in a gravel trap, not a runway sized paved area.

One last comment. In the rainy race last year we saw the difference in the mindset of nowadays instead of the olden days. Nobody is will to take any chances nowadays. This happens in everyday life as well as in motorsport so I am not picking on them, but everything needs to be safe to the ultimate degree nowadays. Also, I know this may be taken as callous, but I would like to see cars that are capable of being driven past the limit and making the drivers decide where that limit is. I may be wrong, but I heard one of the commentators last year or the year before (I think it was DC) saying that doing something in one of the old turbo cars was terrifying, and in today's cars there was no fear to do the same thing (maybe it was running full throttle through Eau Rouge?).

I will stop here before I get on my rant about the human race not willing to take risks anymore. Ooops, too late.

[texasmr2]

Great insight yet I still believe the thought of injury or death still weigh's on their minds, maybe less so now but it is still there.

[killem2]

Whoa! Crazy documentary. It was heartbreaking watching (sorry didn't catch the name) trying to flip the car that was on fire over and asking for people to help and they just stood there like no way you are crazy.

As far as the no fear concern, I am fairly sure Rubens knew exactly what could have happened if schumi would have crowded him even a couple more inches at hockenhiem.

Then again rubens remembers the more dangerous times of the sport. I don't think we can say they don't have fear as we are not them.

[texasmr2]

Mass's incident comes to mind aswell what if that spring had went through his visor ?!?!?!? I do realize the cars are much safer now but the thought still lingers in the back of their minds. Anyway yes what a great doc and I burned them to a dvd but do not kno yet how they will look on the flatscreen or if they will even play.

[scotty]

Mass's incident comes to mind aswell what if that spring had went through his visor ?!?!?!? I do realize the cars are much safer now but the thought still lingers in the back of their minds. Anyway yes what a great doc and I burned them to a dvd but do not kno yet how they will look on the flatscreen or if they will even play.

Massa? Strangely enough, i believe the visor would have withstood the impact! It's because the spring hit a certain weak spot where there is a join or something like that...

[texasmr2]

Thankfully we did not have to findout right?

[scotty]

Thankfully we did not have to findout right?

We did find out exactly what happened to Massa, which is what i alluded to. Even before these upgrades the visors were capable of astonishing impact resistance qualities.