- 17 Jan 08, 12:35#29599
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
From autosport.com:
Coulthard: others share safety worries
By Alan Baldwin Wednesday, January 16th 2008, 15:50 GMT
Some Formula One drivers are reluctant to speak out about safety concerns for fear of being considered soft, Red Bull's David Coulthard said on Wednesday.
The Scot, who gave his team's new RB4 car its test debut at a damp Jerez circuit, has been outspoken in warning about the danger of driving in wet conditions without traction control this season.
However, Coulthard denied he was more concerned than others by the decision to outlaw systems which make it easier to handle cars in slippery conditions.
"I'm not the biggest critic, I'm just prepared to express my opinion publicly," he told reporters.
"All of the drivers when we have the drivers' meetings, and even those who are not members of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association) when we have the meetings with (race director) Charlie (Whiting), express the same concerns," he added.
"There is an element of not wanting to get involved publicly, an element of not wanting to talk about safety because racing drivers are meant to be brave and pushing the limits and all that sort of thing.
"So it doesn't always sit comfortably with some."
The 36-year-old said he was highlighting a potential danger rather than expressing any personal fears.
"I've got no problem with not having traction control, engine braking and all of those things," said Coulthard, the oldest driver on the Formula One grid with 228 races under his belt since his debut with Williams in 1994.
"I've raced when a lot of these guys that I'm racing against now were at kindergarten, and I was racing cars without those toys."
Formula One has not had a fatality since Ayrton Senna died in 1994 but Coulthard warned that another big accident was just a matter of time.
He said the big issue now was the risk of aquaplaning on standing water.
Last year's Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji went ahead in atrocious conditions, with standing water and limited visibility due to heavy spray.
Even with traction control, drivers struggled to stay on the track and many felt the race should have been called off.
"There is clearly pressure for us all to race in Fuji and if we go there now without TC (traction control), there won't be as many cars finish. I can guarantee that," said Coulthard.
Coulthard's Australian teammate Mark Webber, one of the GPDA directors, agreed.
"No question about it, there will be more crashes," he told reporters.
"We've seen it in testing. There are more guys going off, there are more red flags, and that is going to happen in races. That is a 100 percent certainty."
"You can say that we're paid lots of cash, but if you are talking about actually you can't see where you are going... that's not about who's paid what. It's just not safe enough," he continued.
"But on the bottom of that I don't want to see 'Webber is a cat with safety'. I like taking risks, and I'm up for the challenge, but we need to always find a balance. And we will learn."
What are people's views on this? For me, drivers have raced in even worse conditions than Fuji and Nürburgring in cars that were far less safe those of today. Coulthard and Webber are correct to say there will be more crashes, but the cars are so safe, serious injury is less than likely than ever. In my view, safety is a key issue; drivers being killed isn't entertaining. Look at the great battles we have missed because of, say, Peterson, Villeneuve or Senna being killed. At the same time, however, motor sport is inherently dangerous and drivers take risks, risks which are low in today's standards. Nobody is forcing them to drive the cars. If they feel they can't race any more, then they shouldn't.
Coulthard: others share safety worries
By Alan Baldwin Wednesday, January 16th 2008, 15:50 GMT
Some Formula One drivers are reluctant to speak out about safety concerns for fear of being considered soft, Red Bull's David Coulthard said on Wednesday.
The Scot, who gave his team's new RB4 car its test debut at a damp Jerez circuit, has been outspoken in warning about the danger of driving in wet conditions without traction control this season.
However, Coulthard denied he was more concerned than others by the decision to outlaw systems which make it easier to handle cars in slippery conditions.
"I'm not the biggest critic, I'm just prepared to express my opinion publicly," he told reporters.
"All of the drivers when we have the drivers' meetings, and even those who are not members of the GPDA (Grand Prix Drivers' Association) when we have the meetings with (race director) Charlie (Whiting), express the same concerns," he added.
"There is an element of not wanting to get involved publicly, an element of not wanting to talk about safety because racing drivers are meant to be brave and pushing the limits and all that sort of thing.
"So it doesn't always sit comfortably with some."
The 36-year-old said he was highlighting a potential danger rather than expressing any personal fears.
"I've got no problem with not having traction control, engine braking and all of those things," said Coulthard, the oldest driver on the Formula One grid with 228 races under his belt since his debut with Williams in 1994.
"I've raced when a lot of these guys that I'm racing against now were at kindergarten, and I was racing cars without those toys."
Formula One has not had a fatality since Ayrton Senna died in 1994 but Coulthard warned that another big accident was just a matter of time.
He said the big issue now was the risk of aquaplaning on standing water.
Last year's Japanese Grand Prix at Fuji went ahead in atrocious conditions, with standing water and limited visibility due to heavy spray.
Even with traction control, drivers struggled to stay on the track and many felt the race should have been called off.
"There is clearly pressure for us all to race in Fuji and if we go there now without TC (traction control), there won't be as many cars finish. I can guarantee that," said Coulthard.
Coulthard's Australian teammate Mark Webber, one of the GPDA directors, agreed.
"No question about it, there will be more crashes," he told reporters.
"We've seen it in testing. There are more guys going off, there are more red flags, and that is going to happen in races. That is a 100 percent certainty."
"You can say that we're paid lots of cash, but if you are talking about actually you can't see where you are going... that's not about who's paid what. It's just not safe enough," he continued.
"But on the bottom of that I don't want to see 'Webber is a cat with safety'. I like taking risks, and I'm up for the challenge, but we need to always find a balance. And we will learn."
What are people's views on this? For me, drivers have raced in even worse conditions than Fuji and Nürburgring in cars that were far less safe those of today. Coulthard and Webber are correct to say there will be more crashes, but the cars are so safe, serious injury is less than likely than ever. In my view, safety is a key issue; drivers being killed isn't entertaining. Look at the great battles we have missed because of, say, Peterson, Villeneuve or Senna being killed. At the same time, however, motor sport is inherently dangerous and drivers take risks, risks which are low in today's standards. Nobody is forcing them to drive the cars. If they feel they can't race any more, then they shouldn't.
Ayrton Senna: WDC 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991
McLaren: WCC 1974, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2007
McLaren: WDC 1974, 1976, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1998, 1999, 2008
I think youve summed Coulthard up pretty well there. What a pair of whingers the Red Bull drivers are!
