The Unknown: The Secret Nemesis of Formula 1

By T. Belmonte

The unknown is every sport biggest enemy. There’s no way of guessing when a point will be scored, whether a team will win or not, and especially when accidents will occur. The simplest, and only way to find out is by practicing and competing. Organizations, coaches and athletes adapt their sport whenever needed. Serious accidents and fatalities are tragic, but they’re the only way to make sports safe and enjoyable. 
 
Technology plays a huge part in every sport, but when it comes to a sport that revolves around technology — and of course a bit of strategy — the unknown poses serious threats. Formula 1 is the most famous sport that requires full use of technology, better motors, engineers, machines, computers. All these factors are what make faster cars, and teams are constantly trying to build the fastest car, the one that will cross the finish line first every time. 
"But why is the secret enemy of F1?"  
Well, for the past 75 years, Formula 1 has been considered one of the most dangerous sports in the world, causing several serious and fatal accidents. Accidents that couldn't have been avoided because of the unknown. Situations like such were bound to happen but it's impossible to know what will cause them until they happen. Therefore, the lack of knowledge is truly the biggest nemesis of this sport. 
Though it isn't true to say that these tragedies haven't caused any good in the sport. Since the start of F1 75 years ago, a significant decrease in accidents can be noticed. Even as recently as 2008, a driver would usually have 1-3 serious accidents – broken bones or worse – per season. Nowadays, it is rare for a driver to have even one accident in the year. Fatalities have brought innovations and constant safety improvements to the drivers, cars and even the tracks.  
Some of the most notable innovations and adaptations of Formula 1 include: 

• 1960s: After the tragic death of two-time world champion Jim Clark, tracks were remodelled to remove dangerous obstacles such as trees and lampposts. 
  

• 1970s: Due to the number of fatalities and serious accidents, such as Niki Lauda's famous crash, doctors active in the practices and races received more authority to step in when they found necessary. 
  

• 1980s: Car designs were adapted to reduce the risk of fire through the adoption of fuel tanks housed within the car's single-shell body structure. 
  

• 1990s: The passing of Ayrton Senna shocked the entire world. Both cars and tracks were seriously reviewed. Stricter barrier tests and side-impact tests were introduced. 
  

• 2010s: The halo cockpit is argued to be the most significant safety development in Formula 1 history. After the sad loss of driver Jules Bianchi in 2015, the open cockpit and open wheels were assessed and replaced by the halo, which made the cockpit all the less open. The halo saved the lives of Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Romain Grosjean, Max Verstappen. 
  

Finally, despite the unknown being scary, it is ultimately necessary and helpful when it comes to improving the safety of a sport. It would be foolish to attempt to skip ahead, trying to avoid accidents, innovations with no previous backing could cause more accidents than reduce them. ​