F1 is 'a pioneer in safety' - Wurz on precautionary measures in the paddock
GPDA chairman expressed his thoughts and opinions regarding the possible start of the season amid the Coronavirus pandemic.
It's an optimistic Alexander Wurz the one interviewed from RaceFans.net: the chairman of the GPDA told the website some of his thoughts about the possible restart scenarios after the Coronavirus pandemic.
For Wurz, anyone but F1 could be able to cope with races with virus still present:
This is a new threat. This is not about injuring a spectator, an official or a driver. It’s a new threat, it’s a different thing. But the way you go about it in the safety protocols and you execute it… no one in this industry needs to be told about safety and respecting it
The Austrian is convinced that the deep nature of the sport could be its ultimate salvage; to be costantly dealing with challenges, especially within the safety sphere:
Each and every lap, any motor race, we are going to the absolute limit. But yet we have an average against any other industry, such a low number of injury and fatalities, that we are safety experts for the industry. We know how to deal with threats
Moreover, the drivers' association is costantly looking for upgrades and possible matters from their end too. For example, social distancing is called on the seatbelts strapping:
We are in the stage of discussing and debating. We said OK, if anyone can close the seat belts by themselves, it would maybe be better to do yourself. But definitely you will be covered by helmet and gloves. Some drivers in the past, they went into the car without the helmet and gloves [on] and the mechanic who comes very close to you has to talk to you when he puts the seatbelts on, you’re in very close interaction. So you will be exposed to maybe his droplets being thrown up onto you in your eye or mouth. So in this case everyone should be aware I have to put the helmet, balaclava and gloves on before I go into the car, maybe close the visor so it becomes my protection gear. It’s one very small example of many throughout an entire race weekend.
Finally, the meaning of all these efforts are not due to the drivers' passion, but for the survival of an entire industry:
This is not just for the drivers’ sake that we can do our driving and hobby. It is in full awareness that motor sport is a global business. A lot of businesses, a lot of families are depending on this income. And therefore we also have our duties to consider the commercial aspects