Over the decades, with the invention of Nomex, the addition of visors and eventually the embracing of full-face helmets increased the protection of the drivers. Helmet technology is continually advancing, with tougher outer shells and more impact absorbent insides with each generation.īack at the dawn of the championship in 1950, drivers wore cloth caps paired with goggles, which did little other than protect them from dirt and insects before cork helmets became mandatory in 1952. Helmets - became mandatory in 1952Ī driver's helmet remains one of the most important pieces of safety equipment in F1. Marshals give up a huge amount of their time to allow racing to go ahead safely, training to be prepared for all eventualities. Marshals are also responsible for alerting drivers to dangers on track, such as waving the yellow flag to warn them to slow down for a hazard ahead or the blue flag to indicate that you are about to be lapped and must let the faster car through. Marshals are first on the scene of an accident and as such they are well trained in First Aid, as well fire safety and incident handling. They have been around since the beginning of F1's history and these unpaid volunteers make racing possible. Marshals are an often overlooked but integral part of safety in motorsport. These key moments in F1 history have served as reminders that motorsport cannot become complacent and that there is always more that can be improved upon when it comes to safety. In more recent years, two big waves of safety innovations have been kick-started by the deaths of Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger in 1994, and Jules Bianchi's ultimately fatal crash in 2014. Three-time world champion Jackie Stewart played an important part in the push for safety during some of F1's most dangerous years, advocating mandatory seatbelts and full-face helmets, as well as for better barriers and proper medical teams.

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