FREE ESSAY ON DEATH RETURNS TO FORMULA ONE RACING

DEATH RETURNS TO FORMULA ONE RACING

Jesse Oleet !0/5/98
English 10 Short Story
Death Returns to Formula One Racing
My first hint that something was wrong came Sunday afternoon when I logged on to the BBS
(bulletin board service, a central computer acting as a host for other users to exchange
messages) for auto racing. Someone posted a short but gripping note, I think I just
witnessed the death of Ayrton Senna, he said. My eyes widened as I exclaimed what, in
shock and dismay. A few hours later, the facts became clearer. Senna had crashed on the
sixth lap of the San Marino Grand Prix while leading the race. It happened at a section
called Tamburello - a gentle bend taken at top speed, about 186 miles per hour. His car
had suddenly veered off the course and crashed into a solid concrete wall. Senna was
already considered one of the top drivers in grand prix racing history. He had more pole
positions than any other driver did and only Alain Prost who retired last year surpassed
his total wins. Incredible intensity and deep concentration characterized his driving.
Mistakes from him were rare. It was shocking that he would have a serious crash, even
more inconceivable that he would be in mortal danger.
On the BBS, all of us were experiencing a sense of loss and were having a difficult time
finding solace among outsiders to the sport of auto racing. Crashes like Senna's tend to
bring out the worst critics who insist that those who want only to see crashes
watch-racing events. And so we turned to each other expressing first our anger, then
sadness and finally a candid assessment of the sport and how it could be made safer. This
was the second death of the weekend as another lesser-known driver was killed during a
practice session before the race.
The modern formula one or grand prix car is a masterpiece of engineering and contemporary
design. The top teams to develop the cars to their maximum potential spend incredible
sums of money. Their shape is wind tunnel tested. Exotic materials like carbon fiber
along with chemical additives for optimizing the gasoline are just a few of the important
technologies used. Telemetry logged into a computer (like an airplane's black box flight
recorder) can tell the mechanics and designers exactly how a car can be optimized for a
particular track. In fact computer technology has played an even greater role in the last
two years through the development of real-time enhancements. These driver aids as they
have been called include: active suspension, engine management along with semiautomatic
transmission, and traction control. Of course, along with the technological advancements
has come a steady increase in speed. More importantly, this steady increase has led to a
greater potential for serious harm in an accident.
Details of Senna's crash serve to illustrate some of the dangers that grand prix racing
must overcome if it is to survive. At the section where Senna went off the track, there
are some bumps, which (according to other drivers) were disruptive and may have caused a
mechanical failure, resulting in the veering of the car. Earlier in the year (during
preseason testing) Senna himself had pointed out the danger of these bumps and had
requested that the surface be smoothed out. This was supposedly done but the result was
even worse! Reports indicate the bumps were perhaps 2 inches high-an incredible hurdle to
a modern F1 car. Also there is the wall where the crash occurred. On most tracks there
are large runoff areas with sand traps that have proved effective in slowing down
out-of-control cars. Stacked tire walls have also helped soften areas of possible impact.
However, at Tamburello none of these techniques were employed. There is a small river
that runs near the course at this point; hence the placement of a large concrete wall at
an acute angle only a few yards from the pavement but in front of the river. A sandpit
was contemplated but there was inadequate room. Finally, a patch of concrete was added
over the grass to help a car gain some control and perhaps avoid the wall if it went off
course. The drivers' head has also become increasingly vulnerable as the speeds have
increased. Senna was killed by a piece of his car's suspension that had broken off during
the collision and impacted his forehead. Roland Ratzenberger, the driver who was killed
in practice, also suffered a fatal head injury.
But perhaps the greatest problem is beyond the scope of a technical discussion. It is a
factor, which lies outside the control of any designer, engineer, mechanic, or driver. To
illustrate, at the beginning of the year, FISA (the governing body of grand prix formula
one racing) began enforcing a new set of rules which banned the use of most of the driver
aiding computer technology. It was thought that driver ability was playing a much lesser
role than it ever had, resulting in less competition and increased cost. But in fact, had
active suspension been permitted at the San Marino race, Sennas' car would have been able
to negotiate the bumps at Tamburello much more easily and a mechanical breakage would
probably not have occurred. It has also been argued that the wall at Tamburello makes the
track unsafe and that a grand prix race should not be held there. In fact, many tracks in
the US have been denied a race for similar reasons. Yet the promoters of San Marino seem
to have a strong influence and their voices have thus far held sway. Meanwhile, the
technology of formula one cars continues to improve while the drivers cope with greater
speed and frequently greater danger. And so the deeper problem begins to surface: can a
governing body, subjected to political forces, safely and effectively guide the progress
of formula one technology?
Since that fateful weekend at San Marino, immediate and long-term rules changes are being
contemplated by FISA. That they will be effective in improving safety remains to be seen.
But even if they are, crashes will not be totally avoidable. And the critics will
continue to say that racing fans are blood mongers who want only to see horrendous
accidents. That there will be more death is also a possibility. But many people die even
as they walk down the street, drive a car, or ride in a plane. Yes, the danger will
always be present, separating the great drivers from the reckless and the mere
finishers.
After that tragic weekend, Niki Lauda, the retired grand prix champion was quoted as
saying; God lifted his hand from formula one racing momentarily this weekend after having
protected it for ten years. To those of us who admire the drivers and thrill at the
delicate beauty of a formula one car as it fleetingly dances along the path of the worlds
race tracks, we can only pray that the benevolent hand of protection will return and
restore the relative safety of the past ten years.