Entertainment, What is it Worth?

Motorsport is known for it’s danger and risk but is it fair to say it’s level of risk is taken advantage of, in light of entertainment.

There is no doubt in saying that Formula One is the face of motorsport however, the absurd amount of money put into Formula One is not going towards making it a safe sport. I don’t mean ‘safe’ in terms of limiting what they achieve, but as we saw today in the 2024 Monaco Grand Prix, that first lap incident with Kevin Magnussen, Sergio Perez and Nico Hulkenberg; fortunately all drivers came out alive and with little injuries, from what I saw, but the outcome of the car… It was no where near functional or with a slight opportunity of recovery for the restart. It was mangled and left in the middle of the track.

 Now, this is a track in which these cranes have to be used to lift and manoeuvrer the cars out the way but the height they reach as they move these cars above all the obstacles is mind blowing. Interestingly, Monaco doesn’t meet the FIA regulations for a modern day F1 track but it’s given that sign of approval because of the history and history is so important when it comes to these sports and this evolution of technology with humanity and there’s so much that goes into it. Motorsport has been around and doing this for decades now and there is so much technology at their disposal yet we’re still racing in these conditions that aren’t adapting as the cars and people in and around them are. 

If you watch and listen to the broadcast before a race then you’ll hear the commentators talk about how they anticipate these safety cars and these yellow flags, red flags and when you really think about what that means you want to address that they’re actually anticipating someone having an incident, making a mistake that could cost them their life, not to be dramatic, but that’s what they’re talking about there. There have been fatalities in a motor sport crash. There’s been recent ones and past ones both so devastating for the sport and yet nothing has changed drastically enough to stop it from happening.  

Surely the right people can come together and think of something, somewhere that can improve how it is run. I’m not proposing any drastic changes to the track or anything that will stop the enjoyment of the race. It is a narrow track and with the size of the formula one cars these days we are bound to see contact with the wall and other drivers, but they don’t want their family watching the aftermath of a major incident knowing that the whole world can also see the wreckage. There are elements of broadcast and marshals and FIA officials that have a responsibility over the procedures of this particular race but it applies to every stop on the calendar. 

Why do we accept the anticipation of a major incident? Why do we allow this to take away from the real thrill of motor racing? The speed, the skill, the evolution of these vehicles. The teams and the drivers and the fans, deserve more than a money hungry plea for ‘entertainment’ when the sport delivers without the terrifying risk.