Formula One drivers are a breed apart.
To some they are simply insane adrenaline junkies driven by a thirst for glory. Others
see them as nothing more than lunatics with telephone number salaries and a death-wish.
However, to the millions of fans that flock to the circuits, or are part of the
ever-expanding television audience, they are the modern equivalent of the gladiators of
Rome. |
"I make jokes about the fact that
as a neuro-surgeon I shouldn't be required at a motor race because the drivers don't have
any brains.... otherwise they wouldn't race." Syd Watkins - Chief Medical Officer |
 |
| Clad in flame retardant Nomex suits and gaudily painted helmets they propel their incredibly complex and expensive machines, at speeds in excess of 190 mph, around tortuous tracks specifically designed to challenge the best they and their engineers can produce. The difference between success and failure is measured in thousandths of a second. Constantly skating on the brink of disaster, they search for any advantage that will get them round that track faster than everybody else. Often it goes wrong, sometimes with tragic consequences, but when it all comes together the world is witness to a display of man and machine in total and utter harmony.
This is their story. |
