Professor Sid Watkins passes away aged 84

The man who unquestionably increased motorsport safety, Professor Sid Watkins, has passed away at the age of 84. A renowned neurosurgeon, Sid Watkins started working in Formula 1 in 1978 after being offered a job by Bernie Ecclestone. In his 26 years served as the FIA Medical Delegate for the Formula 1 World Championship, Watkins saved the lives of numerous F1 drivers.

Brought up in Liverpool, Professor Sid Watkins was officially appointed as the F1 Doctor back in 1978, after being offered the job by the then Chief Executive of the Formula One Constructors’ Association, Bernie Ecclestone. The first race he attended was the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix at Anderstorp, a race eventually won by the Brabham of Niki Lauda. After the death of Ronnie Peterson at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, Sid Watkins immediately made an impact on the safety of the sport by demanding that a medical car and a medical helicopter be introduced at the races, as well as requesting improved safety equipment.

In 1981, Sid Watkins was appointed the President of the Medical Commission, an organization set up by the sports governing body FISA. Sid Watkins was on the scene only moments after Gilles Villeneuve suffered his fatal incident during qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix. He was also first on the scene when Riccardo Paletti died at the start of the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix, extinguishing the fire which engulfed the Italian’s car whilst his boots melted in the blaze.

By the mid-1980s, Sid Watkins was already becoming renowned for his superlative work towards the safety of the sport, and was presented with a silver trophy during the drivers’ briefing prior to the 1985 British Grand Prix. In 1992, Sid Watkins founded the Brain and Spine foundation and in 1994 he was appointed Chairman of the FIA Expert Advisory Safety Committee following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and good friend Ayrton Senna during the tragic events of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

In 1995, Sid Watkins unquestionably saved the life of future double World Champion Mika Hakkinen, after the Finn crashed heavily during qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix on the Adelaide Street Circuit. The McLaren driver was declared unconscious after the incident, and upon arriving at the scene Sid Watkins restarted Hakkinen’s heart twice before carrying out a tracheotomy to clear his air passage.

In 2002, Professor Sid Watkins was made a member of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), and in 2005 he announced his official retirement from the world of motorsport. Watkins was succeeded by Gary Hartstein, who remains the FIA Medical Delegate for the Formula 1 World Championship to this day. Sid Watkins remained the President of the FIA Institute until December 8th, 2011, before he finally decided to retire for good.

Professor Sid Watkins oversaw the implementation of many safety procedures throughout his career, such as the medical car following the pack during the opening lap of the race to enable a quick response if a major incident occurred. Such procedures are now vital in the safety of the sport, and Sid Watkins will be forever remembered as the man who restructured safety in Formula 1.

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