Professor SID WATKINS was the keynote speaker Tuesday for the SAE 2006 SAE Motorsports Engineering Conference in Dearborn, Michigan.
He is now the president of the
FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, but is best known for his 26 years in Formula One as its first doctor. The 76-year old noted neurosurgeon was the FIA medical delegate and safety delegate. He headed up the
F1 Medical Safety team, was the first responder at any crash, and trained the local medical staff at each grand prix venue. All FIA series have extrication practice at each race, as do A1GP and Formula One Masters series.
Dr Watkins started out at age eight by fuelling cars in his father's garage, but he eschewed following in his father's footsteps and became a physician instead. He went on to have a storied career. Dr Sid incorporated his passion for motorsports by becoming medical director for several circuits, including
Silverstone and Watkins Glen International in its early days.
In 1978, he was recruited by BERNIE ECCLESTONE to work in
Formula One. One of Watkins' first changes was to upgrade track medical facilities. He is considered responsible for the modern medical practices in Formula One, with standards higher than in any other form of motorsports. Many credit his work with motorsport safety for no F1 deaths or life-threatening injuries since 1994, when ROLAND RATZENBERGER and AYRTON SENNA died. In 1996, MARIO ANDRETTI presented Dr Watkins with the
Mario Andretti Award for Medical Excellence.
Among the things for which Dr Watkins has lobbied were collapsible steering columns, protective foam around the top of the cockpit, crash testing for various kinds of impacts, and the HANS device. One feature Formula One cars have is an extricable seat making it a removable splint. The F1 driver is lifted out of the car still in his seat. In the United States, for example, Champ Car uses a Ked Board to remove an injured driver.
