Formula One medical expert Professor Sid Watkins has called time on his active involvement at grand prix weekends after almost 30 years at the top of the sport.
Although he will continue to work with the
FIA in his new capacity as president of the recently-established Institute for Motor Sport Safety in Paris, the 76-year old's 'hand-on' role will be filled by American Gary Hartstein, who has acted as Watkins' trackside assistant since 1997.
Hartstein is an associate professor of anaesthesiology and emergency medicine at Liege Hospital in Belgium, having decided to practice in Europe rather than his native America. He first became involved in motorsport while providing medical cover at the Spa-Francorchamps circuit in the 1980s.
“Professor Watkins has made a unique contribution to improving the standards of safety and medical intervention in Formula One and, indeed, internationally throughout motorsport," FIA president
Max Mosley reflected, “We very much look forward to the continuation of this contribution in his new role as the first president of the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety.
"Under Professor Watkins' guidance, I am convinced that the FIA Institute will become a centre of excellence and world leader in the fields of motorsport safety research and training.”
