Sid Watkins

[Poyetry In Motion]

Sad news for Formula one fans.
Sid Watkins has died. He was 84.
If it weren't for Sid, drivers such as Gerhard Berger, Mika Hakkinen and Rubino wouldn't have survived. Unfortunately, even Sid wasn't able to save Ayrton Senna.
RIP Prof and thanks for everything

 

[Woodchip]

And Kubica's accident in Canada may have had a far worse outcome than a sprained ankle.

RIP Sid. Thanks for saving the lives of so many and working so tirelessly to promote safety within F1, and later in all FIA sanctioned motorsport.

 

[Hyperion]

That is sad. Everyone in F1 loved him and he was tasked (post Senna tragedy) to make F1 safer, which he made a good job of. There has not been a death in F1 since so all the recommendations he put forward clearly had a lasting legacy. RIP Sir.

 

[Woodchip]

That is sad. Everyone in F1 loved him and he was tasked (post Senna tragedy) to make F1 safer, which he made a good job of. There has not been a death in F1 since so all the recommendations he put forward clearly had a lasting legacy. RIP Sir.

Death of a driver. A couple of marshals have been killed (Australia and Italy).

I agree completely with the sentiment of your post though.

 

[Hyperion]

Death of a driver. A couple of marshals have been killed (Australia and Italy).

I agree completely with the sentiment of your post though.

Admittedly i meant driver deaths and forgot about those marshalls. Which driver has died since Senna then out of interest

 

[itszamora]

Admittedly i meant driver deaths and forgot about those marshalls. Which driver has died since Senna then out of interest

No-one, I think he meant there has been not been a death of a driver since Senna, and Roland Ratzenberger the day before.

 

[rocker959]

RIP

 

[Frutos]

RIP Sid

 

[brightonlass2009]

And Kubica's accident in Canada may have had a far worse outcome than a sprained ankle.

RIP Sid. Thanks for saving the lives of so many and working so tirelessly to promote safety within F1, and later in all FIA sanctioned motorsport.

There are a number of accidents that could have had a far worse outcome. Button's in Monaco qualifying in 2003. Massa's in Hungary in 2009. Even Perez last season in Monaco could have been horrendous. He worked long and hard to ensure the sport was as safe as it is today. RIP Sid.

 

[martyn20]

The FIA have confirmed there will be a minutes applause in honour of Prof Sid Watkins before the Singapore GP on Sunday, very nice touch to mark his sad passing

 

[Seagull over Canaryland]

Keen follower of motorsport for many years but only became aware of Sid's work to improve the safety of F1 drivers following Mika Hakkinen's accident at Adelaide in the '90s.

Hakkinen's McLaren had a puncture and got launched into the barriers. Marshals and trackside doctors were quickly on scene but it was the arrival of Watkins in the medical car who saved his life by restarting his heart twice and then recognising Hakkinen had serious head injuries that caused him to swallow his tongue and obstruct his breathing. Watkins then performed an emergency 'cricothyrotomy' to create an airway by making an incision into Hakkinen's throat. I recall the photos showing Hakkinen conscious in the car, looking bloody and shocked but alive. He made a full recovery and later went on to become a World Champion.

I recall Sid was also an early practitioner of placing severe trauma patients into a medically induced coma which allowed the body to focus on responding to treatment and surviving.

He certainly elevated the care of drivers to a new level.