Allianz.com News: Safety is a key concern on the Formula 1 circuit. As the safety car driver, you have significant responsibility in this area. How do you see your role in Formula 1 racing?
Bernd Mayländer: "You have to know your limits"
Bernd Mayländer: Our team under Racing Director Charlie Whiting is responsible for safety on the Formula 1 circuit. On a race weekend, the safety car is the first vehicle on the track, and we run a check of the vehicle, its radios and GPS systems, and its camera settings. During a race, I am in constant communication with the race control, ready to spring into action immediately in an emergency. When needed, I take control of the race to ensure the safety of everyone on and around the track.
How exactly do you ensure everyone's safety during a race?
Mayländer: According to the Fédération International de l’Automobile (FIA) regulations, I am called on to act "when there is an immediate danger that requires intervention, but does not require the race to be suspended." That might include things like accidents or heavy rain. I position myself at the head of the field and lead the racers at a reduced speed around the track until the danger has passed. All cars, starting with the leader, have to line up behind the safety car like pearls on a string. Lapped cars between two vehicles fighting for position must return to the end of the line. I keep leading the cars around the track until the dangerous situation has been resolved.
What do you think of the safety standards in Formula 1 racing?
Mayländer: When it comes to safety, Formula 1 has made a lot of changes in the last few years – no matter what area you’re looking at, whether it's the cars, the tracks, or the way a safety car phase runs now. There are various departments within the FIA that work on safety for Formula 1.
There are many regulations that are developed in cooperation with the racing teams. This ongoing dialogue with the drivers helps us keep raising the bar on safety for Formula 1. I think we're already at a very high level when it comes to safety, but we hope to raise it even higher in the future!
Bernd Mayländer: "We're already at a very high level when it comes to safety"
The Safety Car in action on the circuit
You can't talk about safety without talking about risk. What does risk management mean to you personally? What do you do to minimize your own risk?
Mayländer: For me personally, risk management means that you can definitely push yourself to your limits. But the most important thing about that is that you must know your limits – and not just your own limits, but those of your vehicle. That's just as true of day-to-day driving as it is for Formula 1 racing.
To wrap up: what tips would you give people on their everyday driving habits?
Mayländer: I think the correct use and positioning of seat belts is extremely important – for drivers, passengers, and particularly for children. In an accident, a seat belt may mean the difference between life and death.
It's also extremely important for drivers to focus their full attention on driving. The distractions that lurk absolutely everywhere – cell phones, radios, etc. – often take the driver's focus away from actually driving the car. Race car drivers, by contrast, concentrate their full and complete attention on driving. I'd like to see that level of focus return to drivers in regular traffic as well.
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