Anthoine Hubert Formula 2 death: Why the motorsport ‘family’ races on – BBC

The accident that killed Method 2 driver Anthoine Hubert on Saturday serves as a reminder of the unpalatable truth that will motor racing can never be safe.

As safety has improved over the particular years, accidents such because this, and their terrible outcomes, have become increasingly rare. But any time a human being straps themselves into a projectile plus races closely with other cars at speeds of well over 100mph, they are taking a very serious risk.

This day would otherwise have been filled with talk associated with Ferrari’s front-row lock-out, whether they could finally deliver a win this season, and so on, but people who work in Formulation 1 know a bad accident when they see one, and the reaction to this one was instantaneous.

World champion Lewis Hamilton was conducting television interviews at the time and was glancing, as F1 drivers do, at the particular start from the F2 race.

As the accident unfolded in all its horrific violence, he said: “Oh wow. Hope that kid’s good. Wow. That’s terrifying. ”

He rubbed his forehead, their face a mask of concern, and then walked off, not saying another word.

At Red Bull, their new driver Alexander Albon was holding his news conference with the particular written media, the F2 race upon a television screen behind him.

Journalists inhaled in horror in what they were seeing. Albon turned around, watched what has been happening, and said nothing. Then, after a minute or so, crossed their hands in order to indicate to his press handler that the session had been over.

Immediately, even though there was no confirmation associated with the seriousness of the accident, the particular paddock from Spa descended into silence. People’s faces set. Work was undertaken with stoicism and silent contemplation. Motor racing is a hard, brutal business, in the number of ways, yet the sport also considers itself a family, and it rarely feels closer than at times like this.

These moments confront racing drivers in a very visceral and immediate sense with the dangers of the profession they chose because they love this. The risk these people take is an inherent part of that love, however hard that might be for some to comprehend.

Of course they will don’t want to be injured, or worse, but the very fact they can be adds an extra frisson in order to an activity that already rewards the participants with feelings that will simply cannot be experienced anywhere else.

The particular combination of balance, bravery, skill, judgement plus excitement that comes from controlling the racing car on the very edge associated with adhesion with high speed, and trying to beat everyone else while doing it, will be what makes racing motorists stand out from some other people, plus makes it different from most other sports

It is usually also part of the appeal to the people who watch this. They don’t want to observe people hurt either, but they appreciate what the drivers are doing, what it requires of them, and what is at stake.

Not for nothing did Hemingway say: “There are only three sports activities: bullfighting, motor racing, and mountaineering; all the rest are merely games. inch

As Hamilton said: “If a single one of you watching and enjoying this sports activity think for a second what we do is safe, you’re hugely mistaken. All these drivers put their life on the particular line when they hit the track and people need in order to appreciate that will in a serious way because it is definitely not appreciated enough. Not from the fans nor some of the particular people actually working within the sport.

“Anthoine is a hero as far as I’m concerned, with regard to taking the risk he do to chase his dreams. I’m therefore sad that this has happened. Let’s lift him up and remember him. ”

Hubert can be the first person to die as a result of an accident in a race sanctioned by international governing body the FIA since F1 car owner Jules Bianchi, who sustained terrible head injuries in a crash during the particular 2014 Japanese Grand Tarifs and died the following July.

The last motorist killed within a major international engine race was Britain’s Justin Wilson – hit on the mind by debris during an IndyCar competition at Pocono, Pennsylvania in August 2015.

Since then, there possess been a number of serious incidents, but simply no fatalities, which is a testament in order to the ongoing work around the world to improve security.

There will be a full investigation into this accident. It will be considered whether the ‘halo’ head-protection device, which was introduced last year as the direct result of Bianchi’s accident, did its job as intended. The forces involved will be analysed. Lessons will become learned, plus changes made. But in a few cases, there is not much to be done. The human body can only take so much, which is why the danger of motorsport can never be entirely eradicated.

Spa-Francorchamps, where this particular accident occurred, is one of the world’s greatest, the majority of historic, fastest, most challenging and, yes, most dangerous race tracks. The drivers look forward to races there more than those at any yet a mere handful of circuits around the world. But they don’t do it lightly. They do it in full awareness associated with the risks they are getting.

On Sunday night, more than dinner along with friends and colleagues, the particular 20 F1 drivers contemplated the loss of a man who some of them knew, a number of them had raced against, and of whom some were just aware since someone that could very well, one day soon, be one of them.

On Sunday, their usual pre-race preparations, were done with seriousness, sobriety and a good iron determination to carry on with business as usual.

Then on 3. 10pm local time, they viewed five red lights come on one simply by one after which go out, and within a few seconds they raced nose to tail, side by side at close to 200mph over the exact spot where, less than 24 hours earlier, a colleague paid the ultimate price.

The sport they really like brings them incredible highs and, as on Saturday, awful lows. The mixture of all that is — whatever 1 may think of it : what can make it therefore thrillingly, awfully, terribly, tragically, special.

They are truly not because other people.