Sid Watkins

In 1978 he met Bernie Ecclestone, at the time chief executive of the Formula One Constructors Association, who offered Watkins the position of official Formula One race doctor.[11] Ecclestone had checked in for a medical problem and offered Watkins $35,000 a year for the entire season. Watkins had to pay airfares, hotel bills, rental cars and all incidental expenses. Watkins accepted, and attended his first race at the 1978 Swedish Grand Prix. Outside of the Grand Prix weekends, he remained in his position as a neurosurgeon in London. His first day as the Safety and Medical Delegate, was at Brands Hatch to introduce himself to the drivers.[12] Watkins did not attend private test day sessions due to the large number of sessions held over the course of the year.[13]

Initially, his appointment was met with hostility by some of the racing circuits, who saw his appointment as a way of monitoring their performance. At the time, medical facilities would sometimes consist of nothing more than a tent. At the 1978 Italian Grand Prix, Ronnie Peterson crashed heavily on the first lap, with the car catching fire. Fellow drivers Clay Regazzoni, Patrick Depailler and James Hunt pulled him from the wreckage but by the time Watkins arrived at the scene, Italian police had formed a human wall to prevent people from entering the area. Watkins was initially stopped from assisting with the treatment and there was a long delay of approximately 18 minutes before an ambulance arrived to take Peterson to hospital, where he died the following day. Following the race, Watkins demanded that Ecclestone provide better safety equipment, an anaesthetist, a medical car and a medical helicopter (Medevac). All were provided at the next race in the United States. In addition, it was decided that the medical car containing Watkins would follow the racing cars for the first lap of the race to provide immediate help in the event of a first lap incident.[14] The organisers at Hockenheim had denied Watkins access to race control and Ecclestone threatened to stand in front of the grid and order the drivers out of their cars.[15]

1981 saw FISA, motorsport's governing body at the time, appoint a Medical Commission, with Watkins elected President. In 1982, at the Belgian Grand Prix, Watkins went with the medical car driven by Roland Bruynseraede as it headed to the scene of Gilles Villeneuve's serious accident and placed a tube into his windpipe for ventilation with his heart in normal condition. Villeneuve was airlifted by helicopter to the Gasthuisberg Hospital in Leuven and Watkins spoke to Villeneuve's wife Joann who was in her home in Monaco when 1979 champion Jody Scheckter informed her of the news. Joann flew to Belgium along with Scheckter's wife Pam to speak with Watkins. Joann and Watkins both accepted the decision to turn off his respirator, and Villeneuve died.[16]

At the Canadian Grand Prix later that year, Watkins had to deal with the fatal accident of Riccardo Paletti on the first lap of the race. Watkins got to Paletti's car 16 seconds after impact and opened the visor of the helmet to see his blown pupils. Then, before any medical attention could be received, Paletti's car caught fire due to the petrol tank having ruptured and ignited. Watkins had suitable clothing to prevent him from suffering serious burns but his hands were affected. After he extinguished the fire, he took off his gloves to put an airway into Paletti's throat but Watkins' boots had melted in the fire.[17] At the British Grand Prix in 1985, Watkins received a silver trophy during the drivers briefing. The trophy reads; "To the Prof, our thanks for your invaluable contribution to Formula 1. Nice to know you're there".[18] In 1986, Watkins had the responsibility for caring for Frank Williams who sustained spinal cord injuries in a car crash on a public road.[3]

In 1987, Nelson Piquet crashed during practice at the San Marino Grand Prix, and was declared unfit to race by Watkins. Despite it being only the second race of the season, Piquet tried to persuade officials to allow him to compete knowing any lost points could lose him the championship (which he ultimately won). In response, Watkins threatened to resign if overruled. The officials opted to support Watkins, and Piquet sat out the race, later admitting that it was the correct decision.[19]

Watkins founded the Brain and Spine Foundation in 1992, a charity that aims to improve "the prevention, treatment and care of people affected by disorders of the brain and spine".[20] He was a Patron of the foundation.[21]

At the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Watkins had to attend to his close personal friend, three-time champion Ayrton Senna, following the accident which claimed his life. Watkins had concerns about Senna's mental state following two crashes earlier in the weekend that had injured Senna's countryman and protege Rubens Barrichello and killed Austrian Roland Ratzenberger, suggesting to him that the two leave the track, go fishing, and forget about the race. Early in the race, Senna hit a retaining wall at nearly 140 miles per hour and Watkins was the first to attend to the driver. He reported that based on what he ascertained on arriving at the scene, that there was no chance Senna could have been saved, due to the graveness of the head injury he had suffered. Watkins also said he noticed Senna sighed, and his whole body relaxed, and that, though he was not religious, he felt it was at that moment Senna's "spirit left his body".

The FIA Expert Advisory Safety Committee was set up in 1994 following the race and Watkins was appointed as its chairman. Watkins was also responsible for setting up a rally research group and karting research group in 2003. The three groups were brought together in 2004 as the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, with Watkins as president.

For the 1995 European Grand Prix, Rubens Barrichello and Max Papis failed their drug tests after the Saturday qualifying session when both tested positive for ephedrine.[22] Watkins later argued that ephedrine had no effect on a driver's ability and that Formula One should not use exactly the same list as the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in any case.[23]

At the 1995 Australian Grand Prix, Mika Häkkinen crashed heavily during the Friday qualifying session at the Brewery Bend at high-speed due to a puncture having been sustained by one of his tyres. Häkkinen was immediately rendered unconscious but did not hit his head against the surrounding wall or cockpit.[24] Two volunteer doctors, Jereme Lockins and Steve Lewis, arrived at the scene in 15 seconds[25] with Watkins arriving last and taking the action of restarting Häkkinen's heart twice[26] and performing a cricothyroidotomy at the side of the track which he later described as his most satisfying experience during his time in the sport.[27]

Watkins was awarded the Mario Andretti Award for Medical Excellence in 1996.[28]

In 2002, Watkins was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire for recognition of his work in improving the safety of Grand Prix racing.[4][29]

Watkins acted in the defence for David Vissenga in an inquiry into practices into services of the Alfred Hospital, Melbourne where marshal Graham Beverige died after being struck by a wheel from Jacques Villeneuve's car in the 2001 Australian Grand Prix.[30] The University of Liverpool presented him with an honorary doctorate at a ceremony in Liverpool on 8 July 2004.

On 26 September 2004, Watkins along with Gary Hartstein were first on the scene when Peter Phillips and three other team members were travelling on the same stretch of road as Watkins and Hartstein when their van collided with another car at high speed.[31]

On 12 October 2004, Watkins became the first president of the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, and in December of that year he became the first president of the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, both created in honour of the FIA's hundredth anniversary.[32]