Dodgy Business: Toughening up on safety

Dodgy Business: Toughening up on safety

We investigate the incredible advances in helmet technology that contributed to Felipe Massa's survival on Saturday. Tony Dodgins also talks to Helmut Marko who lost his left eye in a similar incident in 1972.

Back in 1972, at Clermont-Ferrand, promising young Austrian Helmut Marko lost both his left eye and his career to a stone thrown up by Ronnie Peterson’s March in the French GP. Today, Marko is Dietrich Mateschitz's right-hand man at Red Bull, with particular involvement in the junior driver programme.

Given Jaime Alguersuari's record-breaking F1 debut (19 years, 125 days) and Felipe Massa’s misfortunes, Marko’s views were particularly pertinent last weekend. Talking to him brought it home just how much things have changed.

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