Wednesday 14th March 2001

Jackie Stewart, a long-time campaigner for a safer sport, called on the FIA to ensure stewards were properly protected. His comments came after the death of a marshal at the season-opener in Australia, the second marshal to die in five races. “In exposed areas marshals might be issued with flack jackets in the same way that police are to mitigate against the impact of shrapnel in the milliseconds after accidents,” Stewart said. “There is also the issue of head protection and face guards as well as flack jackets. When an accident occurs you have to recognise there are lessons to be learned.”