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Looks like the lousy English weather will give us a ray of sunshine for the race weekend at least and there is always one topic that comes into conversation and puts a smile on my face. It is almost a question of how long can I get through the weekend without hearing someone mention what is probably the most talked about lap of all times. It is not that I find the conversation at all boring, but it just amazes me how quickly it always comes up at Silverstone. 

I had to do a quick reminder on google for this but Alonso is the current record holder at Silverstone with a lap time of an average speed of around 145mph set last year during the race. The particular lap I am of course alluding to was some 15mph faster as an AVERAGE. It topped 160mph on the “old” Silverstone, set by the original “flying Finn” (Rosberg Snr), in a Williams in qualifying. That is not the “bit” that really stands out though, because, remembering the UK weather, Keke did this on a damp track !! He then got out of the car and lit a fag – he probably needed it!! 

Putting that incredible lap aside, the memory also makes me think just how much safer F1 has of course become over the years. Silverstone had become blinding quick – too quick. The cars were just as fast in a straight line and the aero packages on cars were just not as advanced as today so before there was a nasty accident the governing body took steps to slow the average speeds of cars down. It was probably needed at that time. Silverstone did have some reasonably generous run off area – complete with Catch Fencing which was in vogue for a while – but I also recall some parts of the old circuit were lined with railway sleepers – or something similar – what ever if a driver was going to have a heavy impact it was going to hurt.

This all comes back to how safe F1 has – as a relative term - become. The cars, the circuits, the facilities, the fitness of the drivers. It is still going to hurt, but the drivers are just all better protected. As I have mentioned before there have (thankfully) just never been enough deaths is F1 to make any true meaning to what the odds are of a driver being killed. I did however look back through some interesting records going back to 1963 and this made reference to the accidents “per race” and in the period '63-'67 there was almost one accident per race.
From '68 – '72 this increased to 1.5 accidents per race so the governing body at that time started to bring in new safety measures. The results were that from '73 to '77 the accident rate had more than doubled to 3.25 per race. Further improvements were brought in for the next period so by the time we got to 1982 the accident rate increased further to 3.72 per race.

Further improvements followed and temporarily the trend was reversed temporarily and figures dipped back down to 2.75 before jumping back up again to 3.81 by the end of 1992 season. By 1997 we were back into a growth spurt of 4.64 accidents per race. By this time the governing body had stepped up the safety campaign and started to identify “high risk corners” where 15 were risk-reduced – either by making slower or extending the run off areas. Gravel traps which were once thought to work best with furrows smoothed over instead so cars were no longer “launched” and all raised kerbs now started to be standardised in their design.

Car design implemented extra head rest height, standard road fuels, and alterations to front and rear wing design, and a reduction in wheel width. Cockpit survivability was also increased. An on-board accident data recorder also became mandatory and had to be located within the survival cell. Crash testing imposed more stringent standards for suspension, wheels, front and rear impact absorption, and the cockpit sides were raised. Whether this is the main contributor to a reduction in accident rates it is difficult to say but with further expansion of these improvements our accident rate had fallen down to 3.63 accidents per race. Since that time there have been peaks and troughs which probably illustrates the more aggressive fearless nature of the young chargers of today. They are all fitness fanatics – and don’t smoke!

Lewis Hamilton at his home GP will be more focused that normal on pole at home. He remarked recently that F1 drivers needed the danger element – that is part of the appeal. He is absolutely right. As a driver or spectator I too enjoy the danger too, but I also remember James Hunt explaining that being an F1 drivers was more a case of “by the grace of god”. James did smoke – almost anything I believe at times.

I shall look forward to Silverstone of course and will salute all the F1 drivers of today – but “speed”, “danger”, “F1” and "fags" apparently don’t all go together these days.... they could be worth at least a couple of tenths I reckon.....

This article originally appeared in the paddock magazine July 2013
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"We would like to think so" says Justin Everitt. "Having secured insurance industry recognition for Innovation and E-Business sometime ago we have been working incredibly hard ever since to bring added value to our customers so to have now achieved an ISO accreditation too it sends out a signal to our insurers and clients that we are very much ahead of the game - and our competitors "

MORIS have recently been accredited with ISO 9001. This is a quality management system (QMS) for organisations who want to prove their ability to consistently provide products and services that meets the needs of their customers.

"This is very important to us" explains Everitt "as the longest standing Trackday Insurance provider for cars AND bikes we do not ever plan to rest on our laurels but our website has been designed around a complete range of motorsport activity and as we attract support from leading quality insurers, it is as important to them as well as our customers that we are constantly striving for ever improved standards"

The new style MORIS website was launched earlier in the year in May and received terrific feedback from clients and insurance industry alike. "there have been a number of new competitors who have decided to tackle the trackday insurance market but from research we have done we feel confident that we can provide the most immediate, most flexible, most cost effective and most accessible trackday insurance. This, we believes makes us one of the best Trackday Insurance providers.

We have looked around at many of our competitors and many try tie you in with regular motor insurance. This might have a benefit for those who are doing multiple days year in year out but otherwise we believe this is a bit of a red herring strategy to bolster premium income for a portfolio of motor insurance - rather than really addressing the needs of trackday insurance.

Additionally many trackday insurance providers are limited to the circuits they can provide cover on in the UK which means some providers will not cover you on some UK circuits and for European Trackdays this limits the number of providers even more.

Sums insured are also a problem. Our background is not in regular motor insurance but the insurance of fast and (very) expensive race cars, so like many providers who are perhaps limited to values up to £50,000, we are not frightened of higher values. We say we can consider values of up to £200,000, but the reality is we have covered certain cars up to £300,000 and have recently been asked to accommodate a very race car valued at over £700,000. Our flexibility in this instance further adds to our belief we are all round the mots flexible and best track day insurance provider.

At MORIS.co.uk we have worked hard to consider all important "extras" to your cover such as a Recovery Insurance, Personal Injury and in some instances we even have the unique option of insuring your policy excess. No one else can do this.

Additionally and in response to the fact many circuits are now prepared to bill the driver for damage to armco and tyre barriers (Nurburgring and MSV Events in particular) we are going to be adding an option for our clients to be able to protect against these additional costs. Best Track Day Insurance? We like to think so.....

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MORIS ON TRACK

A motorsport insurance survey is about to commence at this coming weekends race meeting at Brands Hatch as Justin Everitt makes his return to the racing scene in the unique MARCH 09 Duratec Sports 2000 race car.

Listening to competitors needs

The survey is a very short one - and will be no longer than five questions long. Those who take part will be able to obtain an instant 10% discount from MORIS for their next online purchase. It is designed to understand how competitors view the purchase of personal accident insurance and what they believe are equitable costs given the risks involved. Later in the year the survey will be put on-line on the MORIS website.

There is a slightly more subtle angle here too since we pick up chatter within the insurance market to the effect the majority of legal actions the MSA have to face as a governing body actually come from their own licence holders. "This is just plain wrong" exclaims Everitt. "The MSA, the clubs and circuits all work so hard to make what is recognised by all as a "dangerous sport" as safe as possible. t is completely impossible to legislate for all the freak accidents that go on in motor sport and lets face it - the majority of deaths or very serious injuries come from either a particular chain of events or simple bad luck and as a competitor it is plain wrong to leap to the phone and call one of the wretched no win no fee solicitors - they are just gangsters in suits"

Continuing Everitt explains, "When I go racing I fully accept the dangers. I have no intention of being one of a handful of people who do not come back from a weekends motorsport - but accidents happen. Instead of blaming someone else, the issue is not to leave my family penniless because of my indulgence so what is at the top of my personal motorsport insurance "check list" is "Am I Insured". The cost of taking this simple step is insignificant compared with the cost of actually competing for the weekend. Using MORIS.co.uk any MSA licence holder can insure themselves for up to £250,000 for Death and Disability and obtain up to £2,500 per week loss of income. Instantly, now today, any day of the week and what we are trying to do is filter out the same message to other competitors"

MORIS will continue with this survey through to the end of 2013 so if you would like to take part and claim your 10% discount for next years insurance bought through moris just send an email to info@moris.co.uk

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