Formula 1’s safety car could turn into a driverless machine in the future according to the FIA.
With the advancements being put into autonomous vehicle development at such a rapid rate in the automotive world, the FIA will look into the possibilities of utilising such technology whilst ensuring the race drivers are kept firmly in the lime light.
Marcin Budkowski, the head of the FIA’s F1 technical department, told Autosport: “It would promote a technology about which there is a bit of scepticism and, instead, it could be shown that it works.
“The safety car driver would no longer be essential, because it would leave the controls to the computer.
“But we must be aware of the attraction of F1 race cars without drivers: the engineers would love it, but not the fans.”
With the Roborace series in development alongside the Formula E championship, there is a potential market to advertise such advancements in technology through F1, whether the fans would like to see the idea utilised within the championship would be a different question entirely.
“I see it [Roborace] as a very interesting thing, which pushes things in one direction,” added Budkowski.
“But can this idea of having no F1 driver captivate millions around the world? Frankly I have doubts.
“However, using the motorsport platform to promote to the public new technologies, like an unmanned safety car, or events like Roborace, can be fantastic in exploring the possibility of new solutions.
“The idea was to understand what will change with autonomous driving in the automotive world, and what influences it would have on the individual national federations.
“There were also implications in defining the business model, not to mention how to use the new technologies in motorsport to promote them – because solutions will completely change the world of cars and safety.
“Autonomous driving will have a very strong impact on safety and we know how the FIA and Jean Todt are engaged in the Action for Road Safety campaign.”
