Grand Prix Drivers' Association — BrandWiki

Grand Prix Drivers' Association

Overview

formation	formed: 11 May 1961 disbanded: (February) 1982 reformed: (13) May 1994
leader title	Chairman
leader name	🇦🇹 Alexander Wurz
leader title2	Directors
headquarters	🇲🇨 Monaco

The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) is a trade union for Formula One drivers. Founded in 1961 and refounded in 1994, it has organised several drivers' strikes and boycotts over the years, primarily in response to unsafe circuits on the F1 calendar and other driver safety issues. It represents the international cast of F1 drivers but is based in Monaco. Its current chairman is former driver Alexander Wurz.

Background

First GPDA

The GPDA was founded in May 1961 and, following an election by members, its inaugural Chairman was Stirling Moss. After Moss retired from the sport in 1963, Jo Bonnier succeeded him.[1]

The organisation's initial aim was to obtain representation on the Commission Sportive Internationale (CSI) of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA) to advocate for improved safety standards and provisions for both drivers and spectators.[1]

Driver safety initiatives

Since 1994, the GPDA's primary mission has been to improve safety on track. The GPDA threatened to boycott the 2013 German Grand Prix after a series of dangerous tyre blowouts at the British Grand Prix.[21][22] The GPDA also pushed for stricter safety regulations at private team testing sessions, an area that the FIA traditionally did not regulate.[23][24] In 2006, Williams' Alexander Wurz, a future GPDA chairman, said that the GPDA's safety push had helped cut the drivers' casualty insurance premiums by nearly half.[23]

Aftermath of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix

Following Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger's deaths at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the reformed GPDA asked the FIA to limit speeds in dangerous areas and improve safety technology.[25] For example, during the 1994 season, temporary chicanes were installed at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya's Nissan corner[26] and the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps' Eau Rouge/Raidillon complex.[27] In addition, a pit lane speed limit was introduced, and tracks were revised to provide larger run-off areas at the most dangerous corners.[28]

2005 tyre war controversy

In 2005, Michelin belatedly realised that its tyres could not handle the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's steeply banked Turn 13, prompting the teams with Michelin tyre contracts to drop out of the. Ferrari, which had a Bridgestone tyre contract, participated and won the race.[29] Following the race, the FIA sought to punish the Michelin teams for dropping out. In response, the drivers for the Michelin-supplied teams issued a statement arguing that their teams acted appropriately to protect their drivers' safety. However, the GPDA chairman, Ferrari's Michael Schumacher (who won the race), publicly opposed the statement and denied that the GPDA was involved in the statement. Complicating matters, Jarno Trulli (the polesitter, who was forced to drop out) contradicted Schumacher and characterised the statement as a GPDA statement.[30]

Later that year, FIA president Max Mosley cancelled a meeting with the GPDA, purportedly in retaliation for statements made by the GPDA's David Coulthard. The meeting was reportedly calendared to discuss the Michelin tyre dispute and proposed safety measures at F1 teams' private test sessions. Mosley claimed Coulthard's statements to the media were a "distortion" of the purpose of the meeting and accused him of stirring up dissent.

Aftermath of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix

Jules Bianchi was fatally injured at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix and died after several months in a coma. Following his death, the GPDA issued a statement saying that it felt a responsibility "to never relent in improving safety."[32] The GPDA participated in the FIA's official review of the events of the Japanese GP.[33] It also encouraged new safety reforms, including the "halo" cockpit protection device,[34] which Formula One (and some drivers) initially resisted.[34][35]

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

During the weekend of the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, the GPDA held a four-hour meeting to discuss multiple missile attacks in the Jeddah region, some as close as 10km from the Jeddah Corniche Circuit. After discussing the issue with Saudi government officials and FIA regulators, it eventually issued a statement confirming that the drivers would participate, despite their "natural concerns" about driver and team safety.[36]

Other activities

Under the leadership of Alexander Wurz (who became the GPDA chairman in 2014), the organisation grew "increasingly proactive in looking beyond [solely driver safety] to a more holistic bigger picture" about the structure and governance of the sport.[37] In 2023, director George Russell explained that the GPDA was broadly concerned with three main topics: driver safety, "on-track entertainment," and "how it feels to drive the cars",[38] although he subsequently noted that the role had grown unexpectedly political.[39]

Racing regulations

In 2017, following Liberty Media's purchase of the Formula One Group, the GPDA sent Liberty a letter encouraging it to revise F1's sporting regulations to encourage closer racing. Wurz explained that "we all love one great natural overtaking much more than ten or more DRS overtakes." However, he also credited Ross Brawn and Pat Symonds with helping push for new regulations, which debuted in 2022.[40] Motor Sport had previously noted that the drivers almost unanimously criticised regulation changes rolled out before the 2017 season, which they felt "will make overtaking even more difficult than it actually is."[37]

Sporting governance

The GPDA became increasingly critical of Bernie Ecclestone's leadership during his final years in charge of Formula One. In 2015, the GPDA and Motorsport.com jointly organised a fan survey,[41][42] which Wurz interpreted as saying that the fans (like him) "do not want [Formula One] to become an artificial show with gimmicks introduced to simply make it more entertaining".[43] He added that "F1's business has become too important, jeopardising our sport."[44] In 2016, following changes to the qualifying system, the GPDA released a statement calling F1's decision making "obsolete" and "ill-structured". The GPDA believed that the decision making could "jeopardise F1's future success."[45] Ecclestone angrily dismissed the GPDA's statement, saying that the drivers were "only saying what their teams have told them to say"[46]

Super License fees

The GPDA occasionally protests when the FIA raises the price of the FIA Super License, which all drivers must receive in order to compete in F1. In 2009, the GPDA explained that while it would not oppose reasonable price increases, "Super Licence fees should not be a revenue stream for the FIA" and "as a principle, the drivers should not be taxed to fund the costs of others fulfilling their legal duty to the drivers."[54] The FIA eventually agreed to cut Super License fees ahead of the 2010 season.[55]

Grand Prix Drivers' Association

Background

First GPDA

Second GPDA

Driver safety initiatives

Aftermath of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix

2005 tyre war controversy

Aftermath of the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix

2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix

Other activities

Racing regulations

Sporting governance

Super License fees

Membership and leadership

List of chairmen

List of directors

See also

External links

References