Chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) Alex Wurz claims that the organisation is still prominent and important in the modern era of Formula 1.
The former Benetton and Williams driver has led the GPDA since 2014, with the aim of the operation, which was founded in 1961, to improve driver safety standards. The importance of the GPDA is still alive today, according to Wurz
"Over the years, the GPDA has been a driving force in asking the FIA to look into safety and improve it," explained Wurz. "It is a unique selling point in racing that we don't jeopardize performance but make the cars safer and safer. This should be underlined as a strength.
"It means we can race very aggressively, at such high speeds, on tracks such as Monaco. And we can still do it while the entire world is moving into a much more extreme safety cushion that we have in Formula 1."
Wurz continued on, stating that the movement has been working tremendously behind closed doors, where the public eye can't see them.
"What you don't see in the media is the influence we have. We do have a very good corporation, and one thing I can say is that a very top FIA official told us that for the last few years, they have never had such a dialogue between drivers and the rule makers and stake holders, which all of us find beneficial.
"That is something I hope we can continue and I hope that with all the drivers, even those that aren't GPDA members, we may sure our sport is fit for the future, to attract more fans and to keep growing. As drivers, we don't think politically, we just want the best for the sport."
Fergal Walsh
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