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They don't call it the Grand Prix Circus for nothing. Over the course of nine months each year, Formula 1 (F1) drivers, representing popular racing teams like Ferrari, Renault, McLaren Mercedes, and BMW Williams compete for the über-prestigious title of World Champion. Twenty drivers compete in a typical season, and each is supported by dozens of technical staff with tons of equipment moved around the world in a convoy of trucks. Attendance can range from 150,000 to 200,000 spectators, and television audiences can number in the hundreds of millions. The costs and logistics of putting on an F1 race are understandably enormous, and this is especially true for medical services. Racing is safer than it ever was, but accidents still happen – and sometimes they involve track marshals and even spectators. Medical preparation is central to planning each race. The medical center at the Silverstone Racetrack in England, considered one of the best on the F1 circuit, is equipped with the following on a race weekend: • more than 100 medical
personnel and almost 50 doctors on call;
• 24 ambulances;
• 2 helicopters;
• more than a dozen beds;
• a fully-equipped operating
theater with state-of-the-art equipment;
• a resuscitation room;
• a burns unit complete
with saline bath and a showering unit for sluicing
drivers who may have been covered by fuel in an accident;
• an x-ray unit and a developing
room;
• a recovery ward. That's a far cry from the days when the emergency services at F1 races were carried out in a makeshift tent, and it's why medical and emergency preparations for an F1 race are among the most complex and sophisticated of any organized sporting event. Discuss This ArticleHave something you'd like to say? Tell us what you think! Read and post comments for this article. Like this article? Read more! Browse our archive of 1,109 articles. Also, see our master index of all MedHunters articles! Find a JobChoose your career: MedHunters is the world's biggest healthcare job board. Our job directory has 18,046 jobs with 2,503 hospitals and other direct employers. We want you to find your next job on MedHunters. Need Help? Call us at 1-888-884-8242, email us at info@medhunters.com or sign up now. Have an article or story for MedHunters? Email us today at submissions@medhunters.com. |
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