Everything about Sid Watkins totally explained
Sidney Watkins,
MD,
FRCS,
OBE (born
1932 Liverpool) is a world-renowned
English neurosurgeon.
Watkins served twenty-six years as the
FIA Formula One Safety and Medical Delegate, head of the
Formula One on-track medical team, and first responder in case of a crash.
He is commonly known within the Formula One fraternity as
Professor Sid and is married and has four sons and two daughters.
Biography
Watkins graduated from the
University of Liverpool in
1952 and served with the
Royal Army Medical Corps in
West Africa for four years. Thereafter he returned to the UK to specialize in neurosurgery at
Oxford University. It was at this time that Watkins became interested in motorsports, and he began to act as race doctor at the
Silverstone Circuit during his free time.
Watkins moved to
Syracuse, New York upon receiving an offer to be professor of neurosurgery at the
State University of New York, but returned presently to England to act as head of neurosurgery at the
London Hospital. In
1978 he met
Bernie Ecclestone, at the time manager of the
Brabham Formula One team, who offered Watkins the position of official Formula One race doctor, a position he held - along with a number of FIA safety-related titles - until 2004. The FIA has recognized Watkins for being largely responsible for the modernization of medical standards in Formula One as well as the saving of many lives including
Didier Pironi (
1982) and
Rubens Barrichello (
1994).
In
2002, Watkins was made a member of the
Order of the British Empire. The University of Liverpool presented him with an honorary doctorate at a ceremony in Liverpool on
July 8 2004. On
October 12 2004, Watkins became the first president of the FIA Foundation for the Automobile and Society, and in December of that year he became the first president of the FIA Institute for Motor Sport Safety, both created in honor of the FIA's hundredth anniversary.
On
January 20 2004, Watkins announced his retirement from his various medical positions in the FIA, but stated his intention to continue as President of the FIA Instititute for Motor Sport Safety. FIA President
Max Mosley appointed Watkins's longtime deputy
Gary Hartstein as his successor.
Each year the Motorsport Safety Fund organises the Watkins Lecture, which takes place at the
Autosport Show at the
National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham. These lectures usually focus on motorsport safety related matters, and have been delivered by guest speakers such as
Max Mosley and
Ross Brawn. Watkins himself is due to deliver the 2007 Lecture.
Watkins has written or co-authored a number of books on racing safety, including
Life at the Limit: Triumph and Tragedy in Formula One.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sid Watkins'.
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