Senna to Social Media: How F1 turned tragedy into Global Awareness

Motorsport fans out there will be more than aware of the name Ayrton Senna, a legend in Formula 1 who was involved in a fatal crash at the San Marino Grand Prix in 1994.  That same weekend Roland Ratzenberger, another F1 driver, lost his life in a high speed crash.  This weekend changed history for the sport and initiated significant safety changes to the cars and tracks. 

The tragedies of the 1994 Grand Prix weekend led to the creation of the FIA Institute of Motor Sport Safety, a global charity that play a “key role is financing cutting-edge safety research’ (FIA foundation, 2026).  They aim to eliminate death and serious injury within the sport and with evidence such as Grosjean’s ‘Fireball’ crash in 2020, their work has had significant impact on the safety of the drivers.  The 2020 fireball crash is a prime example of how an almost-catastrophic event has continued to grow the discussion of safety in F1 and prove to the audience how safety has improved, since Romain Grosjean shockingly escaped the incident with only burn injuries to his hands (F1, 2021).  It raised a global discussion across news medias, sport commentators and social media on how the Halo safety device, initially an unpopular addition to the car designs, saved Grosjean’s life.  Since then, the halo, fire suits and helmets are consistently brought up on various media platforms for continuing to fulfil their purposes.

Since the (unpopular) addition of the halo there have been countless incidents in where it has saved a driver’s life and is now a universally praised modification.  Drivers such as Verstappen and Hamilton, both of whom initially disliked the halo for its design, have come forward in media interviews and credited it for saving their lives.  These media interviews along with plenty others where safety is mentioned, get broadcast worldwide and create a huge awareness for how serious safety is taken in Formula 1.  This alone creates a much more enjoyable sport for viewers, bringing the audience numbers back up after a decline in public interest after Senna’s death.

After the fatal weekend in Imola, major newspapers and media outlets began doubting the viability of the sport and even calling for it to be banned.  This backlash was the catalyst for the FIA having to take safety more seriously and ensure that all safety measures and changes were transparent to the media and broadcast to the audience, hence why commentators bring it up consistently during a race weekend.  Another example is Zhou Guanyu’s crash at the 2022 British Grand prix.  The crash saw Guanyu flip upside down multiple times and eventually lands upside down between the barriers.  A live moment like this is when a commentator will highlight safety in real time.  

While us viewers at home see commentating as a live breakdown of the race, highlighting key points, the commentators truly are educators, talking us through important race information, updates and safety advancements.  Specifically in the current 2026 season when there have been so many changes to the regulations and designs, the commentators have a powerful media impact with live dramatic visuals that create online trends and global discussion.  This online discussion not only grows engagement and gives fans somewhere to discuss their views but in terms of safety it keeps the sport culturally relevant and reinforces the sport as being well-regulated, an attractive trait for sponsors.  

By appealing to sponsors with new safety and design updates, the sport can continue to grow its audience and its value globally.  A company that values human safety and shows a duty of care for its sportsmen is much more likely to receive larger sponsorship offers from big global companies.  This positive brand association improves overall brand image (on both sides) and an avenue for growth, in which the teams and overall organisation can use this excess funding to better the sport and create more interesting racing or weekend experiences for the audience (Mills, 2026).  By bettering the in-person experience at a Grand Prix, audience members are more likely to want to book another grand prix ticket, further growing the profit and the demand!

So to full circle back… Since the tragedy in 1994, F1 has used this to create a whole new, safety-first sport, rising audience numbers higher than they’ve ever been before.  Media has been pivotal in enhancing global awareness of safety improvements, ensuring new and old fans are continuously reminded of the action that the organisation continue to take to ensure the race is equally as enjoyable as it is safe.  Next time you watch a Grand Prix, listen out for the safety regulations mentioned during the weekend!

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References

Dominic Mills, 2026, https://sportfive.com/beyond-the-match/insights/what-is-athlete-sponsorship-and-how-does-it-benefit-brands#:~:text=As%20well%20as%20offering%20increased,as%20to%20shape%20consumer%20habits. [Accessed March 2026]

F1, 2021, https://www.formula1.com/en/latest/article/romain-grosjean-reveals-he-no-longer-needs-dressings-on-hands-injured-in.hpSn89NMOMeM8evFbLQMu [Accessed March 2026]

FIA Foundation, 2026, https://www.fiafoundation.org/our-work/safe-motor-sport [Accessed March 2026]

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