Drawing on over two decades of experience in motor sport medicine and leveraging interdisciplinary research, the publication provides a detailed overview of how medical and safety research continues to inform the FIA’s safety standards and regulatory decision-making. It outlines the evidence base behind key safety reforms recently adopted across FIA regulations, with a focus on injury prevention, extrication protocols, and trackside care.

Key developments include:

·      Revised Driver Extrication Practices
Once introduced to limit spinal movement, extractable seats delay medical intervention, may lead to increase spinal risk, and and have become more difficult to use with the introduction of modern safety structures such as the Halo. In April 2025, the FIA Medical Commission voted unanimously to eliminate their requirement across FIA-sanctioned single-seater series.

·      A Reframed Approach to Pre-Hospital Medical Care
The paper calls for a shift in emergency response leadership structures, formalising the role of Rescue Chief to manage incident scenes and establishing mandatory pre-hospital care qualifications for specific senior FIA medical personnel by 2026. 

·      Redefinition of the Medical Warning Light
Once used as a proxy for driver medical evaluation, the ‘medical light’ has been demedicalised following evidence that it lacked correlation with actual injury severity. Clinical judgement is now reinstated as the primary decision-making tool post-crash.

·      Seat Impact Attenuation in Cross Country Disciplines
New seat technologies developed for cross-country events are designed to mitigate the risk of vertebral injury caused by high vertical acceleration forces.

·      Mitigation of Hand Injuries in Formula E
Targeted cockpit design changes and improved steering ergonomics have significantly decreased upper limb injuries over the past two seasons.

His Excellency Mohammed Ben Sulayem, President of the FIA said: “Our Member Clubs and ASNs are at the front line of delivering safe and fair competition across all levels of motorsport. This white paper demonstrates how research can directly improve the safety of competitors and the efficiency of our emergency response systems. I commend the FIA University for ensuring that the needs of our global sport community are guided by data, expertise, and a shared commitment to continuous safety improvement.”

Professor David Hassan, FIA University, said: “This paper is a clear demonstration of the quality and impact of research emerging from within the FIA. It serves as a high-value case study of how medical and technical evidence can directly inform safer practice in motor sport. One of our core objectives at FIA University is to embed research excellence into the Federation’s operational workstreams, and Dr Petherbridge’s contribution strongly reflects that mission.” 

Dr. Sean Petherbridge, President of the FIA Medical Commission, said: “I am proud to see this research come to fruition. The ‘Working for Safety” paper highlights how medical and safety research, when embedded within a coordinated regulatory framework, can deliver measurable safety outcomes. Bringing our safety, medical and technical teams together in Geneva has made this kind of collaborative progress possible.”

The white paper forms part of the FIA University White Paper Series, a collection of research publications designed to support policy development and educational outreach across sport and mobility. The full text of Working for Safety is available at: https://fia.university