Formula 1's safety car could become driverless, says FIA

Motorsport's governing body is determined to ensure that drivers remain a key element of F1's attraction, but have discussed how it could promote driverless cars through other elements of a grand prix weekend.

Marcin Budkowski, the head of the FIA's F1 technical department, has suggested that a driverless safety car would be a good way of proving automotive advances without detracting from the show.

"Let me give you an example, but it is not the only one: we have spoken about an unmanned safety car," Budkowski told Autosport.

"It would promote a technology about which there is a bit of scepticism and, instead, it could be shown that it works.

"The safety car driver would no longer be essential, because it would leave the controls to the computer.

"But we must be aware of the attraction of [F1] race cars without drivers: the engineers would love it, but not the fans."

Although Budkowski is sceptical about potential fan interest in a driverless F1, he does think that other series like Roborace do have a role to play in promoting autonomous developments.

Roborace, the world's first competition for driverless cars, was announced last year as part of a tie-up with electric series Formula E.

"I see it [Roborace] as a very interesting thing, which pushes things in one direction," said Budkowski.

"But can this idea of having no F1 driver captivate millions around the world? Frankly I have doubts.

"However, using the motorsport platform to promote to the public new technologies, like an unmanned safety car, or events like Roborace, can be fantastic in exploring the possibility of new solutions."

Budkowski was recruited to the FIA, after years working for McLaren and Ferrari, to help formulate plans for adapting grand prix racing to better suit future technologies.

"The FIA was starting a project on connected autonomous vehicles, and it wanted to understand how it should be placed in front of these new technologies," added Budkowski.

"The idea was to understand what will change with autonomous driving in the automotive world, and what influences it would have on the individual national federations.

"There were also implications in defining the business model, not to mention how to use the new technologies in motorsport to promote them - because solutions will completely change the world of cars and safety.

"Autonomous driving will have a very strong impact on safety and we know how the FIA and [president] Jean Todt are engaged in the Action for Road Safety campaign."