Autosport Plus

Meet the man behind motorsport safety legislation

There's a common criticism from competitors that changes in safety legislation are simply money grabs from suppliers, but the reality is very different

Performance

Our experts' guide on how you can become a better racing driver

For most participants, motorsport is a never-ending quest to get the best performance you can from human and machinery, while keeping an eye on costs.

Of course, maximising the capability of the human depends on remaining uninjured for as long as possible. After all, you're not going to get very good results if you're convalescing in bed for a year. And, if that happens, the cost of your motorsport activities to your family will have been far more than missing a few visits to your local pizza restaurant so you can afford a new set of shock absorbers.

Share Or Save This Story

Author Marcus Simmons

Marcus Simmons is the Deputy Editor of Autosport magazine. As a child he was a regular on the chalk banks of Thruxton – hence his unhealthy obsession with 1970s Formula 2 and F3 – before he became an MSA timekeeper at the age of 17. At 19, his reporting debut for Motoring News arguably overshadowed Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal as the sporting moment of June 1986, and he joined the staff in 1990 after graduating from his degree course in Plymouth. A parallel Formula First career – which was as incident-packed as his childhood exploits in show-jumping and hunter trials – finished when he wrote off his car and put himself in hospital in 1991.

Marcus moved to Autosport in the summer of 1996. Since then he has had two stints as a freelancer and a brief spell as editor of Motor Sport magazine, during which the revered green cover was revived, before he rejoined Autosport in 2008. He lives in Teddington with his wife (who, gratifyingly, grew up within earshot of Castle Combe), daughter, stepson, dog, cat and guitars, and additionally has an adult daughter and stepson.