The national motorsport problem getting much-needed attention

Perspective can be an incredible tool. And the shocking events unfolding in Ukraine have certainly put other problems into perspective. Suddenly, concerns that seemed significant no longer have the same importance given the battle for survival many Ukrainians are now facing.

Motorsport feels inconsequential in comparison. And yet all sport can have a vital role to play in spreading a message of hope and uniting people. Already we have seen that in reference to the horrors befalling Ukraine.

The fighting may be thousands of miles from the UK's shores, but that has not stopped British motorsport governing body Motorsport UK from taking action. In contrast to the somewhat minimal response from the FIA, all Russian and Belarusian-licenced drivers and teams have been banned from competing in the UK. It is incredibly reassuring to see such strong leadership from our domestic ASN, which is clearly viewing events in Ukraine from a global perspective and acting accordingly.

Away from Eastern Europe, Motorsport UK has also been seeking some perspective in recent months on what has been a key issue for many competitors: a decline in driving standards. Autosport has described this on multiple occasions in recent years and there has been increasing concerns about the number of on- and off-track incidents between rivals as well as a perception of a growing and alarming ignorance of marshals’ warnings, such as yellow flags. Motorsport UK had heard these worries, too.

“We started to pick up on this probably a couple of years ago that there was a sentiment in the paddock and in the media that driving standards had started to deteriorate,” explains CEO Hugh Chambers. “It’s always a fine line between close racing and overstepping the mark and we decided that the best thing to do was to conduct some research.

“It’s very easy to get obsessed with anecdotal evidence – it’s a temptation to think that’s representative of the community and it isn’t always the case.”

Chambers has headed up efforts to address deteriorating driving standards in UK club motorsport by setting up a new working group

Photo by: Jakob Ebrey Photography

In order to put that anecdotal evidence into context and confirm that the perception of a decline in standards is the reality, a survey was conducted. This was sent to 10,000 circuit racing competitors, along with 155 clerks of the course and 190 stewards to explore their feelings on the issue.

Of the drivers that replied, over 80% said they had personally experienced incidents of contact. Now, some contact is inevitable, but it’s the frequency that is concerning, particularly when this involves people competing as a hobby – especially when considering the seriousness of some of those incidents.

"You’re not going to have fun if it’s not fair and I think that it threatens the existence of some championships where they’re not able to control discipline on the track because, at the very least, it becomes expensive because people incur damage to cars" Hugh Chambers

“What the research told us is there is an issue and there’s no question that people feel that they [standards] have deteriorated,” continues Chambers. “More worryingly, and quite specifically, a very high proportion of people saying they’ve been pushed off the track, that they’d suffered damage to their cars, that they’d worried about personal injury and these are all things that are just completely non-starters in motorsport.

“Our overarching mantra is safe, fair and fun, and safety is the pre-eminent element. But you’re not going to have fun if it’s not fair and I think that it threatens the existence of some championships where they’re not able to control discipline on the track because, at the very least, it becomes expensive because people incur damage to cars. So, we identified there was a problem, that was the first thing.

“The second thing was what is the degree of the problem and then what are the actions that we should take, and what are the reasons why this has arisen, and [so] we set up a working group.”

This group comprises key figures in the racing community and is due to suggest changes to help tackle the problem imminently. There is set to be a focus on education and reeducation of drivers and one of the ideas being explored is to have a form of online video library to make clear what is and is not acceptable behaviour and clarify some of the less clear-cut regulations.

Chambers speaks of being an “advocate of things being black and white” and to avoid “difficult” grey areas in the regulations, making it “much clearer what you can and can’t do”. The judicial process is also being examined to ensure that correct decisions are being taken in a timely manner. But Motorsport UK has already begun to emphasise its commitment to tackling this problem.

When renewing their licenses, drivers were asked to commit to adhering to standards and behaviours

Photo by: Jakob Ebrey Photography

“What we did with the renewal letters for competition licences this year, not only did I refer to it in the letter to everybody applying, but also we had a simple statement of the code of conduct to race with respect and we asked people in applying for their licence that they commit to adhere to those standards and behaviours,” says Chambers. “So, for any official, if they need to, they can refer to those standards and say you’ve signed up, these are the standards you have to adhere to, which I think is a starting point.”

It is encouraging to see that work in this area is well under way and that Chambers insists Motorsport UK is determined to improve the sport for the benefit of everyone.

“What we’re more than prepared to be judged on is whether or not we’re passionate in trying to be better,” he states. “That is the key thing. We want this to be outstanding and excellent. We’re on a journey, but there’s a passionate group of people here, who genuinely want to do a better job all the time.”

Historically, the governing body has not always been perceived as being especially proactive on key issues. But, if meaningful action is delivered to improve standards, then this perspective may change – and that could be very important when it comes to the other significant challenges motorsport faces in the years ahead.