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UNSAFE: The barriers which kept the crowd from the road during the F1 drive-by last Sunday (above) would have been useless if a mishap had occurred. -- ST FILE PHOTO
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FORMER Formula One world car racing champion Mika Hakkinen may have thrilled a Sunday crowd of over 10,000 as he zipped down St Andrew's Road at a top speed of almost 200kmh.
But did the organisers undertake a risk analysis of this stunt? The demonstration was supposed to be part of liquor firm Johnnie Walker's responsible drinking campaign. The barriers used are not safety barriers.
These plastic lightweights would not have prevented the car from ramming into spectators in case of a mechanical malfunction or if the former world champion had inadvertently lost control of his car. We have seen in Melbourne that Formula One drivers are not infallible. The prevailing F1 euphoria in Singapore could have easily been doused with a ghastly disaster.
Erik Peyrer
Forum note: The Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne is held on a street circuit like Singapore. Fifteen of the 22 drivers crashed or failed to finish in this year's event in the Australian city on March 16.
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