TOMORROW'S British Grand Prix at Silverstone marks one of our iconic sporting events.

However, what is it that compels those of our sportsmen and women who compete in motorsport to propel themselves around an often wet and slippery track at speeds of over 200mph, week after week?

The adulation of the enthusiastic fans, perhaps. The thrill of the speed, probably. Fame and fortune, certainly.

Yet, though the incidence of minor injury is relatively low, the risk of a serious and potentially fatal crash is evident for all to see.

Perhaps the drivers have to try to ignore this or they would never set foot in the car.

Success at the top level in motorsport requires the highest level of concentration and decision-making as the drivers put their lives on the line to achieve their goal.

Winning a race requires the driver to go faster and take greater risks with a constant battle between speed and success on one side, with the risk of serious injury on the other.

With decisions requiring split-second assessment at speed, it is clear that the margin to avoid injury is minimal.

Add to this the unpredictability of the weather and resultant track conditions and it won’t come as much of a surprise to know that motorsport is one of the most dangerous in terms of fatalities.

Along with those sports performed at height or in water, those sports performed at speed make up the vast majority of sporting fatalities – around 100 each year in the UK.

However, credit is due to both officials and drivers as it is a sport where changes to the rules and equipment have dramatically reduced the risk.

In the past there was almost an acceptance that injury was inevitable.

Survival seemed to be a matter of luck rather than good planning with human fallibility and failure to maintain concentration “accepted” as part of the thrill of the sport.

In the 50s and 60s few drivers wore any form of seat belt, believing it was safer to be thrown out of a crashing car.

However, tragedies, such as the death of Scotland’s Jim Clark, was an impetus to look at driver and car safety.

The sport’s governing bodies have responded to the criticism by making sensible changes to the rules and equipment to attempt to minimise this risk.

Safety restraints, crash helmets, head and neck protection and car adaptations such as rollover bars have all been introduced together with improved vehicle design, spectator safety, race control and driver rescue, with excellent medical facilities at the track for both drivers and spectators now in place.

Some of the racing circuits considered to the most dangerous have been modified, for example by introducing more chicanes into the circuit to slow the drivers down at appropriate points. Now less than 0.1% of competitors require hospital treatment.

Motorsport remains dangerous and demanding, and a sport which provides spectacular excitement for the spectators and huge financial rewards for the competitors.

Success at the top requires the highest level of concentration and decision-making as the drivers put their lives on the line to achieve their goal.

Winning a race requires the driver to go faster and take greater risks, with a constant battle between speed and success on one side, with the risk of serious injury on the other.

With decisions requiring split-second assessment at speed, it is clear the margin between safety and risk of injury is minimal.

The National Stadium Sports Health and Injury Clinic is on 0141-616 6161 and www.sportsmedicinecentre.org