Life in the fast lane!

Former North Staffordshire doctor Ian Roberts has been involved in some tense moments as Formula One's chief medical officer... including helping to rescue a crashed driver from this fireball

- Sentinel Reporter

WHILE all the attention at the start of this weekend's British Grand Prix will be on the sport's superstar drivers, a doctor who learned his trade in North Staffordshire is often considered one of the most important people at the track.

As the FIA’s medical delegate and chief medical officer for Formula 1, Dr Ian Roberts is regularly on standby during races, ready to jump in the FIA medical car with a professional driver and rush to the scene of an accident at a moment's notice.

When Romain Grosjean crashed heavily into barriers on the first lap of the Bahrain Grand Prix in 2020, his car ripped in half and burst into flames.

Considered one of the most miraculous escapes in Formula 1's history, Ian was among those first on the scene and received the FIA President Award and international praise for his bravery and reaction after helping to pull Grosjean to safety.

Ian has helped ensure the safety of F1 drivers at more than 250 Grand Prix races and received the HRH Prince Michael of Kent Award of Merit in 2022 for his exceptional work in motorsport safety and medicine.

Before his career in motorsport medicine, which began with his appointment as the chief medical officer for Silverstone with responsibility for the British Grand Prix, Ian worked as a rotational registrar in the NHS between 1993 and 1998.

This included regularly working at Stoke-on-Trent’s North Staffordshire Royal Infirmary and City General Hospital sites.

He also completed a Master of Medical Sciences degree with Keele University between 1996 and 1998.