Grand Prix Drivers' Association
Encyclopedia
The Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA), is the trade union
of Formula One
drivers.
. This led to boycotts of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
in 1969 and the Nürburgring
in 1970 and after 1976.
On the GPDA's formation in May 1961, Stirling Moss
was elected chairman. Its initial aims were to obtain representation on the Commission Sportive Internationale de la FIA (CSI), which at the time was motorsport's governing body in order to improve safety standards and provisions for both drivers and spectators. After Moss retired from the sport in 1963, Jo Bonnier succeeded him.
The organisation was disbanded during the 1982 Formula One season
due to the effects of the changing commercial organisation of F1 and the conflicts between FOCA
and FIA.
The GPDA was reformed over the weekend of the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix
by Niki Lauda
and Gerhard Berger
, following the deaths of Ayrton Senna
and Roland Ratzenberger
, as well as the serious accident of Rubens Barrichello
, at the San Marino Grand Prix
two weeks earlier (the drivers had proposed its reformation in the drivers' briefing on the morning of the race in San Marino, with Senna being appointed one of its directors just hours before his death). Michael Schumacher
was appointed Chairman in 1994, and remained chairman up until 2005.
In 1996, the association was incorporated in the UK as a company limited by guarantee
as Grand Prix Drivers Association Ltd. For the first time, the association had a formal constitution
, and permanent offices in Monaco.
2,000.
In 2010 a major shuffle took place in the GPDA following the return of Michael Schumacher
and Pedro de la Rosa
stepping down as president because he was back racing with Sauber
. Nick Heidfeld was voted as the replacement of Pedro de la Rosa for 2010. Also Michael Schumacher announced that he did not intend to join the GPDA on his return but changed his mind by becoming a silent member. He was convinced to do this by having negotiations with the GPDA directors, mainly Felipe Massa
.
The members vote to decide their leaders. Currently there are three directors of the GPDA, one of whom is the chairman. Rubens Barrichello
is the current chairman, with Felipe Massa
and Sebastian Vettel
as the other two directors.
Following the the GPDA issued a statement supporting the case of the Michelin teams in the FIA World Motorsport Council. Significantly, though the majority of drivers signed the statement, Michael Schumacher did not. He claimed that he was not asked to, but would not have done so anyway. The statement claimed that the FIA's proposed solutions to the problems experienced by the Michelin teams were unworkable. Schumacher claimed the problems at Indianapolis were technical rather than a safety issue.
A meeting between the GPDA and FIA president Max Mosley
, scheduled for the , was cancelled by Mosley because of statements made by David Coulthard. Mosley claimed Coulthard's statements to the media were a "distortion" of the purpose of the meeting and accused him of stirring up dissent. In retaliation the GPDA released a letter that had been sent to Mosley accusing him of jeopardising the GPDA's drive for improved safety:
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
of Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
drivers.
History
The GPDA was founded in 1961 and was active during the 1960s and 1970s. Then, as now, the GPDA's primary objective was to improve and maintain safety standardsSafety standards
Safety standards are standards designed to ensure the safety of products, activities or processes, etc. They may be advisory or compulsory and are normally laid down by an advisory or regulatory body that may be either voluntary or statutory...
. This led to boycotts of the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps
The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps is the venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix and the Spa 24 Hours endurance race. It is also home to the all Volkswagen club event, 25 Hours of Spa, run by the Uniroyal Fun Cup. It is one of the most challenging race tracks in the world, mainly due to its...
in 1969 and the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
in 1970 and after 1976.
On the GPDA's formation in May 1961, Stirling Moss
Stirling Moss
Sir Stirling Craufurd Moss, OBE FIE is a former racing driver from England...
was elected chairman. Its initial aims were to obtain representation on the Commission Sportive Internationale de la FIA (CSI), which at the time was motorsport's governing body in order to improve safety standards and provisions for both drivers and spectators. After Moss retired from the sport in 1963, Jo Bonnier succeeded him.
The organisation was disbanded during the 1982 Formula One season
1982 Formula One season
The 1982 Formula One season was the 33rd FIA Formula One World Championship season. It commenced on January 23, 1982, and ended on September 25 after sixteen races. The World Drivers' Championship was won by Williams driver Keke Rosberg. Rosberg was the first driver since Mike Hawthorn in the 1958...
due to the effects of the changing commercial organisation of F1 and the conflicts between FOCA
Formula One Constructors Association
The Formula One Constructors' Association is an organization of the chassis builders who design and build the cars that race in the FIA Formula One World Championship...
and FIA.
The GPDA was reformed over the weekend of the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix
1994 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1994 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 15, 1994 at the Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo. The race, which was the fourth race of the 1994 Formula One season, was won by Michael Schumacher and was the first race following the death of Ayrton Senna in San Marino.- Background...
by Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
and Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger
Gerhard Berger, is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver, who previously owned 50% of the Scuderia Toro Rosso Formula One team until he sold his share back to energy drink owner Dietrich Mateschitz in November 2008....
, following the deaths of Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna
Ayrton Senna da Silva was a Brazilian racing driver. A three-time Formula One world champion, he is widely regarded as one of the greatest F1 drivers of all time...
and Roland Ratzenberger
Roland Ratzenberger
Roland Ratzenberger was an Austrian racing driver who raced in Formula Nippon, Formula 3000 and Formula One...
, as well as the serious accident of Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable...
, at the San Marino Grand Prix
1994 San Marino Grand Prix
The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on May 1, 1994 at the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari, Imola, Italy. It was the third race of the 1994 Formula One season...
two weeks earlier (the drivers had proposed its reformation in the drivers' briefing on the morning of the race in San Marino, with Senna being appointed one of its directors just hours before his death). Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
was appointed Chairman in 1994, and remained chairman up until 2005.
In 1996, the association was incorporated in the UK as a company limited by guarantee
Company limited by guarantee
In British and Irish company law, a private company limited by guarantee is an alternative type of corporation used primarily for non-profit organisations that require legal personality. A guarantee company does not usually have a share capital or shareholders, but instead has members who act as...
as Grand Prix Drivers Association Ltd. For the first time, the association had a formal constitution
Constitution
A constitution is a set of fundamental principles or established precedents according to which a state or other organization is governed. These rules together make up, i.e. constitute, what the entity is...
, and permanent offices in Monaco.
Membership and leadership
Membership of GPDA is not compulsory, but all drivers that are currently signed for the 2010 season are members. Joining the GPDA costs £Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
2,000.
In 2010 a major shuffle took place in the GPDA following the return of Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher
Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time...
and Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro de la Rosa
Pedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver who has participated in 87 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber teams, debuting on 7 March 1999, becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race...
stepping down as president because he was back racing with Sauber
Sauber
Sauber F1 Team is a Swiss Formula One team. It was founded in the 1970s by Peter Sauber, who progressed through hillclimbing and the World Sportscar Championship to reach Formula One in 1993....
. Nick Heidfeld was voted as the replacement of Pedro de la Rosa for 2010. Also Michael Schumacher announced that he did not intend to join the GPDA on his return but changed his mind by becoming a silent member. He was convinced to do this by having negotiations with the GPDA directors, mainly Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He finished second in the Drivers' World Championship, and is under contract to race for Scuderia Ferrari until the end of the season.-Early years:...
.
The members vote to decide their leaders. Currently there are three directors of the GPDA, one of whom is the chairman. Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Barrichello
Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable...
is the current chairman, with Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa
Felipe Massa is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He finished second in the Drivers' World Championship, and is under contract to race for Scuderia Ferrari until the end of the season.-Early years:...
and Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel
Sebastian Vettel is a German Formula One racing driver, currently driving for Red Bull Racing. He is the current World Champion, having won the championship in and ....
as the other two directors.
| Chairman | Years as chairman |
|---|---|
 Michael SchumacherMichael Schumacher Michael Schumacher is a German Formula One racing driver for the Mercedes GP team. Famous for his eleven-year spell with Ferrari, Schumacher is a seven-time World Champion and is widely regarded as the greatest F1 driver of all time... |
1994–2005 |
 David CoulthardDavid Coulthard David Marshall Coulthard, MBE, , sometimes known as DC, is a British former Formula One racing driver from Scotland.Coulthard, who was born in Dumfries and raised nearby in Twynholm, made his Formula One debut in 1994 and won 13 Grands Prix in a career spanning 15 seasons... |
2005–2006 |
| Ralf Schumacher Ralf Schumacher Ralf Schumacher is a German racing driver, and the younger brother of seven-time Formula One World Champion Michael Schumacher... |
2006–2008 |
 Pedro de la RosaPedro de la Rosa Pedro Martínez de la Rosa is a Formula One driver who has participated in 87 Grands Prix for the Arrows, Jaguar, McLaren and Sauber teams, debuting on 7 March 1999, becoming one of very few drivers to score a point at his first race... |
2008–2010 |
| Nick Heidfeld Nick Heidfeld Nick Lars Heidfeld is a German racing driver.Despite scoring regular podium finishes in and , Heidfeld has yet to win a race since entering Formula One in . This means that amongst the current drivers, he has had the most GP starts without standing at the top spot on the podium... |
2010 |
 Rubens BarrichelloRubens Barrichello Rubens Gonçalves "Rubinho" Barrichello is a Brazilian Formula One racing driver. He is currently racing for Williams F1.Barrichello has scored the seventh highest points total in Formula One history. Barrichello drove for Ferrari from to , as Michael Schumacher's teammate, enjoying considerable... |
2010– |
Current issues
During the 2005 season the GPDA became increasingly involved in the politics (and controversy) of Formula One.Following the the GPDA issued a statement supporting the case of the Michelin teams in the FIA World Motorsport Council. Significantly, though the majority of drivers signed the statement, Michael Schumacher did not. He claimed that he was not asked to, but would not have done so anyway. The statement claimed that the FIA's proposed solutions to the problems experienced by the Michelin teams were unworkable. Schumacher claimed the problems at Indianapolis were technical rather than a safety issue.
A meeting between the GPDA and FIA president Max Mosley
Max Mosley
Max Rufus Mosley is the former president of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile , a non-profit association that represents the interests of motoring organisations and car users worldwide...
, scheduled for the , was cancelled by Mosley because of statements made by David Coulthard. Mosley claimed Coulthard's statements to the media were a "distortion" of the purpose of the meeting and accused him of stirring up dissent. In retaliation the GPDA released a letter that had been sent to Mosley accusing him of jeopardising the GPDA's drive for improved safety:
- “We were also concerned to learn that during the course of [a telephone conversation with Coulthard], you suggested the FIA might withdraw support for the ongoing safety initiatives of the GPDA... The GPDA believes that safety issues are of the highest importance and are disappointed not to receive the full support of the FIA president in this matter".
External links
- Hamilton stance on union 'wrong' BBCBBCThe British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
18 March 2008