Ian Roberts (born 1962 or 1963) is an English

physician A physician, medical practitioner (British English), medical doctor, or simply doctor is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through the Medical education, study, Med ...

and

anaesthesiologist Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, an ...

. Since , Roberts has served as Medical Delegate in

Formula One Formula One (F1) is the highest class of worldwide racing for open-wheel single-seater formula Auto racing, racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The FIA Formula One World Championship has been one ...

. Roberts graduated from the

University of Leicester The University of Leicester ( ) is a public university, public research university based in Leicester, England. The main campus is south of the city centre, adjacent to Victoria Park, Leicester, Victoria Park. The university's predecessor, Univ ...

as a

Bachelor of Medicine A Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (; MBBS, also abbreviated as BM BS, MB ChB, MB BCh, or MB BChir) is a medical degree granted by medical schools or universities in countries that adhere to the United Kingdom's higher education tradi ...

in 1986. He then served as the chief medical officer for

Silverstone Circuit Silverstone Circuit is a motor racing circuit in England, near the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. It is the home of the British Grand Prix, which it first hosted as the 1948 British Grand Prix. The 1950 British Grand ...

and the

British Grand Prix The British Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event organised in the United Kingdom by Motorsport UK. First held by the Royal Automobile Club (RAC) in 1926 British Grand Prix, 1926, the British Grand Prix has been held annually since 1948 ...

. In , Roberts replaced Gary Hartstein as the Formula One Medical Delegate. He gained recognition after rescuing

Romain Grosjean Romain David Jeremie Grosjean (; born 17 April 1986) is a French and Swiss racing driver, who competes in the IMSA SportsCar Championship for Lamborghini and serves as a reserve driver in the IndyCar Series for Prema. Grosjean competed under ...

at the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, for which he was awarded the FIA President Award. He has responded to several further high-profile incidents.

Career

Early career

Roberts studied medicine at the

from 1981 to 1986. He previously served as the chief medical officer for

and the

. He has a background in

anaesthesiology Anesthesiology, anaesthesiology or anaesthesia is the medical specialty concerned with the total perioperative care of patients before, during and after surgery. It encompasses anesthesia, intensive care medicine, critical emergency medicine, ...

intensive care Intensive care medicine, usually called critical care medicine, is a medical specialty that deals with seriously or critically ill patients who have, are at risk of, or are recovering from conditions that may be life-threatening. It includes p ...

, and air medicine. In 1995, he became a

Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists The Royal College of Anaesthetists (RCoA) is the professional body responsible for the specialty of anaesthesia throughout the United Kingdom. It sets standards in anaesthesia, critical care, pain management, and for the training of anaesthe ...

. He became a

consultant A consultant (from "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice or services in an area of specialization (generally to medium or large-size corporations). Cons ...

in 1998 upon further specialist practice in neuroanaesthesia and intensive care.

Formula One

Following the departure of Gary Hartstein, Roberts was chosen by the FIA as the ''Medical Rescue Coordinator'' in

, later taking the position of ''Medical Delegate'' from onwards. He has been responsible for overseeing local medical personnel and assessing the track medical center, as well as serving as the primary physician in the medical car.

2020 Bahrain Grand Prix

Roberts gained recognition following an incident involving

during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix. On the opening lap of the race, Grosjean collided with a barrier, splitting his

Haas VF-20 The Haas VF-20 is a Formula One car, Formula One racing car designed and constructed by Haas F1 Team, Haas to compete during the 2020 Formula One World Championship. The car was driven by Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen, who competed for Haas ...

in half and setting it on fire after a impact. Roberts, alongside medical car driver

Alan van der Merwe Alan van der Merwe (born 31 January 1980) is a South African former racing driver. From to , van der Merwe served as the medical car driver in Formula One. Racing career Van der Merwe won the 2001 Formula Ford Festival. In 2003 he was the ...

, was commended for his work in rescuing Grosjean—who escaped with second-degree burns on his hands—by various media outlets. Roberts was awarded the FIA President Award for his actions by

Jean Todt Jean Henri Todt (; born 25 February 1946) is a French motor racing executive and former rally co-driver. He was previously director of Peugeot Talbot Sport and then Scuderia Ferrari Formula 1 team principal, before being appointed chief executi ...

Notable incidents

Roberts has responded to two fatal incidents in his career: *

Jules Bianchi Jules Lucien André Bianchi (; 3 August 1989 – 17 July 2015) was a French racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Born and raised in Nice, Bianchi was the grandson of endurance racing driver Mauro Bianchi and the great-nephew ...

during the

2014 Japanese Grand Prix The 2014 Japanese Grand Prix (formally the 2014 Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix) was a Formula One motor race held on 5 October 2014 at the Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka, Mie. It was the 15th race of the 2014 FIA Formula One World Championship, and ...

Anthoine Hubert Anthoine Gérard Pol Hubert (; 22 September 1996 – 31 August 2019) was a French professional racing driver. He was the 2018 GP3 Series champion and a member of the Renault Sport Academy. He died following an accident during the feature rac ...

during the

2019 Spa-Francorchamps Formula 2 round The 2019 Spa-Francorchamps FIA Formula 2 round was to have been a pair of motor races that were due to be held on 31 August and 1 September 2019 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps in Stavelot, Belgium as part of the FIA Formula 2 Championship. ...

Other notable incidents Roberts has responded to include: *

Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen (; born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles, which he w ...

during the

2021 British Grand Prix The 2021 British Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Pirelli British Grand Prix 2021 for sponsorship reasons) was a Formula One motor race held on 18 July 2021 at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. It was the tenth ...

Zhou Guanyu Zhou Guanyu (, pronounced ; born 30 May 1999) is a Chinese racing driver, who serves as a reserve driver in Formula One for Scuderia Ferrari, Ferrari. Zhou competed in Formula One from to , and remains the only Chinese driver to compete in For ...

during the

2022 British Grand Prix The 2022 British Grand Prix (officially known as the Formula 1 Lenovo British Grand Prix 2022) was a Formula One motor race held on 3 July 2022 at the Silverstone Circuit in Northamptonshire, England. Carlos Sainz Jr. took both his first List ...

Lance Stroll Lance Strulovitch (; born 29 October 1998), commonly known as Lance Stroll (), is a Canadian racing driver who competes in Formula One for Aston Martin. Born and raised in Montreal, Stroll is the son of billionaire businessman Lawrence Stroll ...

during qualifying for the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix

Awards and honours

* FIA President Award: 2020

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Roberts, Ian Year of birth uncertain Formula One people 20th-century English medical doctors 21st-century English medical doctors 1960s births Living people