Sir Stirling Moss: Enclosed cockpits in open-wheel racing ridiculous

Stirling Moss (L) thinks it is OK if more open wheel drivers die. Of course he grew up in an era where one died every week. If Lewis Hamilton (R) gets killed soon, that's quite OK in Moss's book. Everybody is entitled to their opinion, but in our book Moss is an idiot.

While IndyCar mulls some type of enclosed cockpits or canopies in their race cars as early as 2017 to enhance driver safety, one racing legend scoffs at the notion that open-wheel racing should go down that path.

"I think it's ridiculous," Sir Stirling Moss told Road and Track at the recent Lime Rock Historic Festival. "Motor racing is dangerous. And one does it – some of us do it – because it is dangerous. I was one of those. And I think to go and put forward things like that is absolutely ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous."

It's the opinion of the 85-year-old Moss that safety elements in one form of open-wheel racing – namely, Formula 1 – are as good as they can be at the moment.

"I think quite honestly, most events have good flag marshaling, which is very important," Moss said. "The drivers know what they can do and they usually stick within their realistic limits.

"But of course, obviously, the sort of racing and etiquette you have on a circuit like this, or, a club circuit, is necessarily pretty different when you start talking Formula One.

"But, I think (danger) is part of the sport. I don't think anybody wants to get hurt, but they're all going to push themselves up to their limit, and that's pretty good." NBC Sports