Former FIA president Max Mosley believes Fernando Alonso's crash in last Sunday's Australian GP would have been terminal for the Spanish driver if it had occurred twenty years ago.
Mosley initiated an extraordinary push for increased safety in the aftermath of the tragic events of Imola in 1994 and the subsequent death that weekend of Ayrton Senna.
With Alonso emerging unscathed after hitting violently the wall and barrel-rolling into the gravel trap at Albert Park on Sunday, Mosley praised the safety efforts undertaken by the FIA in the past.
"I don't think he would have (survived)," Mosley said.
"You wouldn't know for sure without a detailed analysis but generally speaking those sorts of accidents resulted in serious injury or death.
"Happily that seems to have stopped. There are still freak accidents, like Jules [Bianchi], but those sort of serious racing accidents, you do expect the driver to walk away. That wouldn't have been the case 20 years ago."
Mosley also underscored the crucial role assumed by former FIA medical chief officer Sid Watkins in his quest for improved safety.
"This was thanks to Sid Watkins and a team of really competent people and the teams themselves. It needed to be looked at scientifically and that was the big change after Ayrton Senna's death at Imola in 1994.
"It's very satisfying to see Alonso walk away. You work hard and it's very satisfying when you see the results. It was quite an impressive crash."
Australian Grand Prix - Driver ratings
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AS IT HAPPENED: 2016 Australian Grand Prix
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