Drug testing in F1?

[Koz]

What kind of drug testing does the FIA require for F1 drivers?

How often would something like this be done? Every race?

Do others - pit crews (or even marshals) get tested for drugs?

[geilux]

What kind of drug testing does the FIA require for F1 drivers?

How often would something like this be done? Every race?

Do others - pit crews (or even marshals) get tested for drugs?

I do not know in F1, but in the BRCC (Belgian equivalent of BTCC), we sometimes randomly get tested

[Mark]

Yes, there is drug testing. The last time there was an issue was back in the 90's as memory serves, where two drivers, tested positive but we're let off due to it being from prescribed medication.

The main thing in F1 is that you could be Lance Armstrong type up to your eyeballs in drugs but it won't improve your performance that much.

[Koz]

Yes, there is drug testing. The last time there was an issue was back in the 90's as memory serves, where two drivers, tested positive but we're let off due to it being from prescribed medication.

The main thing in F1 is that you could be Lance Armstrong type up to your eyeballs in drugs but it won't improve your performance that much.

I didn't actually mean performance enhancing drugs - although I am sure some drugs that help the drivers focus may help somewhat.

I was leaning more along the lines of cannabis, ecstasy or cocaine. Very young rich boys partying hard out etc or to wind down :)

[AndyL]

The only motorsport drug issue I can recall was Nori Haga in World Superbikes. He tested positive for the stimulant ephedrine. Apparently he had ingested it in a herbal supplement of some sort - allegedly "diet pills"! At that time he was a little on the tubby side by the standards of normally whippet-like bike racers (which I think was one reason for his popularity incidentally - there are few things more satisfying than seeing honed athletes being defeated in a sporting contest by a fat bloke :) ).
IIRC the penalty was retrospective disqualification from the round where he tested positive, and a ban from another round. He could well have won the championship if not for those penalties.

[dj_bytedisaster]

Tomáš Enge of Czech Republic, who drove three races for Prost GP in 2001 tested positive for canabis after winning the 2002 Budepest F3000 race.

[MAX_THRUST]

Some recreational drugs leave the system in a couple of days, where as Canabis can be in the system from anywhee from 1day to 5 weeks. If anyone gets tested they will fail on Canabis rather than speed exctasy or Cocaine.

[CNR]

motogp
Anthony Gobert
Bad Boy No.9: Anthony Gobert - Features - Visordown (http://www.visordown.com/features/bad-boy-no9-anthony-gobert/16311.html)

[inimitablestoo]

Tomáš Enge of Czech Republic, who drove three races for Prost GP in 2001 tested positive for canabis after winning the 2002 Budepest F3000 race.
...and is currently serving a ban for another offence this year. There have been a number of high profile instances in NASCAR as well, with a high-profile programme that covers team personnel as well as competitors.

If I recall, the drug tests have been in place since 1990 for F1, but for obvious reasons the number of failures have been minimal. It just helps bring the sport into line with everyone else.

[Nikki Katz]

Enge was disqualified from that race (which he won) and as a result he dropped from 1st to 3rd in the championship after the end of the season, behind Bourdais and Pantano. Whilst I think they're both better drivers than Enge, cannabis is hardly a performance enhancing drug and I still feel that the penalty was too harsh. I guess they can't have drivers getting away with publicly breaking the law, though Ralf had his driver's licence taken away at one point and was still allowed to race.