The eSkootr Championship (eSC), the world’s first racing series for electric scooters, has appointed leading Formula 1 advisor Andy Mellor as chair of its new Safety Commission – the body that will develop and maintain safety systems across the championship.
Mellor has been at the forefront of F1 and motorsport safety for the past 20 years as a consultant to the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA), world motorsport’s governing body. During this time, he has been Vice President of the FIA Safety Commission, as well as Advisor to the Formula 1 Technical Working Group and World Rally Championship Technical Working Group.
Mellor has been involved in the development of almost every element of modern F1 safety – from anti-penetration chassis designs and anti-launch nosecones to advanced racing helmets. He was also the project lead for the Halo frontal protection device, which is now fitted to all F1 cars and has been hailed as a life-saving development by drivers across the sport.
Prior to this, Mellor worked on passenger car and motorcycle safety for the UK Government and its research angency, the Transport Research Laboratory (TRL), where he delivered a number of research and development projects, including active-adaptive secondary safety systems for road cars, motorcycle accident analysis and state-of-the-art motorcycle helmet designs. He then headed up the Motorsport Safety Department at TRL, where he was responsible for the R&D of motorsport safety systems and standards for sanctioning bodies, race teams and equipment suppliers.
Mellor will bring his unique experience to the new role with eSC. Working alongside former grand prix driver Alex Wurz, who is helping to create and build the championship’s racetracks, Mellor will mastermind the safety-focused development of the world’s newest form of motorsport.
This will range from developing safety infrastructure around the track to incorporating protective technology into the scooters and the riders’ clothing and equipment.
A further core element of Mellor’s role will be to identify potential areas of safety innovation which may be relevant to the real-world application of micromobility, and the shared use and ownership of electric scooters on the roads.
Andy Mellor said: “I’m excited to be joining eSC, and I’m really looking forward to be working again with Alex (Wurz). He already has extensive experience in designing safety-relevant racetracks, so it will be fascinating to collaborate with him as we further define and develop the eSC racing experience.
“This series is uniquely positioned within the motorsport ecosystem and offers some exciting opportunities for the development of new safety solutions for the track and, ultimately, the road. And, for me, that’s where it gets really exciting – and, in many ways, brings my career back to where I started with the UK Department for Transport; but this time helping to map the benefits of motorsport innovation back to road users.”
Co-founder, eSkootr Championship Safety Ambassador Alex Wurz, said: “Anyone who has worked in top-level international motorsport over the past 20 years will know and respect Andy’s work and his reputation. He is one of the most important names in the field of motorsport safety – and stands alongside legends like Professor Sid Watkins and Charlie Whiting, racers and safety visionaries, committed to the very highest safety standards at all levels of our sport.
“Andy’s work covers a broad range of themes – looking not just at driver, rider and vehicle protection, but raising circuit safety standards, and building a greater understanding of the interplay between vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-circuit impacts. His efforts to build the world accident database – an incredibly deep study that has provided the foundations for all modern safety work – stand as further testament to his vision. He will be a totally invaluable member of the eSC team and we’re extremely pleased that he’s decided to join us.”
Mellor will take up his Safety Commission post in April this year.
