Michael Schumacher, Luciano Burti and Jacques Villeneuve all walked away from spectacular crashes.

Senna left a legacy of improved safety as well as sublime driving

But Formula One, the fastest and most glamorous sport in the world, is yet again stained by the stigma of death after a marshal died from injuries sustained at the track-side following Villeneuve's collision with Ralf Schumacher.

The death of Graham Beveridge, a 52-year-old volunteer from Queensland, is the second of its type in five races.

At Monza in the 2000 season another track marshal, Paolo Ghislimberti, died when he, like Beveridge, was hit by flying debris following a six-car pile-up.

Ghislimberti was the first fatality at a Formula One circuit since the death of Senna.

But the sport has seemingly failed to respond to the need to protect those who officiate and watch events as it has to the need to protect its own drivers.

Besides Beveridge a further seven spectators were injured at the Whiteford turn on the Albert Park circuit.

Technical development

Drivers remain the focus of regulation changes that the sport imposes upon itself.

The latest technical alterations have focused on implementing a reduction in speed through aerodynamic changes and the imposition of strict safety tests on all cars.

Brawn: "It's difficult to know what to do"

Development of the chassis is the most obvious change but under the emblazoned exterior the car has undergone a host of changes down to a lighter gearbox that has helped take 30kg off the weight of the car.

No stone remains unturned in the search for improving the efficiency and performance of a Formula One car.

But at the expense of car improvement the safety of the event's unpaid volunteers remains under-funded.

"There are things that have been done since last year.

"The extra security on the wheels for instance - but the impact (of Villeneuve's crash) was so severe it is difficult to know what you could do," admitted Ross Brawn, Ferrari's technical director.

Patrick Head, technical director of Williams, counters: "Perhaps now the thing to do is to try and protect the marshals better rather than concentrate on the cars."

The sport clearly needs to find quick answers to searching questions as it looks to re-invent itself in terms of safety for a second time after another double tragedy.