NFL's disregard for player safety pointed out by F1's Toto Wolff as Mercedes CEO urges FIA to bring change

The NFL has been at the center of a lot of controversy recently. Between the Deshaun Watson scandal and the ongoing legal proceedings against the Washington Commanders, the league just can't catch a break.

The above is more than enough for the league's PR team to handle. But Mercedes-AMG Petronas F1 team principal and CEO Toto Wolff's recent comments will have them reaching for the SOS button.

Porpoising is a long-withstanding issue plaguing the sport. In layman's terms, it refers to the awkward bouncing F1 drivers face when driving the latest generation of cars at their disposal. This, in turn, is down to the regulations put forward by the FIA, the governing body which oversees all things F1.

Wolff believes that this phenomenon is having a detrimental effect on drivers. He compared the safety hazards to that faced by football players over the years. In an interview with Autosport he said the following:

"It’s very simple, we have always said we can either do nothing, or do the right thing. We have, and FIA has, medical analysis, that frequencies of one or two hertz over several minutes can lead to long term brain damage."

Injuries such as concussions are commonplace in the NFL. The league time-and-again has been called out for not doing enough to ensure the safety of its players. Wolff continued to state that if the matter is not rectified soon, it could lead to the F1 facing an "NFL situation":

"The GPDA gave their statements, the drivers have given the statements on an anonymous form. The competent specialists and doctors have been consulting, and the result is that it's not good for long-term effect. The FIA says it doesn't want to have an NFL situation."

That is some serious shade thrown at the National Football League right there.

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NFL's issue with 'race-norming' concussion settlements

Divisional Round - New Orleans Saints v Minnesota Vikings

Two years ago, former NFL players Najeh Davenport and Kevin Henry brought to light the issue of racial bias relating to concussion settlement resolutions.

'Race-norming', as it came to be known in terms of dementia testing, assumes black people have a lower cognitive baseline score. This makes it harder for such players to show mental decline linked to football.

A recent ruling, though, had this overturned. This meant that hundreds of former players were eligible for a rescore. According to a report by ESPN, of the 646 former black players whose tests were rescored, nearly half now qualify for the dementia award.

If you use any of the above quotes, please credit Autosport and H/T Sportskeeda.