Mephistopheles - I understand you point about the rush of adrenaline that the drivers experience and some long for. However, is F1 a racing sport or an extreme sport? Do we watch for the thrill that others are experiencing or for the spectacle that racing is (lets not cloud this discussion by bringing up processional races i.e. Bahrain 2010)?
I love to go karting whenever I can, but not for the rush of speed (again, lets not talk about the relative slow speed of a go kart and an F1 car) but for the duels that my brother and I have when we race wheel to wheel. I am fairly sure that the majority of F1 drivers are there to race, not get their rocks off with the speed.
F1 may be considered "too safe" by some, but let me ask you do you want it to be dangerous? Do you want to see a death of one of your favorite drivers every year? When I listen to interviews of some previous F1 drivers who talk about "dark days" when their friends and colleges died in a race I don't hear them say "I'll miss him, but you know what, I bet he went out with a boner because he was absolutely flying around that corner!" They miss the guy, they understand the risks, but they aren't their to enjoy the risks. They are there to win.
I come to school to teach students, not the enjoy the rush of wondering if little Johnny is packing a gun today or not. I understand the risks in my job (limited though they may be), but I am not here because of them. I am here in spite of them to do what I love. Teach. I am sure racing drivers feel the same when they compare the risks of their job and the thrill of winning.