[6][7] In response, several drivers for FOCA teams, including Williams' Alan Jones and Brabham's Nelson Piquet, resigned from the GPDA,[8] and Lotus' Mario Andretti publicly suggested that FISA president Jean-Marie Balestre was no longer fit for the job.

[14] Ahead of the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, Senna proposed re-forming the GPDA to give the drivers a unified voice in support of safety reforms.

[15][16] Before the following race, the 1994 Monaco Grand Prix, Niki Lauda, Christian Fittipaldi, Michael Schumacher, and Gerhard Berger re-established the GPDA, with assistance from Martin Brundle.

[23] Following Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger's deaths at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, the reformed GPDA asked the FIA to limit speeds in dangerous areas and improve safety technology.

[27] In addition, a pit lane speed limit was introduced, and tracks were revised to provide larger run-off areas at the most dangerous corners.

[30] Later that year, FIA president Max Mosley cancelled a meeting with the GPDA to discuss the Michelin tyre dispute and proposed safety measures at F1 teams' private test sessions, purportedly in retaliation for statements made by David Coulthard.

[33] It also encouraged new safety reforms, including the "halo" cockpit protection device,[34] which Formula One (and some drivers[34]) initially resisted.

[36] Under the leadership of Alexander Wurz (who became the GPDA chairman in 2014), the organisation grew "increasingly proactive in looking beyond [solely driver safety] to a more holistic bigger picture" about the structure and governance of the sport.

[37] In 2023, director George Russell explained that the GPDA was broadly concerned with three main topics: driver safety, "on-track entertainment," and "how it feels to drive the cars",[38] although he subsequently noted that the role had grown unexpectedly political.

[40] Motor Sport had previously noted that the drivers almost unanimously criticised regulation changes rolled out before the 2017 season, which they felt "will make overtaking even more difficult than it actually is.

"[45] Ecclestone angrily dismissed the GPDA's statement, saying that the drivers were "only saying what their teams have told them to say"[46] and that they had no right to a say in F1 decisions because they had never invested money into the sport.

[48][49][50] In addition, that year, GPDA director George Russell requested more transparency from the FIA after a series of personnel changes.

[55][56] Over the years, drivers have declined to join the organisation for a variety of reasons, such as Lewis Hamilton (lack of time and excessive entry fees),[57][58] Michael Schumacher (personal distaste for the GPDA chairman),[59] Kimi Räikkönen (lack of interest),[58] and Max Verstappen (felt attacked by several drivers who were GPDA members and doubtful of the organisation's effectiveness),[60] although Hamilton, Schumacher, Räikkönen, and Verstappen all eventually reconsidered.

[63][64][65] In addition, former F1 driver Sebastian Vettel is still listed as a director on the Companies House website as of December 2024,[19] although he stepped down from active leadership that February.