lomapaseo,
The thing about race cars (especially F1) is that although the body is made out of carbon fibre, it is bonded to an Aluminium honeycomb structure (at least in the nose cone). Its the honeycomb that helps absorb the energy, crumpling in a crash.
In other race cars like Nascar the driver is sitting in a huge steel cage onto which the body is attached.
Overall though I would rather be in an aircraft than a race car (parent of a 24 year old son who wants to take father round the nurburgring before son turns 25).