The Dark Side of Formula 1
There aren’t many sports where the athletes fear for their lives–but when you’re hurdling down a windy track at 200 miles per hour, it’s a very real fear. Since the beginning of the sport, too many drivers have perished or been severely injured in significant crashes until the FIA finally smartened up and started taking safety more seriously. Here are 20 of the craziest crashes in Formula 1 through the ages.
Steffen Prößdorf on Wikimedia Commons
1. Senna, 1994
Perhaps the most gutwrenching accident in all of Formula 1 history was the fatal crash of Ayrton Senna, often considered the greatest F1 driver in history. A broken steering wheel rendered him incapable of turning the car and sent him straight into a barrier at 145 miles per hour.
Instituto Ayrton Senna on Wikimedia Commons
2. Berger, 1989
In 1989, Gerhard Berger experienced one of the highest-speed crashes in all of F1 and lived to tell the tale. At the San Marino Grand Prix, his Ferrari hurdled straight into the wall at 189 miles per hour and burst into flames. Amazingly, Berger emerged with only mild burns and some broken ribs.
Martin Lee on Wikimedia Commons
3. Williamson, 1973
One of the darkest events in Formula 1 history was the totally preventable incident that killed Roger Williamson at what was only his third Grand Prix. A tire failure caused his car to flip upside down, crash against a barrier at speed, and catch fire trapping him helplessly inside the vehicle. Medics didn’t arrive until it was too late.
Fotograaf Onbekend on Wikimedia Commons
4. Von Trips, 1961
The sport’s most tragic crash happened at the Italian Grand Prix when Wolfgang Von Trips’ Ferrari came into contact with another car and was launched over the barrier into a crowded grand stand. The crash killed Von Trips and fifteen spectators.
Unknown author on Wikimedia Commons
5. Pryce, 1977
The most horrendous crash in Formula 1 history involved Tom Pryce and a young race marshal who was rushing to extinguish the engine fire of another car. Bafflingly, the race wasn’t stopped so the marshal had to cross a live track to get to the fire. He was hit by Tom Pryce who was driving at 170 miles per hour, killing the Marshal and Pryce.
David Tremayne on Wikimedia Commons
6. Lauda, 1976
The 1976 German Grand Prix was plagued by dangerous weather conditions that left the track partially wet. Niki Lauda driving in slick tires crashed his car into a ridge where it caught fire. He got permanent burns on his face from the accident and fell into a coma but amazingly was back to F1 six weeks later, finishing the championship second that year.
Bert Verhoeff on Wikimedia Commons
7. Villeneuve, 1982
During qualifying at the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, Giles Villeneuve came around the corner at high speed and crashed into the much slower car of Jochen Mass. Villeneuve’s Ferrari was sent flying hundreds of feet in the air and crumpled into the ground. He didn’t survive the crash.
8. Scheckter, 1973
Jody Scheckter’s initial crash at the British Grand Prix was caused by a lockup that wouldn’t have been particularly significant except that it sent his car sideways across the live track. What ensued was an 11-car pile-up that remains Silverstone’s most famous incident.
Revista CORSA on Wikimedia Commons
9. 13 Drivers, 1998
It’s hard to know who was the initial driver to lose control at the Belgian Grand Prix, but the result was a dramatic chain reaction that involved 13 cars. The race, which was plagued by heavy rain, was restarted but only eight drivers finished.
Sven Mandel on Wikimedia Commons
10. Ascari, 1955
Alberto Ascari is often considered the greatest early Formula 1 driver. He won two world championships in his short career which was sadly cut short by this fatal crash at the 1955 Monza Grand Prix. His car skidded out after a fast turn and somersaulted twice, landing on its nose.
El Gráfico on Wikimedia Commons
11. Fittipaldi, 1993
Christian Fittipaldi’s crash at the Italian Grand Prix saw him make contact with his teammate, causing his car to fly nose first into the air and make a perfect backflip. Remarkably, he landed on his wheels and rolled across the finish line without losing a place.
12. Webber, 2010
At the European Grand Prix, Mark Webber plowed into the back of Heikki Kovalainen’s car. Webber’s vehicle flew into the air and landed on its front but bounced back up, coming to rest on its wheels. Amazingly, neither driver was severely harmed.
Mark McArdle on Wikimedia Commons
13. Daly, 1980
Monaco’s narrow circuit with plenty of sharp turns makes it infamous for crashes, Derek Daly’s in 1980 being one of the most notable. Sandwiched tightly between other vehicles, his car was forced upwards and bounced on top of a bunch of other cars. No one was seriously injured but only eight drivers finished the race.
Hans van Dijk on Wikimedia Commons
14. Trulli, 2004
Jarno Trulli lost control coming out of a corner at Silverstone. His car spun, flipped over, and tore apart startlingly but he was unharmed, showing the world just how far F1 safety measures had come.
Nic Redhead on Wikimedia Commons
15. Kubica, 2007
Robert Kubica had a shocking crash in Montreal when he had the unlucky experience of hitting a bump in the ground at a speed of 186 miles per hour. He lost control and crashed into a concrete wall, leaving him with a concussion and a sprained ankle.
Martin Lee on Wikimedia Commons
16. Alonso and Leclerc, 2018
A number of crashes happened in the 2018 championship but this was perhaps the most shocking. Fernando Alonso’s Ferrari went airborne and flew over the top of Charles Leclerc’s head which was saved only by the protective halo fixed onto all modern F1 vehicles.
Gil Zetbase on Wikimedia Commons
17. Norris, 2021
During qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Lando Norris had a scary crash when he lost control going through two corners and came into contact with a barrier. It happened soon after a fatal Formula 2 crash in the same spot so everyone feared the worst, but Norris came out of it unscathed.
Lukas Raich on Wikimedia Commons
18. Guanyu, 2022
At Silverstone in 2022, Zhou Guanyu made contact with two other cars. His Alpha Romero was sent flipping through the air and over the barriers where it came to rest against the fence. Miraculously, Guanyu emerged from the cockpit unharmed.
19. Alonso, 2016
Fernando Alonso’s McLaren flipped repeatedly after colliding with another driver at the Australian Grand Prix. There was almost nothing left of the McLaren once it landed but Alonso, luckily, was unharmed.
20. Grosjean, 2020
Perhaps the most incredible F1 crash of recent times was when a metal fence tore Romain Grosjean’s Haas in half. The back half was left on the track and the front half, including the driver’s cockpit, was launched over the barrier where it burst into flames. Against all odds, Grosjean managed to pull himself out of his inflamed vehicle relatively unharmed.
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