It’s the Sochi Grand Prix race weekend!
The best drivers in the world are heading over to Moscow this weekend for the Sochi Grand Prix. Lewis Hamilton has had great success at this track in the past couple of years, do you think he’ll manage to bag another win this time round?
We’ve taken the time to appreciate the guts, bravery and skill involved in these races by putting together a list of the top 10 spectacular formula 1 crash videos over the years.
10. Robert Kubica in Montreal 2007
Robert Kubica here looks like he hits a bit of a bump and his nose and entire vehicle lifts off the ground, resulting in a total loss of traction and control. These cars are so meticulously built for speed, all non-essential components are removed which means their weight is at an absolute minimum. Great for speed, but let’s not forget how risky this cutting can be. Thankfully, the other drivers managed to steer clear!
9. Mark Webber in Valencia, Spain 2010
Here you can see Webber getting seriously close to Heikki Kovalainen in front and then simply loses control of his steering. His entire car flips about 8ft in the air and he comes crashing down on his head and into the tyre barrier at high speed. It’s amazing that he walked away from this one with only minor injuries.
8. Michaeal Schumacher in Australia, 1994
Here you can see Schumacher clipping the curb of the chicane and spinning out into the tyre barrier at high speed. Luckily he’s okay and jumps straight out of the car… I can’t imagine how frustrating this must have been for him!
7. Gerhard Berger in 1989
This crash shows how even back in the 80’s, safety has always been paramount in the F1 game. Miraculously, Berger managed to survive thanks to a strong Ferarri chassis and the marshals that responded within 16 seconds, putting the fire out in 10. Absolute heroes.
6. Fernando Alonso at the Brazilian Grand Prix 2003
Alonso here crashes into a stationary tyre from a previous crash and smashes into the barriers, flinging even more debris all over the road. What is it with Alonso’s lack of luck in Formula 1?!
5. Alonso and Gutierrez at the Australian Grand Prix 2016
Alonso attempts the overtake by switching sides in a split second, and at the same moment Gutierrez breaks causing Alonso to go straight into the back of him. These drivers are renown for having incredibly fast reactions but sometimes, even the absolute best athletes simply don’t have enough time to get out of the way. At 200mph, you can completely understand too…
4. Alonso in Belgium 2012
This crash reminds me of something out of the game Burnout. It looks like Alonso is deliberately attempting to take out as many drivers from the race as he can! When you consider each car can cost up to £4.76 million, and he takes out numerous cars in a matter of seconds… You can see why this is such an expensive sport.
3. Jody Scheckter at the British Grand Prix 1973
Crashes have always been a part of the F1 scene, and understandably so when every driver is trying to push themselves and vehicles physically to their breaking points. It only takes a slight misj-judgement and all hell can break loose. One tyre hitting the grass can cause a spin out like you see Scheckter do below, and the other cars just can’t get out of the way fast enough. Seriously unlucky if you didn’t see him sat on the track!
2. Absolute carnage at the Belgian Grand Prix 1998
This sport is incredibly dangerous to begin with, nevermind when you factor in wet weather. The spray coming from the tyres here acted as a smoke screen blocking every driver’s vision resulting in absolute carnage. I doubt there’s much anyone could have done to avoid colliding with the pack here. In total 11 drivers were caught in the mayhem and the race had to stop after the first lap to clear the track. Some describe this as the worst crash in F1 history.
1. Niki Lauda at the Nurburgring, Germany 1976
It’s not very often you see whole cars engulfed in flames so spectacularly. Niki Lauda came incredibly close to death after inhaling hot toxic fumes in this crash. Luckily, he managed to recover and get back into his next race a mere six weeks later. It takes an incredibly strong willed, determined character to be able come within inches of their lives and still have the love for the sport to want to continue. With that in mind, I have the utmost respect for him and all drivers that accepts these risks for every race they participate in. This crash deserves two videos, so be sure to check out the re-enacted scene from the film Rush (2013) as well. A great tribute to an incredible driver.
Re-enacted scene in the film: Rush (2013).
