From Romain Grosjean to Jules Bianchi: 5 of the most horrific crashes in Formula 1 history
Formula 1 is one of the most famous motorcar racing tournaments in the world. Although the race looks thrilling, it indeed involves a huge life risk, as sometimes, the cars crash. Although most of them are common, some are so horrific that they turn out to be fatal.
FollowMotorcar racing, especially Formula 1 (F1), is one such sport that has forever delighted the fans, while some races turn out to be thrilling. However, it involves enormous life risk as well.
On some occasions, the cars have crashed for numerous reasons. While some are regular crashes, some are so dangerous that it even proves to be fatal, as we take a look at five of the most horrific crashes in this history of F1.
Romain Grosjean: The latest entry in the list, as Romain Grosjean, who was racing for the Haas F1 Team during the qualifying event of the 2020 Bahrain GP, tripped with a tailgating car. As he lost control of his vehicle, it crashed onto the railing at the side of the track. At the same time, the car was torn in a couple of pieces, before bursting into flames. Nonetheless, it was barely after 26 seconds that the crew put out the fire, as he managed to escape with minor burns.
Niki Lauda: It was in 1976 when Lauda had demanded the race to be scrapped, owing to lack of safety measures. The Overcast conditions during the German GP at the Nurburgring circuit saw Lauda's Ferrari skidding off the track and hitting an embankment, as the car caught fire. He suffered severe burns, along with lung problems, as it was presumed that he wouldn't survive. Nonetheless, he miraculously recovered to race again.
San Marino double: In what could be considered one of the fatal crashes in F1 history, it was in 1994 when the San Marino stretch saw a bloodbath. Rubens Barrichello crashed during Friday qualifiers, escaping with broken nose and arm, while Roland Ratzenberger was killed during Saturday's qualifiers after his car rammed into a concrete barrier. Nonetheless, during the primary race on Sunday, it was Senna who saw a similar incident like the other day, as his car, too, crashed into a concrete wall. At the same time, he passed away later in the evening, suffering a weak heartbeat and substantial blood loss.
Tom Pryce: It was in 1977 when the South African GP witnesses something deadly. Joachim Stuck and Tom Pryce were following each other. Meanwhile, on the track, field marshal Jansen Van Vuuren was attending Renzo Zorzi's crash, as the latter's engine had caught fire. However, both Stuck and Pryce unaware of the situation, they approached a turn, only to find the marshal ahead. Although Stuck avoided him barely, Pryce crashed onto him, as Van Vuuren's extinguisher cylinder hit Pryce pointedly on his helmet, leading to his death.
Jules Bianchi: In 2014, during the Japanese GP, the Suzuka track was suffering from torrential rains and low visibility. During the 42nd lap, Adrian Suti lost his control, as his car crashed. Being attended by a tractor crane, it was Jules Bianchi, whose car lost control in the same region, leading it to ram into the crane itself. Being initially unresponsive, he was carried out to a local medical facility. Nonetheless, he had suffered critical head injuries, as he passed away after nine months of battle with life and death.
