72 replies to this topic

[mhferrari]

What, unintentional, crash do you think was the stupidest and most easily avoidable.

I think one at the top end of the list would be Spa 98', Riccardo Rosset. True it was rainy, but to plow into a car at that distance you could have broke and skidded. But you probably could have saved it.

[Mellon]

Coulthard hitting the wall in the pitlane in Adelaide '95.

[schumilover]

Yes Yes Yes ..coulthard pitwall no question ....
served its purpose though

[Todd]

Jacques Villeneuve, 1994, CART at Nazareth PA, I think. A JV fan can correct me on the location, but I'm pretty certain it was a 1 mile oval. Everone had slowed under a caution for a nasty wreck. Everyone that is, except Jacques. He seemed to consider everyone slowing as his chance to improve his position. It was horrifying, watching him careen at unabated speed directly into the side of a disabled car. Fortunately nobody was seriously hurt. Another of the dumbest moves I've seen was JV on the restart of the Canadian GP in '98. He took this year's dumbest move too. Once again in front of his Canadian fans. Can anyone look at those three incidents and say it is my bias agains JV? Or is JV's driving the reason I don't respect him much?

[Ross Stonefeld]

He went for it, that's what counts (Canada 98)

I think you mean Phoenix, but yeah I dont know what was going on there.

Schumacher at Silverstone 99. Faulty brakes or not, that should NOT have happened under a red flag

[magic]

prost spinning off on the formation lap imola '91, his last season at ferrari.

dc spinning off on the formationlap monza'95, his last season at williams.

[Paste]

Hmm... I can play this game too..

Schumacher hitting Hill, Australia 1994. Schumacher hitting Villeneuve, Jerez 1997. Oh, and the epitome of stupidness, Schumacher forcing Frentzen off the track, Canada 1998. Fortunately nobody was hurt.

Can anyone look at those three incidents and say it is my bias agains MS? Or is MS's driving the reason I don't respect him much?

[SlateGray]

MS spin at Indy 2000

[Barry Boor]

Vittorio Brambilla spinning into the gaurd rail AFTER winning in Austria back '77 ? simply because he took his hands off the wheel to celibrate. Well, it was raining !!!

[Mosquito]

Well, not a real crash, but it was a DNF: Alesi running out of fuel, while his whole team was waving at the pit wall frantically for at least 2 laps.
I would have thrown a tire in his general direction, that would have got his attention.;)

"....Urrrhh, ze ensjin haz stupped...."

Others I can recall quick are already mentioned. Wasn't there once a F1 driver who stopped at the wrong pit?

[Paste]

I there've been a few of those, Mos!! I remember once that Katayama, in a Tyrell, stopped in the Minardi pits. Giancarlo Minardi, who was interviewed after, said something like "Kamikaze Katayama came in and ran through our pits" then a couple other things, basically saying that it had ruined one of his driver's races. I thought that was cool just based on the fact that Minardi are perpetual backmarkers, and Giancarlo was still massively angered by the whole thing. Intensity!!

[aRTi]

Originally posted by Mosquito
I would have thrown a tire in his general direction, that would have got his attention.;)

Maybe also a jerrycan...

[mahelgel]

hasn't alesi done that twice?

[AD]

Jenson Button at this years Italian Grand Prix.

[schumilover]

ross please elaborate on silverstone ...how was that easily avoidable ..with technically difficulties

[AlesiGOD]

Schumacher chrashing during formation lap, Monaco 96

[Ross Stonefeld]

Schumacher crashed on lap 1 at Monaco 96

Schumilover, the red flag was out and he went barreling into Stowe. There was no need to be going that fast and outbraking your teammate when the race has been stopped. It cost him dearly

US 500, 1996, the entire field ran into each other on the pace lap

[Ali_G]

I would have liked to have seen tat one.

I an't think of any stupid crashes I have seen as ye have taken up most of them but the funniest I have seen is by Nigel Mansell. I think it was back in 91 or 92 but Mansell's rear wing fell off and the car went ofr a huge spin. Hillarious.

Niall

[Mila]

AlesiGOD, I think that that was on the first racing lap.

magic, Prost was very unimpressive that day. it was raining a bit, and given the Frenchman's aversion to wet conditions, I wonder if the Tifosi figured that he simply parked it.

if we are looking at stupidity on the part of race officials, then my vote goes for the accidents of Australia 91. this was the shortest GP ever, and one that never should have been started given the super-wet conditions. such the pressures of maintaining a TV schedule.

[AlesiGOD]

Are you sure it wasn't the formation lap, I seem to remember it was

[CA]

Ross,

Trying not to be harsh, knowing you race cars and all,
Have you ever had your brakes fail on you?,
Were you aware they had failed before you tried to use them?,
Have you been in a race that was red flagged and known about the flag within 5 seconds of it being red flagged?
(I'm assumming the track marshalls had to be told of the red flagging by radio so there would be a delay in the flags being waved on the track, all I can recall from the race is MB saying red flag and about 2-3 seconds later MS trying to outbrake eddie and flying off, I assume MB got his red flag info from a computer, something the track marshals don't have access to, hence a delay from the time the race director red flags it, til the time all the marshals are alerted to the fact. The long winded point is that MS was probably not aware of the red flag at the time, I may well be wrong and the flags could have been waving, can't remember that detail)
If I'm wrong and the flags were out and MS was aware of the dodgy brakes I'll stand corrected and admit it was a big mistake, but to class it as a stupid move if MS didn't know the race situation or the bad brakes is a little harsh isn't it?

[Ali_G]

I too seem to remember it as the formation lap.

Niall

[Ross Stonefeld]

Nope it was the first lap, between Loews and Portier, that little right hander just before they go under the bridge; got up on the kerb. He rotated, corrected, and hit the fence

I dont have a radio in my car but I've never missed a flag post's warning, even when we have other drivers volunteering as flaggers

Cars were stalled on the grid, the red flag notice came on screen, and flags were out while they were still exiting the twisty bits. He should have known. Or the team should have told him.

The explanation they gave on the brake failure seemed a bit fishy, and ibase that on my experiences as a driver and a race mechanic. But thats a whole 'nother thread

[A3]

AlesiGod & Ali_G, it was not on the formation lap. See this movie clip: http://f-1.sovintel....aco/monaco1.mpg

[CA]

I'll take your word for it Ross, in that case it was a stupid mistake, bearing in mind that he had no brake problems,regardless of whether the brakes played up or not, if MS was aware of the red flag situation he shouldn't have being trying to pass Eddie at that point, he may still have gone off the track(with the bad brakes), but not with such far reaching consquences.

[John B]

Every great's had their off moments, and one of Senna's was Monaco 1988. After perhaps his best qualifying weekend ever he hit the wall with a huge lead over Prost in the race, while relaxing his pace.

The aforementioned JV crash was definitely at Phoenix.

Another good one was Andre Riberio at Road America in 1996. Off the track all weekend, and then managed to eliminate both PacWest cars at one corner, even though he was between them as they turned in...

Carlos Reutemann at Zaandvoort, 1981 when he took out himself and Laffitte with a ridiculous attempt at Tarzan. It proved to be a decisive moment in that title race.

Rene Arnoux also at Zaandvoort, when he cut into the pit lane at speed and launched close-following Thierry Boutsen.

[magic]

that, a3, was one of the highlights of '96.

ms on pole in monaco, wet monaco.
a sure vic.

then this little prxck hill has a better start.
ms not believing this is happening.
going berserk in the ferrari.
forgetting it was wet, inc. the curbs.
the same curbs he used during qualifying, when they were dry and a big help.

i tell you, sometimes he shortcicuits, jerez97, aidelaide94, silverstone'99 suzuka'98etc.

btw the best bit of this incident is not in your fabulous mpg-clip; ms's face after he took his helmet off.

brilliant.
i'm sure frans has a pic somewhere.

ps thanx mila, for explaining what i saw a decade ago.

[Bernd]

DC Spinning out of Pole position on the formation lap I can't remember the race but it was during 95 with Williams. Imola comes to mind?

I think DC has a monopoly on stupid crashes every time he takes a deep breath he falls of the track.

[CA]

Speaking of Hill,

who can forget him comfortably in the lead at Monza 96,
clipping one of those tires at the chicane and crashing out.

[John B]

Bernd,

It think that was Monza. Not a good day for Williams as Hill tangled with Schumacher shortly after and let to yet another Kodak moment, when Ferrari was running one-two and Alesi lost his on-board camera which proceeded to take out Berger's car and leave him pretty shaken. That helped set up the second of Herbert's amazing trio of career victories....

[Mila]

Originally posted by John B
Another good one was Andre Riberio at Road America in 1996. Off the track all weekend, and then managed to eliminate both PacWest cars at one corner, even though he was between them as they turned in...

yes, John B, a good example of bad driving! this occurred after he had deliberately run Greg Moore off the road at high speed.

[Ross Stonefeld]

Almost everyone hit the tire stacks at Monza, even Schumacher; but I beleive he was the only driver not to be damaged

Where's Frans

[schumilover]

any one got eddies last bio....quote his comments on silverstone please... seem to recall them being somewhat interesting

[CA]

Since Frans isn't here I've got another Schumacher crash,

San Marino 95, comes in and changes to slicks on a damp track, pushed too hard first lap out and prangs it.

I feel I should also add I'm a huge MS fan just incase anyone gets the wrong idea.

[Wolf]

Ross, I'd like to refer to your estimation of MS's Silverstone incident. I remeber that at one time regulations were such that red flag was valid only when shown by the clerk of the track (usualy on front straight), so according to those rules his overtaking manoevre would be valid (this is case with Moss winning '58 Havana GP) and he would gain a place on a restart. I have no knowledge if the rules have been changed, but if anyone can correct me on this, I would be grateful.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I physically saw red flags waving in addition to the onscreen notification.

In the races that I've done we use FIA rules and red flags are shown at all stations. Note also that Safety Car placards are held up in F1 as well

Under red-flag you revert to the finishing order of the prior lap. I've seen the odd race where the guy who caused the red flag ended up winning

[Wolf]

Ross, what I meant is that, as I see it, the race is broken off or restarted at start/finish line in order in which cars cross the line.
To explain Havana 'incident'; Moss claims to have let Masten Gregory pass him on the start, on account that Moss didn't want to be the first to hit oil (which was presumed to be all over the place, and with no warm-up lap they were not able to scout the track). After few laps there was a big crash and flag marshalls started waving their red flags, and everybody (including Masten hit the brakes). Moss was good in studying rules, so he passed Gregory (under red flag) and won the race. Moss says Masten was very sore (he felt cheated out of his victory) and Moss as a token of comradeship offered him to split his first prize mone with him if he would do the same with his 2nd place prize; this way they came off even (as far as prize money is concerned), but Moss got his win (I'm not sure of the points, I belive it was non-championship race).

[John B]

When they red flag the race on the first lap, the entire event is restarted. Piquet won the 1984 Detroit race in his backup after being involved in a red flag crash with Nige on the first start. Pironi finished the 1982 Canadian GP in his backup after his primary car was involved in Paletti's fatal accident.

The first three races in 1997 had incidents at the start which undoubtably affected the championship. JV was taken out in Australia after winning pole by 2 seconds, but the track was not blocked so the race went on. He got a break at Brazil when he went off at the first corner and fell back in the pack, but a red flag caused a restart and he kept his pole. At Argentina, MS was involved in a first lap crash, but this time the safety car came out and he had no chance to restart.

[Gruff]

Surely THE most rediculous crash HAS to be between the two Minardis in 1993 at monza (Christian Fittipaldi and Fabrizio Barbazza I think). As the crossed the line in about 10/11th places on the final lap the crashed sending one of them full circle in the air. Completely pointless crash costing Mr Minardi moeny he really couldn't afford.

[Boston Killer]

Shummi gets my vote!

1.Spining on lap 1 at Monaco in 1996 while leading.LOL that was so stupid!

2.Running into the back of the Coulthard's car at Spa in 1998.
While leading by a HUGE margin and with Hakkkinen pushed out of the GP(by Schummi himself- talk about getting what you deserve!!!).
LOL!!!

[Mosquito]

It's interresting to notice how some people try to think of the most stupid accident they can think off, while others try to think of accidents that they hope will make their worst enemy look stupid.

Just a thought.

[phunk-ee planet]

Well, how about DC going off the track into the gravel in the opening lap in Italy 1995? He was on pole and just got it back because after that the race had to be restarted. That was really stupid.
And once again: DC crashed into the pitwall 1995 because there was oil on the track.

[355 boy]

Even if there was oil on the track, everyone else managed to svoid the pit wall...

Well done DC for your spectacular driving skills

[RacerX]

How about Roberto Guererro spinning out from pole on the warm-up lap at Indy in '91 (?). He set the one lap record in qualifying and wrecked the car trying to warm the tires.

[Rainking]

Boston Killer
Schumi wasn´t in the lead
Hill at Nürburgring -95 springs to mind.(Trying to keep up with Schumi in the wet)

[Pete Stanley]

Not F1, but a couple years ago Jimmy Vasser won the CART race at Laguna Seca, and Zanardi finished second. They were going side-by-side on the cool-down lap to celebrate, and they touched in the corkscrew. Vasser spun and stalled. I think Vasser rode back on top of someone else's car.

That is probably the stupidest crash I've seen.

[Boston Killer]

Rainking,

You mean Monaco'96?
I stand corrected.He was second after being passed by Hill.From the outside in the wet.Bravo Damon!

Trying to keep up with Schummi in the wet?More like trying to keep up with illegal Benneton in his green FW-17.

Anyway they both were losing to Alesi big time untill it stoped raining and Schummi started cathcing up his cow-like Ferrari.

[Wolf]

I'm quite sure I will refer to same incident as Rainking, but isn't that the race where Hill spun off TWICE (and in few laps' span) on the same spot. First time can be attributed to any factor (wet track, oil surfacing &c) but second time around he should have known it's dangerous.

[Todd]

Didn't Jacques Villeneuve write off two BARs at the same spot during practice for Spa '99? I can see the first one, but the second would be very dumb. His teammate liked that corner too.

Who can forget Damon Hill's drive at Spain in '96? They definitely should have drug tested him after that. If he wasn't drunk or stoned, then he had even bigger problems. Maybe it was just a manifestation of his famously soft mentality?

Speaking of Hill, crashing into Schumacher in Australia was really dumb. It is possible that Schumacher would have been slower after brushing the wall, so there really was no need to ram the side of his car quite so vulgarly. I guess he was practicing for when he repeated the move in Silverstone and Monza in '95 and in Monaco in '99, when he used Ralf as a brake instead. I'm glad that turkey finally made a fool of himself one too many times and buggered off.

[RedFever]

certainly DC deserves the number 1 status, it's the only one who has managed to hit the pit wall, spin on formation lap and punt his own teammate. All from one guy: he is the Numero Uno