Formula 1, the pinnacle of Motorsport, is one of phenomenal speed, technology, controversy and, when it goes wrong, some huge accidents. Safety is paramount for all involved, and just a few weeks ago saw a marshal killed in Canada. Whilst not from the accident itself, it occurred during the clearing of the car after the race, it still highlights how dangerous this wonderful sport can be. Now, I could talk about the tragic death of Ayrton Senna, which made worldwide news in 1994 and everybody knows about. But I dont intend on that. Instead, I will highlight, in no particular order, eight other big crashes and their implications.
8. Romain Grosjean Belgium 2012
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ur7nwtMPmO8 Cementing his reputation as an unpredictable and dangerous driver, Romain Grosjean first pulled across on Lewis Hamiltons McLaren, sending him out of control and then pretty much completely failed to brake going into the first corner, destroying Fernando Alonsos Ferrari and coming perilously close to taking his head off as he flew across the nose at high speed. This also involved both Saubers and a Williams, and spread a huge amount of debris across the track. Implications Arguably, this single-handedly cost Fernando Alonso the 2012 world drivers championship. Whilst you cannot say absolutely whether Alonso would have scored points, given his record of consistency throughout the 2012 season and reliability of the car, you would have to assume he would have done. Finally losing the title by just three points to Vettel, you have to argue that this incident cost him the title. Also, this accident saw the first race ban handed out since Schumacher in 1995, with Grosjean being suspended for the following race at Monza.