From Ayrton Senna to Jules Bianchi: a timeline of F1 incidents since 1994
March 1994: Jos Verstappen, Interlagos
A horrific four-car crash in Brazil involving Jos Verstappen, Eddie Irvine, Martin Brundle and Eric Bernard. The four cars were bunched together on the track when Verstappen collided with one and flew over the others. Verstappen became airborne and trundled into the safety wall.
F1 driver Jules Bianchi dies from injuries sustained in crash at Japanese Grand Prix
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May 1994: Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger’s deaths, San Marino
The three-time world champion Ayrton Senna collided with the Tamburello wall on lap seven of the race at Imola, coming off the racing line on the corner at 190mph before striking the unprotected barrier. He died from skull fractures. The drivers had raised concerns over safety before the race after the wing of Ratzenberger’s car collided with a wall at the corner after Tamburello. He also died from skull fractures.
August 1998: Multiple pile-up, Belgium
In the wet at Spa David Coulthard lost control of his McLaren on the first lap causing a 14-car pile-up and the race was stopped. When the race restarted, four cars were so badly damaged they could not race.
July 1999: Michael Schumacher, Silverstone
At Stowe Corner the German’s rear brake failed, sending the Ferrari driver crashing head on into a tyre wall. He broke a leg and was out for 98 days but returned in Malaysia that year.
March 2001: Australia
The race in Melbourne was won by Schumacher but completely overshadowed by the death of Graham Beveridge, a track marshal. A wheel came off Jacques Villeneuve’s car, bounced through a gap in a safety fence and hit Beveridge in the head. In June 2013, at the Canadian Grand Prix, another marshal, Mark Robinson, was run over and killed by a truck recovering a stranded car.
July 2001: Luciano Burti, Hockenheim
Burti, driving a Prost, drove into the back of Schumacher, who had started the German Grand Prix at slow speed. Burti’s car flew into the air, hitting others as he landed on his wheels but the Brazilian was fit to take part when the race restarted.
May 2002: Nick Heidfeld, Austrian Grand Prix
Heidfeld’s Sauber suffered a rear suspension failure, causing the car to spin down the track and puncture a hole in the side of Takuma Sato’s Jordan. Fear mounted as the Japanese driver was stuck in his car for several minutes but he escaped with minor injuries.
Jules Bianchi: a popular F1 driver who was the ‘real deal’ behind the wheel
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June 2007: Robert Kubica, Montreal
The Polish driver clipped another car, forcing his Sauber into the air and into the concrete wall at 186mph. The car rebounded across the track, lost three wheels and was smashed into smithereens. Kubica escaped with light concussion and a sprained ankle. A year later he won the race.
July 2009: Felipe Massa, Hungary
Massa was in qualifying when a suspension spring came off another car, bounced down the track and struck the Brazilian’s helmet. He lost consciousness and drove into a tyre wall. He needed a titanium plate inserted into his skull but he returned in 2010.
June 2010: Mark Webber, European Grand Prix
On the street circuit in Valencia, Webber, who was driving for Red Bull, hit the back of Heikki Kovalainen’s car, took off and flipped backwards 180 degrees, landing head down before rolling back on to its wheels, coming to halt against a tyre wall. He escaped with minor injuries.
May 2011: Sergio Pérez, Monaco
The Mexican was in qualifying when he lost control of his Sauber and crashed into a barrier dividing the circuit from an escape road. Pérez suffered concussion and did not take part in the race. He returned later that season.
October 2014: Jules Bianchi, Japan
The 25-year-old French driver died from head injuries nine months after the accident at a wet Japanese Grand Prix, the first to pass away since the death of Senna 20 years previous. Bianchi’s car slid off track and collided with a crane picking up the car of Adrian Sutil, who had crashed in the same position a lap earlier.