Six Drivers Who Survived Against All Odds

Danger is always present in motorsport despite all safety precautions put in place to protect people. These stories will show that motorsport is still one of the most dangerous sports in the world and drivers put their lives on the line every time they race. In this article, we will look at six drivers who survived the impossible and went on to be an inspiration to many people all around the world.

(Image credit from ESPN.co.uk)

On November 29th 2020, at the Bahrain Grand Prix, the world witnessed one of the scariest and most intense crashes in Formula 1 history. Romain Grosjean found himself being thrown towards the barrier after his Haas made contact with Daniil Kvyat's AlphaTauri, the car coming into contact with the barrier at 192km/h. Upon impact, the Haas split in half with the cockpit getting wedged in the barrier, the cars fuel instantly ignited, trapping Grosjean in a fireball reaching temperatures of 950 degrees Celsius. For 28 seconds, Grosjean was stuck in the fire with no way of getting out and spectators feared for the worst. As more seconds went by, concern grew with some people believing it was too late. Track marshals worked quickly, attempting to put out the fire as Grosjean freed himself, putting his gloved hands into the fire to climb out. Despite how severe the situation was, he walked away with only minor burns to his ankles, injured ribs, a sprained ankle and burns to both hands. He recovered quickly and although he did not return to Formula 1, he continued racing in other series. From then on, Grosjean earned the nickname ‘The man who walked through fire’.

Unfortunately, as we know, Romain Grosjean was not the only person in motorsport to experience this type of horror. Andrea Dovizioso experienced many crashes throughout his career, but one particularly terrible one was the 2019 MotoGP British Grand Prix. Coming into Stowe Corner, Andrea Dovizioso and Fabio Quartararo were involved in a minor collision that caused Dovizioso to be violently thrown from his bike at high speed, sending him into the gravel trap. As he and the bike slid through the gravel, the bike briefly caught fire and both drivers were taken to the medical centre. Somehow, they both avoided any serious injury and escaped with no long-term impacts despite Dovizioso losing consciousness in the accident. 

One notable and extremely well-known incident occurred at the 2007 Formula 1 Hungarian Grand Prix. During the race, a spring from Rubens Barrichello’s car had come off of the car and due to the speed he was driving, the spring was sent flying through the air and made contact with the Ferrari of Felipe Massa who was travelling close behind. Despite the fact that Massa was wearing a helmet, the speed and impact of the spring to the front of the helmet caused a serious head injury, leaving him in intensive care and placed in a medically induced coma. He suffered a skull fracture, concussion and damage to his left eye. Many people thought that he was not going to survive, but he miraculously made a full recovery after missing the rest of the season.

In 2003, Kenny Brack avoided death in a high-speed crash at Texas Motor Speedway during an IndyCar race where he crashed into Thomas Scheckter’s car at incredible speed. Brack’s car was flung into the air, flying towards the protective fencing. Upon impact, the car was torn into pieces, leaving the driver fighting for his life. His injuries were severe, consisting of a fractured sternum, broken femur, broken ribs, punctured lungs and fractured ankles. Somehow, after undergoing many surgeries and rehabilitation, he survived and even went on to win the 2005 Race of Champions.. 

At Daytona 250 in 2000, Geoff Bodine was left injured after he was involved in a 14-truck pile-up. His truck made contact with another and caused it to fly through the air and crash into the fence at almost 190mph, tearing it apart and sending it into a giant fireball. Somehow, the only part of the truck that stayed intact was the cockpit. He suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured vertebrae, burns to his face and hands, a concussion and a broken cheekbone, wrist and ankle. He recovered quickly and made a comeback to racing that same year. 

One of the most severe crashes that nobody expected the driver to survive was Alessandro Zanardi’s crash in 2001. While coming up to a chicane, he lost control of the car, sending it spinning across the track. Alex Tagliani, who was quickly approaching, did not have time to avoid the spinning car, hitting Zanardi almost head-on. The impact was huge, producing forces of up to 200gs, forcing the car to split and crumple in on itself with the cockpit taking most of the damage. The crash resulted in major and life-threatening injuries to Zanardi. Both of his legs had to be amputated due to trauma and he lost almost three quarters of his blood. He was very lucky to survive and after emergency surgery and rehabilitation, he even managed to return to competitive racing and went on to become a Paralympic gold medalist. 

Article written by Ruby Kirtland