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Seen "live" this week-end in the streets of Pau, France : the first safety car crash I have ever seen!
While we saw a silly first lap, race director decide to launch the Safety Car at the last moment.
The result is here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYO4yPmf ... re=related

Wow ...

If the more heavily built touring car manages to lose a wheel on impact, imagine what would happen if a similar incident occurred with an F1 car (especially considering the greater speed differential between an F1 car and the safety car used for grand prix).

It really doesn't bare thinking about!

I'm just glad to see that everyone walked away unhurt.

I lol'd.

It was a number of issues:

a) the track really shouldn't have pit-exit right on a blind flatout corner
b) where were the safety car boards?
c) the safety car shouldn't have pulled out onto the racing line like that

Still - it was very funny.

It was the torque steer of a front drive Chevy

The safety car assumed the BMW would slow for his lights.

I wonder if that wheel coming off had anything to do with the fact the SC has a steel body and we are used to them colliding with carbon and fiberglass.

How much you want to bet that video was in Bernd Maylander's inbox this morning?

Looks like it's not the first time someones hit (or been hit by ) a course car..

Like Nick Heildfeld

or

this unlucky bloke!

Just like everyone else SC should obey the white line on the pit exit. It's there for a reason

Big blunder (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wGG4R5zjjg full crazy start). Such races shall be started under safety car since is expected to have big shunts. I had the feeling the race director was quite undecided, hoped for local yellow, and then the car was deployed in a rush (notice the guy at the exit of the pit lane).

Also, the marshal before the turn 2 waved the yellow flag. A SC table was shown at start line (see at 2:19) but maybe it missed the leader. After turn 2, the SC table was shown quite late, basically after crash.

Does anyone have an onboard recording?

What a silly crash. I place the blame squarely on the SC driver. Didn't check his mirrors [-X
He forgot: Mirror Signal Manouvre...tsk tsk

Nice sort of save by Nick though. Follows the racing line, tries to go round the car and has to dive through the grass. Imagine being in the passenger seat, some major brownage there!

gridwalker wrote:Wow ...

If the more heavily built touring car manages to lose a wheel on impact, imagine what would happen if a similar incident occurred with an F1 car (especially considering the greater speed differential between an F1 car and the safety car used for grand prix).

It really doesn't bare thinking about!

I'm just glad to see that everyone walked away unhurt.

The wheel came off the Beemer, not the SC

roost89 wrote:What a silly crash. I place the blame squarely on the SC driver. Didn't check his mirrors [-X
He forgot: Mirror Signal Manouvre...tsk tsk

Nice sort of save by Nick though. Follows the racing line, tries to go round the car and has to dive through the grass. Imagine being in the passenger seat, some major brownage there!

LOL

You forgot: It is Mirror, Signal, CHECK BLIND SPOT, then Maneuver.

People not checking blind spots is a huge reason for accidents, I hope to stop this ignorance for whoever reads it.

Ray wrote:

gridwalker wrote:Wow ...

If the more heavily built touring car manages to lose a wheel on impact, imagine what would happen if a similar incident occurred with an F1 car (especially considering the greater speed differential between an F1 car and the safety car used for grand prix).

It really doesn't bare thinking about!

I'm just glad to see that everyone walked away unhurt.

The wheel came off the Beemer, not the SC

I meant the Beemer : I was making a comparison between that collision and a hypothetical incident where a F1 car collides with the SC under similar conditions ...

I don't really classify the SC as a touring car, but I guess didn't phrase the statement in a particularly clear way.

modbaraban wrote:Just like everyone else SC should obey the white line on the pit exit. It's there for a reason

+1

I was thinking what the consequences would be if this happened in F1 (Monaco?).. Would the FIA fine themselves for causing an avoidable crash?
Would Maylander get a drive-thru or 10-place grid penalty???


Still, the funniest one ever is the one where Alex Wurz gets hit from behind by a safety car (in F3 I think it was..but I never seem to be able to find a link to the video. it's in lots and lots of "funniest crashes" compilations though!): talk about being slow in a corner entry!!!

Decision of FIA on the case: http://www.fiawtcc.com/Read_News.asp?idnews=170