Carnage, chaos and confusion in Brazil

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Held on this day in 2003, the Brazilian Grand Prix was memorable for all the wrong reasons, and it all went wrong from the get-go.

The race was delayed while a storm front battered Interlagos with heavy rain, and once everyone started racing, many were those who got caught out by the treacherous conditions.

Cars were falling off the track almost every other lap, but the real drama waited ahead. On the penultimate lap, Mark Webber lost it on the start/finish straight, his Jaguar shedding a trail of debris in its wake.

A fast moving Fernando Alonso emerged over the hill only to plow into one of Webber's stranded wheels and hit the inside tyre barrier with a massive fracas.

Fortunately, everyone escaped unscathed. Except perhaps for race control which initially declared McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen the outright winner of the chaotic event, as it had finalized results based on when the red flag was waved.

However, a post-race in-depth analysis of when the flag was exactly deployed revealed that Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella had just crossed the line when the red was shown.

The Italian was eventually declared the official winner of the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.