Race and classic pictures

Chaos, carnage and Webber's mangled scrap of junk

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 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.

The accident triggered a sequence of events that ended with Fernando Alonso's Renault also pulverizing itself in an even bigger crash, which also fortunately left the Spaniard unhurt.

Oh, and by the way, the Stewards handed the win to McLaren's Kimi Raikkonen but further examination of race data in the following days revealed that Jordan's Giancarlo Fisichella was actually ahead when the red flags were brought out.

By all accounts, it was a messy end but one which Fisico would eventually be delighted with.

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.

Recent Posts

Sainz: 'F1 is trying to sell something we all know isn’t right'

Amid the mounting criticism of Formula 1’s new regulations, Carlos Sainz has accused the sport…

7 mins ago

Colapinto camp stepped in after Ocon clash to prevent death threats

Franco Colapinto’s management opted for an extraordinary defensive maneuver after the Alpine driver’s clash with…

14 hours ago

F1 The Movie wins Oscar for Best Sound

F1 The Movie took a victory lap on Sunday evening at the 98th Academy Awards,…

15 hours ago

Formula 1's first and last unofficial starter

German driver Hans Heyer was born on this day in 1943, and while his main…

16 hours ago

Stella confirms engine-related failures, but won’t blame Mercedes

McLaren endured a bitterly frustrating weekend at the Chinese Grand Prix as both of its…

17 hours ago

Kirkwood beats Palou to claim Arlington IndyCar glory

Kyle Kirkwood delivered a masterpiece on Sunday in the shadows of AT&T Stadium, proving that…

19 hours ago