Allan McNish's Audi R18 TDI shatters
Allan McNish has a HUGE accident at Le Mans whilst overtaking a slower Ferrari 458 in his Audi R18 TDI.
Motor Racing is a dangerous game. Not as dangerous as it should be according to Stirling Moss, but dangerous enough by any sane standards.
But safety has improved enormously in recent years, particularly with the adoption of carbon fibre tubs, something Allan McNish will be thanking his lucky stars for this afternoon.
Less than an hour in to the 2011 Le Mans 24 Hour the Audi R18 TDI of Allen McNish had a massive coming together with a slower Ferrari 458 Italia. The ensuing mayhem saw McNish’s Audi R18 fly out of control across the gravel, going airborne and slamming in to the tyre wall, spraying cameramen, marshals and spectators with flying wheels and debris.
It’s a hard accident to call. McNish tried to make a pass under a slower-moving Ferrari 458 Italia coming in to the Dunlop Curve, but as he moved under the Ferrari it moved across to take the racing line across the corner and hit the back end of McNish’s Audi, sending the Audi flying off.
Should McNish have made such a brave move so early on? It’s the stuff that races are won on, but maybe it was a bit too aggressive. Should the Ferrari driver have been aware that McNish’s Audi was coming hard up the inside? You’d have thought so.
For all the ensuing mayhem it appears that McNish escaped with just minor injuries, walking away from the tangled wreckage of the Audi R18. We hope the cameramen, marshals and spectators showered with the flying debris of the R18 were equally as fortunate.
We’ll update when we learn more.
Bert VP says
‘Should the Ferrari driver have been aware that McNish’s Audi was coming hard up the inside? You’d have thought so.’
To simple to think so:
. there was a Audi in between, who stayed behind, so he simply could not see de R18,
. since the other Audi stayed behind he could expect the racing line to be free.
‘maybe it was … too aggressive’ Yes it was.