Allan McNish survives monster Le Mans crash

[corned]

Just thought you would like to know that Allan McNish is alive and well (and walking about) following one of the worst motor sport accidents I have ever seen.

That Audi is one strong well-engineered car. Thank God it was a closed car not an open one or the result would have been very different.

 

[wemorgan]

More than just Allan were lucky

[YOUTUBE]41e2xSITZzM[/YOUTUBE]

 

[corned]

You're not kidding there, Will. Nothing short of miraculous that there are no apparent injuries, or much worse.

 

[snoop51]

Bl**dy He*l. Good job he wasn't in a Reliant Robin!

 

[Ian B Walker]

Those track marshals don't get paid enough

 

[Howard]

Did you seen motorbike man try and save his bike ?

Good move , cover your bike with your body to stop the debris hitting it

 

[grober]

The usual Le Mans problem of mixing cars with very different performance profiles [ and I include driver ability in this]Glad McNish escaped unscathed. Not quite up to Peter Dumbrek standard tho [YOUTUBE]Ow3rxq7U1mA[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Cabe]

I wonder if he was sponsored by Red Bull....

 

[KillerHERTZ]

The usual Le Mans problem of mixing cars with very different performance profiles [ and I include driver ability in this]Glad McNish escaped unscathed. Not quite up to Peter Dumbrek standard tho [YOUTUBE]Ow3rxq7U1mA[/YOUTUBE]

Should have gone down Halfords for a Barry Spoiler

 

[corned]

Breaking news: No 1 Audi (Mike Rockenfeller) has just collided with another Ferrari and this looks a good deal worse that Allan McNish's earler incident.

Please say a prayer or two for him. There does not appear to be much left of the car.

 

[justcool]

Lucky Guy !

 

[corned]

Mike Rockenfeller is OK. He got out of the wreck by himself.

I have just seen the camera footage of the incident and I can't believe how he survived. The Ferrari cut across him on the entry to the kink before Indianapolis and the inevitable happened. Less that 1/4 second later he hit the armco full on. This is the fastest part of the circuit so the impact speed would have been utterly immense. There is nothing recognisable left of the car.

Entirely the Ferrari's fault, I'm afraid.

 

[BlackC55]

Too much of a difference in speed too

 

[corned]

[YOUTUBE]ESrhrKc9WrU[/YOUTUBE]

The footage from the track-side fixed camera as the two cars approach is the most graphic view. Amazing that a driver could withstand such an impact.

If nothing else, this year's race has proved Audi engineering integrity. Not a great way to demonstrate it, but it is extremely impressive by any measure.

 

[Dieselman]

[YOUTUBE]DdDhWzByQGs[/YOUTUBE]

 

[Mr E]

Mike Rockenfeller is OK. He got out of the wreck by himself.

I have just seen the camera footage of the incident and I can't believe how he survived. The Ferrari cut across him on the entry to the kink before Indianapolis and the inevitable happened. Less that 1/4 second later he hit the armco full on. This is the fastest part of the circuit so the impact speed would have been utterly immense. There is nothing recognisable left of the car.

Entirely the Ferrari's fault, I'm afraid.

'Fraid I have to disagree there. Been watching with Mr E Snr, who spent his working life in top-end motorsport - GT drivers are told to keep on the line and the faster cars should move around them. Unfortunately Rockenfeller didn't want to lift before the kink and put his car up the inside an onto the grass, while the GT driver was doing as he was told. Couple that with very bright lights on the Audi (which a number of drivers have complained about) that mean you can't tell very easily where they are behind you.

There was something similar a couple of years ago - that time the GT moved offline and put it into the armco. That's why they are told to keep to the line, and the faster car should then know where they will be on the track and plan accordingly.

Fortunately MR seems to have had a very lucky escape, thank goodness.

 

[corned]

Mmmm. You have a point. The lengthy discussions following the incident highlighted the driver's briefing where it was made clear that GTs should stay on the racing line and not deviate, thereby giving all around them some predictability as to where they will be on the track during overtaking manoeuvres. The Ferrari driver therefore cannot be blamed for merely doing as he had been instructed.

You could argue that the inflexibility of the rules got in the way, in a sense, because the obvious thing to do would have been for the GT to just keep a little over to the left to allow room for the prototype to get through.

I suppose the arguments over the searchlights on the front of the Audis will continue too.

 

[corned]

I've just woken up to hear the commentators mention that the stewards have disqualified the #71 Ferrari for its part in the Rockenfeller incident. Looking for confirmation...

Correction : Robert Kauffman, the driver of the Ferrari, was excluded as a result of the Stewards decision. The car itself has just this minute retired following a mechanical failure.

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

Some incredible footage. Remarkable that all live to tell the tale, let alone escape unscathed.

Is it being broadcast on UK TV? If so, which channel?

 

[corned]

All 24 hours broadcast on Eurosport.