F1 driver struck and injured by medical car in bizarre incident

Thirty-one years ago today, Japanese driver Taki Inoue became the unwitting star of one of F1's most absurd moments when he was struck and injured by the medical car at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

It was 13 August 1995, and the Hungaroring was witnessing a dominant performance from Damon Hill, who led every lap from pole position on his way to a commanding victory.

His Williams team-mate David Coulthard completed a 1-2 finish some 33 seconds behind, while Michael Schumacher's hopes of a podium evaporated when his Benetton suffered a fuel pump problem, leaving him to crawl home P11, three laps adrift.

But the race will forever be remembered for what happened to Inoue.

Around lap 13, Inoue's Footwork FA16 suffered an engine failure, leaving the car smoking in the run-off area.

Concerned that the marshals were not dealing with the small fire quickly enough, Inoue took matters into his own hands. He climbed out of the cockpit, grabbed a fire extinguisher from a marshal post, and began making his way back towards his stricken machine.

At the same time, the Tatra 623 medical car had been dispatched across the grass to attend the incident. As Inoue turned back towards his car, he walked directly into the path of the arriving vehicle and was hit from behind. The collision launched him onto the bonnet before he tumbled to the ground.

"Bang! Someone hit me very hard," Inoue later recalled. "But I landed on my feet: perfect landing."

Remarkably, the injuries were minor, limited to his left leg, and he was fit to race at the very next grand prix in Belgium.

But the indignity did not end at the trackside. Race director Charlie Whiting informed Inoue the circuit helicopter could not be used to transport him to hospital, as it would require stopping the race.

"I expect the helicopter to take me to hospital, but Charlie comes in and says, 'Sorry, Taki, we can't use the helicopter; otherwise we stop the GP. You wait until the finish, another hour,'" Inoue said.

What made the Hungarian incident even more extraordinary was that it was the second time in that very season an official car had collided with Inoue. At the Monaco Grand Prix earlier that year, the Renault Clio safety car ploughed into the back of his Footwork while it was being towed back to the pits, flipping the car and giving him a concussion.

Two collisions with official vehicles in a single season. It remains a record nobody is in any hurry to break.

Check out the incident below!