Revisited: Jos Verstappen engulfed in flames during dramatic pit stop catastrophe

On July 31, 1994, one of the most iconic moments in F1 history occurred at the German Grand Prix.

At the time, Jos Verstappen was racing for Benetton during his rookie F1 campaign, over 20 years before his son Max made his debut on the grid.

For the first time since 1983, the season marked the first time that cars were allowed to be refuelled in the pit lane during a race.

Verstappen pulled into the pit lane roughly one-third of the way through the event at Hockenheim to serve a pit stop.

However, fuel was accidentally sprayed from the hose and onto the car after the team removed a filter in the fuel system in a bid to speed up the process.

Almost immediately, the car was completely engulfed in flames with Verstappen and several mechanics in the firing line.

Those nearby rushed to put out the flames, which quickly generated a huge plume of smoke in the pit lane.

No mechanic was seriously injured, however Verstappen suffered burns around his eyes as he had his helmet visor up during the pit stop.

It was a stern reminder of how dangerous refuelling could be, and Benetton was later fined by the FIA.

Verstappen would state to RTL that he never doubted about continuing his career afterwards. 

In his eyes, the incident actually showed that he can trust his team in case of an emergency. 

However, Verstappen conceded: “It stays with you your whole life.”

See the incident here!