Spa-Francorchamps holds its breath after horrific 111G crash - On This Day

The 2001 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps will be remembered not for what happened at the front of the field, but for one of the most violent accidents Formula 1 had witnessed in years.

 Michael Schumacher ultimately crossed the line first for Ferrari, with David Coulthard bringing his McLaren home in second, but the race was defined by a crash so severe that it brought the sport to a standstill.

It was a move by Luciano Burti that Eddie Irvine simply did not see coming. The two made contact, and the consequences were immediate and catastrophic: Burti's front wing was torn clean off and wedged beneath the front wheels of his Prost. 

With no downforce, no steering and no braking power, the car shot straight ahead at approximately 270 km/h, across the gravel and directly into a four-layer stack of tyres. The impact was measured at 111G.

The Prost literally disappeared under the collapsing pile of tyres, which came crashing down onto the cockpit and forced Burti's head violently to the side. The red flag was immediately waved, and the circuit fell silent as marshals worked for minutes to free the Brazilian from the wreckage. Irvine, who had also gone off the track in the incident, rushed to the scene.

"I was the first on the scene, and his head was literally pushed to the side by the weight of the tyres," Irvine said afterwards.

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The lasting consequences of a near-fatal impact

Burti was taken to hospital having suffered a severe concussion and a brain haemorrhage, and was placed in an induced coma. His helmet had cracked, partly as a result of the positioning of the hydration tube opening, a detail that subsequently led to a regulatory change within the sport. 

He never returned to F1 as a race driver, instead taking up a test driver role with Ferrari in 2002.

Years later, Burti reflected on the broader significance of his survival, crediting the safety improvements that followed Ayrton Senna's death at Imola in 1994. "If it hadn't been for Senna's death, I wouldn't have survived, because Formula 1 became much safer," he said.

On the subject of his shattered helmet, an image that became synonymous with the accident, Burti offered a perspective that was characteristically measured. "Many people think the helmet is a negative reminder of the accident, but I see the positive side: it saved my life."

Schumacher's victory, his 10th of the season, extended his championship lead and underlined Ferrari's dominance throughout 2001, but the paddock's attention that afternoon remained firmly fixed on the medical centre rather than the podium.