Death of a Minardi...

[Dan Friel]

Sorry to announce this Minardi Fan...

But we had a Minardi have the biggest crash I've ever witnssed today at Thruxton - at my feet!!! The car spun and took off across the grass and whacked the tyre wall sideways halfway up... I was out in the country side on Post 10 (at this point they're doing about 150 mph!!) German driver was well knocked out (I thought he was dead..) and massive hole in his helmet. No doubt that the improvements to the cockpits of modern F1 cars saved him. Apparently he's just sore, but the car was killed... and us marshals were well lucky as debris flew out us, rear wing and all over my head!!

[Sparky]

Sorry Dan. I know this must have been traumatic for you, 'cause you were there, but to post it this way, especially after todays events, I give you a big '0' for sensitivity.

[Liz]

Um, me too ... though for you being a Marshall I have great respect for your bravery, the word "death" should not be used for a car getting wrecked.

Thank God the pilot was all right, and you and yoru fellow marshalls too.

[Sparky]

Well done Liz, you summed up what I was trying to say. I quit before I put my foot in it!

Dan, it was nothing personal. After today, with your own experience, and the events at another, distant track, it'll will take courage to go stand beside that circuit next time.

I commend your bravery, Sir.

[R]

Yes, I agree, unappropriate use of the word "death", especially when related to a sport that has claimed so many lives, and tragically another loss today.

[Bononi]

I was confused, and I thought I missed something on the race... could not remember a Minardi crash.
Bad choice.

[Dan Friel]

A big sorry due.... I posted this before I knew about the marhsal getting killed. We don't hear about the GP when we're marshalling - so we can watch the video later on. And I put this up when I got just in the door...

No offence meant.

[marcus]

back to the topic ...
Dan what kind of Minardi was it ..year and what engine did it have and who was the driver ???

all questions that you may not be able to answer but I would be interested to find out

[Dan Friel]

The Minardi was about 3 years old, it had head protection - which the old cars didn't have... Engine was a Judd, not much left of it apart from the block.

Driver was a chap called Karl Heinz Bekker, who I expect to be in serious pain today!! He was trying to keep up with the leaders, who qualified 4 seconds faster than him in practice.. and I just thought how well he was doing, then he got sideways.......

[Marshal]

Sounds like the archetypal post 10 accident, how far round did he spin before he hit? And where did he end up? I trust the race was stopped...

[Dan Friel]

Well he was tucked up under Tony Worswick's exhaust pipe, lost it on the way out of the bend (presumably not used to no downforce) - skid marks ten yards long, then there was three marks on the grass where he skipped across it and then hit the tyre wall halfway up - stopped just about dead, a few feet from where he hit. So lost all the speed in one hard impact. Ouch.

Race was stopped after 2 more laps, track wasn't blocked.. but the other leaders didn't slow done much (in fact, not at all). And the rescue crew and us felt a bit vunerable!!!