The diary of disaster

Browse pages
Current page

1

Current page

2

Current page

3

Current page

4

Current page

5

Current page

6

Current page

7

Current page

8

Current page

9

Current page

10

Current page

11

Current page

12

Current page

13

Current page

14

Current page

15

Current page

16

Current page

17

Current page

18

Current page

19

Current page

20

Current page

21

Current page

22

Current page

23

Current page

24

Current page

25

Current page

26

Current page

27

Current page

28

Current page

29

Current page

30

Current page

31

Current page

32

Current page

33

Current page

34

Current page

35

Current page

36

Current page

37

Current page

38

Current page

39

Current page

40

Current page

41

Current page

42

Current page

43

Current page

44

Current page

45

Current page

46

Current page

47

Current page

48

Current page

49

Current page

50

Current page

51

Current page

52

Current page

53

Current page

54

Current page

55

Current page

56

Current page

57

Current page

58

Current page

59

Current page

60

Current page

61

Current page

62

Current page

63

Current page

64

Current page

65

Current page

66

Current page

67

Current page

68

Current page

69

Current page

70

Current page

71

Current page

72

Current page

73

Current page

74

Current page

75

Current page

76

Current page

77

Current page

78

Current page

79

Current page

80

Current page

81

Current page

82

Current page

83

Current page

84

Current page

85

Current page

86

Current page

87

Current page

88

Current page

89

Current page

90

Current page

91

Current page

92

Current page

93

Current page

94

Current page

95

Current page

96

Current page

97

Current page

98

Current page

99

Current page

100

Current page

101

Current page

102

Current page

103

Current page

104

Current page

105

Current page

106

Current page

107

Current page

108

Current page

109

Current page

110

Current page

111

Current page

112

Current page

113

Current page

114

Current page

115

Current page

116

Current page

117

Current page

118

Current page

119

Current page

120

Current page

121

Current page

122

Current page

123

Current page

124

Current page

125

Current page

126

Current page

127

Current page

128

Current page

129

Current page

130

Current page

131

Current page

132

Current page

133

Current page

134

Current page

135

Current page

136

Current page

137

Current page

138

Current page

139

Current page

140

Current page

141

Current page

142

Current page

143

Current page

144

Current page

145

Current page

146

Current page

147

Current page

148

Current page

149

Current page

150

Current page

151

Current page

152

Current page

153

Current page

154

Current page

155

Current page

156

Current page

157

Current page

158

Current page

159

Current page

160

Current page

161

Current page

162

January 14 Benetton poaches Dutchman Jos Verstappen for its test driver just as McLaren is poised to sign him to a multi-year deal 

January 21 JJ Lehto crashes at Silverstone in his first Benetton test and sustains damaged vertebrae. He will miss the first two GPs

February 24 FIA President Max Mosley (right) warns of ‘draconian penalties’ for any team contravening the ban on traction control

March 27 Jordan’s Eddie Irvine and Verstappen collide during the Brazilian GP. The Irishman is fined $10,000 and handed a one-race ban

March 31 Ferrari driver Jean Alesi suffers neck injuries in a big testing accident at Mugello. His temporary replacement is Nicola Larini

April 6 Irvine’s appeal to the FIA ends in fireworks: his ban is increased to three races. He’s replaced by Aguri Suzuki and then Andrea de Cesaris

April 16 Ferrari is accused of cheating. The FIA’s technical delegate alleges that its engine modulation system is traction control. But he’s overruled

April 29 Rubens Barrichello crashes heavily in practice for the San Marino GP. Amazingly, he suffers only a broken nose and bruising

April 30 Austrian driver Roland Ratzenberger (right) becomes F1’s first fatality in eight years when he crashes his Simtek in final qualifying

May 1 Spectators are injured after debris flies into the Imola crowd following a startline shunt between Lehto and Pedro Lamy’s Lotus

May 1 After the safety car is brought in. Ayrton Senna’s Williams hits Tamburello’s concrete wall. The three-time champion is dead

May 1 Ferrari and Lotus mechanics are injured when Michele Alboreto’s Minardi sheds a wheel immediately after making a pitstop

May 12 Sauber’s Karl Wendlinger lapses into a coma after an accident during free practice at the Monaco GP. He is unconscious for 19 days

May 13 Drivers reform the Grand Prix Drivers’ Association and will henceforth be directly involved in discussing safety matters

May 13 FIA president Mosley brings forward 1995 plans to introduce a 10mm under-car ‘plank’. It will now be enforced from the German GP on

May 24 Lamy is hospitalised with serious leg injuries after his Lotus loses its rear wing and crashes into a pedestrian tunnel at Silverstone

May 27 The GPDA digs its heels in as the FIA and Spanish authorities refuse to install a chicane at the Circuit de Catalunya. The drivers win the argument

May 28 Italian Andrea Montermini breaks an ankle during free practice in Spain after his Simtek hits a concrete wall head-on (right)

June 12 Williams duo Damon Hill and David Coulthard fall out at Montreal: the former claims the latter held him up in the race’s early laps

July 3 Michael Schumacher’s storming second-row start at the French GP (right) arouses suspicions: his team denies using traction control

July 26 The FIA Imposes a two-race ban on Schumacher, and his team is fined $500,000, for ignoring a black flag at Silverstone

July 28 The FIA discloses that Benetton’s software taken at the San Marino GP has a facility for launch control. But it cannot prove it was used in races

July 31 Verstappen’s Benetton Is engulfed in flames during refuelling in Germany. Mika Hakkinen is banned for a race for his role in a startline shunt

August 10 The FIA reveals that Benetton had removed a mandatory filter from its refuelling rig, and blames this for the Hockenheim fire

August 12 Without publicity, Intertechnique, the designated supplier of F1’s refuelling rigs, issues all teams with revised couplings

August 28 Schumacher loses his Belgian GP win at Spa when post-race checks reveal that his under-car ‘plank’ has worn down too much

August 30 The appeal against Schumacher’s two-race ban is rejected: the series leader will miss the Italian and Portuguese grands prix

September 7 Benetton is absolved of blame for the German GP pit inferno: the appeal against its exclusion from the Belgian GP fails

September 30 Schumacher calls Hill “second-rate” and “a little man” because of his failure to support him during his recent troubles

October 12 Team Lotus sinks into financial administration and Johnny Herbert’s contract is sold to Ligier. He makes his team debut at Jerez

October 15 Hill and Schumacher shake hands for the cameras before the European GP (right) – but only after Bernie Ecclestone tells them to

October 28 Despite having three years of a four-year contract still to run. McLaren and Peugeot part company as Merc comes on board

November 6 Flak flies in all directions after a rain-lashed Japanese GP: Martin Brundle’s McLaren aquaplanes off the road and strikes a marshal

November 10 Schumacher wins the title by a point but only after colliding with Hill after a mistake of his own sees him hit the wall

November 30 Williams and McLaren go to arbitration over who owns the rights to Coulthard’s services for the1995 season

December 14 The Contract Recognition Board decides In Williams’ favour Coulthard (left) will stay there for the foreseeable future