Puncture caused Briscoe's shunt
Toyota's test driver Ryan Briscoe was lucky to walk away after losing control of his car on Spa's Eau Rouge corner during Friday's second practice session. The Australian suffered a left rear puncture which forced him into the Armco and tyre barriers at the infamous bend
Although Briscoe sat in the car initially, he soon jumped out of the cockpit. He was taken to the medical centre for a precautionary check-up.
Although the TV cameras missed the start of incident, tyre marks left at the bottom of the hill suggest the Toyota snapped to the right, when it should have been turning left. The fact that the remains of the inside of the sidewall of the left-rear tyre had jagged edges lent credibility to the theory of a puncture occurring at the very worst of moments, and this was later confirmed by technical director Mike Gascoyne.
"We can see from the data that he picked up the puncture at the Bus Stop," said Gascoyne. "He was okay through La Source but the tyre deflated just before Eau Rouge. It was a normal puncture, it started deflating and then it failed because it was running at a lower pressure."
Having hit the end of the old pitwall, Briscoe then hit the Armco on the inside of the left-hander and was catapulted across the track to hit the tyres on the outside of the right-hand element. Fortunately, it appears the angles the car struck the barriers were such that Briscoe himself didn't sustain any large hits, and quickly hopped out of the car unscathed.
Previous article
Grapevine: News from the Paddock - Belgian GP
Next article
Prac 2: Raikkonen on top
The forgotten F1 comeback that began Jordan’s odyssey
Before Michael Schumacher – or anyone else – had driven the 191 (or 911 as it was initially called), Eddie Jordan turned to a fellow Irishman to test his new Formula 1 car. JOHN WATSON, a grand prix winner for Penske and McLaren, recalls his role in the birth of a legend…
The squandered potential of a 70s F1 underdog
A podium finisher in its first outing but then never again, the BRM P201 was a classic case of an opportunity squandered by disorganisation and complacency, says STUART CODLING
The other notable Monza escape that F1 should learn from
OPINION: The headlines were dominated by the Italian Grand Prix crash between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, who had the halo to thank for avoiding potentially serious injury. But two days earlier, Formula 1 had a lucky escape with a Monza pitlane incident that could also have had grave consequences
How Monza only added more questions to F1's sprint race conundrum
With two sprint races under its belt, Formula 1 must now consider its options for them going forward. While they've helped deliver exciting racing on Sundays, the sprints themselves have been somewhat lacking - creating yet another conundrum for F1 to solve...
Who should Alfa Romeo sign for 2022's F1 season?
OPINION: With Valtteri Bottas already signed up for 2022, all eyes are on the race for the second seat at Alfa Romeo next year. Antonio Giovinazzi is the current incumbent, but faces a tough competition from appealing short and long-term prospects
The "forced break" that was key to Ricciardo's Monza excellence
OPINION: Daniel Ricciardo has long been considered one of Formula 1’s elite drivers. But his struggles at McLaren since switching from Renault for 2021 have been painful to watch at times. Yet he’s recovered to banish those memories with a famous Monza win – built on a critically important foundation
How Verstappen is ruining his F1 title battle with Hamilton
OPINION: The Italian GP clash between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen followed a running theme in the 2021 Formula 1 title fight. Their close-quarters battles have often resulted in contact - and although Hamilton has shown a willingness to back off, Verstappen must learn to temper his aggression
Italian Grand Prix Driver Ratings
Two drivers produced maximum-score performances as, for the second year in a row, Monza threw up an unpredictable result that left several others ruing what might have been
