will need to cover him off. Give me Reken on the inside and he’s crashed with M and he’s hit medal as well. Reichen is out before the first corner and he’s gone into the red ball there as well. It’s the second time this season. Brilliant start from Maldonado.

He’s already passed Reichen who’s passed Kobe Ash. He was a bit sluggish.And there’s Lewis Hamilton slinging into the wall and oh dear Roman Grojan and Fernando Alonzo and Lewis Hamilton all coming to grief from the source. Imagine this. 20

racing at over 300 kmh. All packed together like sardines. Now imagine what happens when just one driver makes a mistake. Chaos. Absolute chaos.

Today we’re counting down the top 10 most spectacular opening lap crashes in Formula 1 history. And trust me, number one will blow your mind. Let’s get started. Number 10, Germany 1994. We’re kicking off at number 10 with Hockenheim 1994. The race starts. Everything looks normal. The pack is tight but controlled. But then they hit the OC curve of chicane at insane speed.This is the old Hawkenheim layout. Brutally fast. No room for error. One touch. That’s all it takes.

spin. Metal flies everywhere. The sound is deafening. Drivers retire instantly. No chance to continue. Among them, Yosstappen. Yes, Max’s father. His race is over before it even began. The problem with Hockenheim was simple.

Too much speed, too little runoff, too dangerous. This crash became ammunition for critics who’d been saying the track needed a redesign. And guess what? They eventually got it. The track was completely rebuilt in 2002. But here’s the thing. This was just a warm-up compared to what’s coming. Number nine, Brazil 2003.Number nine takes us to Inter Logos, South America, the home of Erin Senna. It’s raining. Not just raining, it’s monsoon. Water is literally running downhill like rivers. The track looks more like a swimming pool. The race starts anyway. Turn three, flat out, left-hander downhill. Suddenly, cars start aquaning. Zero grip, zero control, zero chance.Mark Weber crashes hard. His

car

is destroyed. Race officials decide to restart. Smart move. Right. Wrong. On the restart, Fernando Alonso smashes into the debris at full speed. Nobody cleared it properly. Multiple cars destroyed. Drivers furious. Fans shocked. The race gets red flagged. Complete disaster.And here’s the crazy part. There was a massive controversy over who actually won this race. The timing was all messed up. Fakeella was declared the winner, but many people think it should have been Reichenin. But we’ll save that story for another day because what’s coming next involves a flying car. Number eight, France, 1989. Number eight, Paul Ricard, 1989.The Paul Ricard circuit in southern France. Beautiful weather, perfect conditions, or so everyone thought. The grid launches into a long, sweeping right-hander before the chicane. No slow zone to spread the pack out. Nothing to reduce the danger. The cars are bunched together, wheelto-heel, inches apart. Mauricio Guggelme’s march clips another car. Just a small touch.And then he goes airborne. His car flips into the pack like a missile, tumbling, spinning, out of control. Metal fire, destruction, complete carnage. Multiple cars obliterated instantly. The track is covered in debris. The race red flagged immediately. No other choice. Several teams had to use backup cars. That’s how bad the damage was.

But what happened next on our list was even worse. Number seven, Australia 2002. Number seven, Melbourne, Albert Park, Turn One. This is the crash that produced one of the most iconic images in F1 history. Reuben’s Baracello breaks early in his Ferrari. Engine issues strategy. Nobody knows for sure. Behind him, Ralph Schemacher in the Williams.Michael’s younger brother. Ralph’s doing nearly 300 km per hour, full race pace. He’s in Baricello’s slipstream. No visibility, no warning. He hits Barello, and then his car takes off like a plane. Wheels off the ground. Williams flies over the Ferrari, completely clears it, lands hard on the other side. The impact triggers an eight car pileup.Cars spinning everywhere, debris flying. The race restarted behind the safety car. Half the grid is already done. This moment was one of the most spectacular crashes ever captured on camera. But wait, because what’s coming at number six changed a championship forever. Number six, Singapore 2017. Number six, Singapore.The Marina Bay Street Circuit Night Race. Wet track. The lights go out. The most dangerous start combination in F1. Sebastian Fedle, Kim, Reichon, Max First Upin. All three fighting for position into turn one. Fiddlele squeezes Verstoppen aggressively. He’s defending his position hard. Kimmy launches from the left with an incredible start.He’s going for the gap and then bang. All three collide in a split second. Complete disaster for everyone involved. Kimmy’s car slams into Versstappen, then ricochets into Alonzo. Chain reaction. Fedle spins separately and crashes into the barriers. Three championship contenders gone. Lap one all out. Lewis Hamilton inherits the lead.