Schumacher's worst crash: Silverstone 20 years later

“After the accident, you believe in a sign that you should stop motorsport,” Schumacher said at the time – with some distance.

At 107 km/h into the tire wall This Thursday marks the 20th anniversary of the German's worst crash in a racing car at the British Grand Prix. Schumacher was driving his Ferrari F399 at 306 kilometers per hour before he braked before the approaching curve, but simply continued racing straight ahead. His speed was still 107 kilometers per hour when he hit the road barrier. The front of his car was completely destroyed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXI5UQ665O0

Schumacher was then forced to take a 14-week break from racing before returning to the race track in Malaysia in October of the same year after three failed attempts. He later openly admitted that July 11, 1999 had changed him. Ten years later, he said he felt “my heartbeat getting less and less and suddenly stopping completely. Lights go out. And then I think that’s what it feels like when you’re on the way up.” “We screwed up” Ex-Ferrari chief mechanic Ross Brawn Schumacher was only a passenger in his car. Helpless after his brakes failed due to a loose development screw. Exactly how this could happen remained unclear. “The fact is: we messed up,” said former Ferrari technical director Ross Brawn, who also spoke of human error among the mechanics. Brawn rejected speculation that the causes of the accident may have been covered up, such as defective steering or a broken accelerator pedal.

Schumacher was operated on at the nearby General Hospital in Northampton, but after just 42 hours he was released from the hospital surrounded by fans and the media in a secret operation that was perfect for a film, including diversionary tactics and deception. The images around the hospital were shockingly similar to the scenes from December 2013, when Schumacher had to be treated in Grenoble after his terrible skiing accident in the Alps.

Although Schumacher's only bad crash in around 20 years of Formula 1 gave him pause, there were no long-term consequences. Completely different from the devastating crash in the Méribel ski resort a good five and a half years ago, which would change the motorsport legend's life forever. To this day, little is known about Schumacher's exact state of health. The now 50-year-old ex-racing driver is consistently shielded from the public.

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Schumacher's worst crash: Silverstone 20 years later

During his racing career, Michael Schumacher seemed almost invulnerable. But July 11, 1999 made the record Formula 1 world champion thoughtful.

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