Motorsport is full of adrenaline, passion and speed. In the many championships of motorsport, there are key moments. These moments range from prevailing against odds and crashes to the best wins of a season.
So, let’s go through just some of the many amazing moments in motorsport history!
Niki Lauda’s Return
After a tragic fiery crash in the 1976 German F1 Grand Prix, Niki Lauda faced severe burns and permanent damage to his lungs. He had to be rushed to hospital for treatment and recovery. Despite the extent of his injuries, he recovered rather quickly. 40 days after his accident, he returned back to F1 to take part in the Italian Grand Prix. His return was truly iconic, putting him in the motorsport hall of fame.
Ultimately he lost the World Championship by just one point; whilst recovering he missed two races, and voluntarily retracted from a third due to unsafe conditions on track. Many speculate that if he participated
in the third race, he would have won the title.
Colin McRae
Colin McRae was a Scottish World Rally Champion. He secured a victory in 1995 securing him the status of not only the first British World Rally Champion, but the youngest World Championship title holder at just 27 years old. These are highly impressive titles and because of his iconic win in 1995, it made history as one of the very best moments.
Ferrari Vs Ford
In the 1996 24 Hours of Le Mans, Ford expressed their ambition to beat Ferrari in the championship. Although four Ford cars failed in the early race, the others took top three. In 1st and 2nd place came
the FMC/Shelby American GT40, and in 3rd was FMC/Holman & Moody GT40.
Not only is their expressed ambition iconic, but the fact that Ford beat out Ferrari went down in history as one of the best moments in motorsport, securing a Hollywood movie made about the triumph.
Female Influence
Women’s representation in the world of motorsport has grown substantially from the 70s. In particular, there are some key figures in the sport, who paved the way for the future generation of female racers.
For example, Lella Lombardi was the first woman to have scored points in an F1 Championship. She competed in 17 overall and in the 1975 Spanish GP, she gained 1/2 a point after finishing in 6th place.
Michele Mouton is another key figure in rally. She holds 4 World Rally Championship titles from the years 1981-85, and is known as the World’s Fastest Woman.
Overall, there is a plethora of amazing moments in all areas of motorsport. Whether it is breaking records, or intense rivalries; it has and always will be a wild ride. Many more great moments are bound to crop up as time goes on, and the motorsport communities all look forward to the best of the best.
Let us know some of your favourite motorsport moments- F1, MXGP, MotoGP, Rally etc- and read more here!