What if Max Verstappen never existed? What if Red Bull Racing never had a driver to go neck to neck against the mighty Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes in the turbo hybrid era? As per Martin Brundle, there was a chance that this is exactly how things would have panned out in Formula 1.
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The British former F1 driver was in a situation in Brazil in 1994 where either he or Jos Verstappen might not have come out alive. If Brundle would not have made it out, F1 would have lost one of the most fascinating Formula 1 personality ever. However, if Verstappen Sr. wouldn’t have come out alive, the F1 world would never have witnessed what they witnessed in 2021 and 2022 with Max Verstappen.
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Talking about the crash, as per Daily Star, Brundle conveyed, “Jos Verstappen rolled over my head so Max Verstappen nearly didn’t exist. We somehow all survived it and I literally crawled back to the pits from here.”
The British F1 commentator further stated on how he is lucky to have lived on from there, “In the official opening [TV] credits, they show my crash so I have a daily reminder of how I nearly died at this corner in 1994.”
What happened in the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix?
The 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix was one of the most anticipated races of that season, as it was the season opener. However, nobody thought that the race could see a dangerous accident that involved four cars!
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Four drivers who were involved in the crash were Jos Verstappen, Martin Brundle, Eddie Irvine, and Eric Bernard. Jos Verstappen, Max Verstappen’s father, was 22 years old when he debuted for Benetton. When it comes to Martin Brundle, he moved to McLaren ahead of the 1994 season.
As the race started, the battle intensified for the midfield. On Lap 36, Irvine moved left to lap Bernard’s car, Ligier. As a result, he failed to spot Verstappen and pushed him off into the grass. Soon after this, the Dutchman’s car flew into the air and collided with Brundle’s head, which split open his helmet.
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Luckily, both Verstappen and Brundle escaped with their lives. It was indeed one lucky day for them. Otherwise, the sport would have lost two talented individuals as well as the upcoming multiple world champion, Max Verstappen.
