From Verstappen’s 51G to Schumacher’s 78G: Biggest Ever F1 Crashes in Terms of G-Force

Safety is of the utmost priority in the modern F1 era and we can get behind it. Initially, some disputed the Halo, introduced in 2018, but now it is a life-saving addition to the cars.

We can’t avoid crashes or incidents, especially with the high speeds at which the F1 drivers compete. And sometimes these crashes become quite dangerous and the drivers feel extremely high G-force during such accidents. To clarify, G-force is a measure of acceleration and F1 drivers feel up to 6Gs during every race.

F1 crashes with the highest G-force impacts

The G-force a driver feels during a race and during a crash is completely different. Especially the crashes that occur during high-speed records an extremely high G-force that the driver experiences. And sadly, sometimes such incidents can even prove to be fatal.

Posted on Reddit, the list details the top crashes in terms of G-force in F1 history. In the list, the most recent high g-force crash suffered is by Max Verstappen, and he’s the only active driver on the list. His coming together with Lewis Hamilton in Silverstone recoded a massive 51Gs of force as he flew into the barriers. Luckily, the Red Bull pilot did not sustain any injuries, which allowed him to take part in the next race.

Another incident from the 2004 US Grand Prix involving Ralf Schumacher recorded a g-force of 78Gs. Schumacher flew into a banked corner at a 90° angle and suffered two minor spinal fractures.

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The fireball incident 0f Romain Grosjean also features on the list above Verstappen’s incident. The 2020 Bahrain GP incident, which split the Haas into two and caused the massive fire, recorded a g-force of 67Gs. Luckily for Grosjean, he only suffered second-degree burns on his hand as he credits the halo for saving his life.

FIA regulations make the sport safer each year

Among the host of 2022 regulations, safety was a big factor, as it always is. And according to FIA, the 2022 car is a lot safer compared to the 2021 regulated challenger.

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“Our research showed that an extremely rigid chassis flank and a front end that absorbs more energy is the most efficient way [to improve safety]” said FIA technical delegate Nikolas Tambazis to Auto Motor und Sport.

And hopefully, FIA keeps working toward it as there is always room for improvement.