Jean Alesi Crashes Niki Lauda’s Iconic Ferrari F1 Car in Monaco

Earlier this weekend, the Monte Carlo circuit played host to an exhibition F1 race. This race featured a plethora of classic F1 cars which will race around the street circuit. It is worth mentioning that the historic Grand Prix of Monaco event comprises separate races for each different generation. Unfortunately, there was a bit of a mishap during one of the races. As it turned out, former F1 driver Jean Alesi crashed while driving the Ferrari that the late Niki Lauda used to race with.

The Frenchman crashed into the wall while running in the lead. The incident took place a handful of laps before the end of the race. Around that time, Alesi piloted the Ferrari 312B3 while battling against three-time Le Mans winner Marco Werner in the Lotus 77.

The bad news was that it all ended in tears with three laps to go when the duo collided. Apparently, the German driver clipped the rear of Alesi’s Ferrari on the start-finish straight. As a result, the Frenchman’s only destination was straight into the pit wall. In all honesty, it was a bit of a shame, because the ex-F1 driver enjoyed a near-flawless race until that moment.

READ MORE: WATCH: Mercedes Post a Moving Tribute on Niki Lauda’s 72nd Birthday

The Ferrari 312B3 powered Niki Lauda to 4th in 1974

It is worth mentioning that Niki Lauda had piloted the Ferrari 312B3 from 1974 to mid-1975. During that time, the Austrian legend secured two victories in 1974. However, he soon switched to the 312T in 1975, but that is another story.

Coming back to the Monaco classic race, Alesi’s incident was not the only one. The red flag brought the race to a premature close after a Surtees car crashed somewhere between Casino Square and Mirabeau.

It is also worth noting that Werner copped a penalty for his role in the Alesi incident. So, he lost the race win and dropped back to third place. Meanwhile, Michael Lyons inherited the victory in his McLaren M26, while Julien Andlauer came second in his March 761.

Now, the Monte Carlo Circuit will be eagerly waiting for the Formula E cars to stage their own race. After that, the F1 fraternity will head to the principality for its own race.