The start of a Formula 1 race is one of the most anticipated parts of the race weekend, but it can go wrong pretty quickly as everyone found at the 1998 Belgian Grand Prix.
Conditions would likely force a start to be delayed or conducted under Safety Car today, with rain impacting visibility considerably.
Mika Hakkinen led the field from pole, and while everyone emerged unscathed from the La Source hairpin, it was a couple of meters later that the chain reaction started.
David Coulthard had dropped to fourth place and lost control of his McLaren after running over a drain cover exiting the corner. His MP4-13 speared sideways and smashed into the adjacent wall, which caused his car to spear into the path of the oncoming traffic.
What happened next lasted only 15 seconds, but would become one of the biggest crashes in F1 history.
The ‘scary’ moment during one of the biggest crashes in F1 history
Shards of carbon fibre and detached tyres started to fling from the cars as each one piled into the other, as many were unsighted in the rainy conditions.
Coulthard’s car was carried along the back straight as the backmarkers hit the scene and added to what was fast becoming an expensive car park.
A wheel from one of the cars nearly hit a photographer stand, as this was a time before the tethers were introduced, and luckily didn’t hit anyone. It was the ultimate test of the safety standards of F1 at the time that all drivers emerged unscathed.
One of the first cars to hit Coulthard was Irvine, who detailed how the whole thing unfolded from his Ferrari cockpit when speaking to F1i.com.
“I have to admit, it was a bit scary. I had no brakes, no steering, nothing was working. I was just sitting there hurtling down the track with wheels hitting me on the head and cars going all over the place,” said Irvine.
“There was nothing I could do except sit there and think ‘S—, where is this taking me?’ It was not pleasant.”
It was the biggest first-lap incident in F1 since the 1973 British Grand Prix and took nearly an hour to clear the debris, while several teams were able to get their spare cars ready for the restart of the race.
Coulthard would later joke about the incident on his Formula For Success podcast: “Well, look, it was all part of the masterplan, wasn’t it to ensure Mika won the World Championship!”
What happened after the infamous 1998 Belgian GP start line crash?
In a race that felt like it already had enough drama, more was yet to come. Michael Schumacher collided with backmarker Coulthard while leading the race, prompting the German to march down to his pit box and face him head-on to accuse him of deliberately causing the crash.
Both drivers were in fits of rage as the rain continued to pour, while their collision promoted the Jordan of Damon Hill into the lead of the race.
Hill retained the lead after a brief Safety Car when the marshals had to clear up a crash between Giancarlo Fisichella and Shinji Nakano. His teammate Ralf Schumacher was in second with Jean Alesi third, with the pair restarting with Jordan in a 1-2 scenario.
Rather than let his drivers race and risk a crash in the treacherous conditions, Eddie Jordan instructed Schumacher that he must not pass Hill. The German obliged, and Jordan scored their first victory, while Hill won his 22nd and final Grand Prix in F1.
It was a dramatic end to what became one of the most incident-packed Grands Prix of all time in F1.