German GP Memorable Moments: Part 2

End of the road for Didier Pironi

Ferrari driver Didier Pironi crashed heavily during the wet qualifying of the 1982 German Grand Prix at Hockenheim. Ironically, it was in a similar manner to his arch rival Gilles Villeneuve, who had met his death at Zolder a few months earlier. Unable to see because of the spray from Derek Daly’s car, Pironi collided into the back of Alain Prost and was skyborn for a moment. The Frenchman’s legs were so badly injured that FIA doctor Sid Watkins had given amputating them a thought, just to get him out of the car. Ultimately, he did not lose his legs but he never raced in F1 again.