"I would have died 3 different ways" - James Hinchcliffe recalls life-threatening Indy 500 crash in IndyCar safety assessment

James Hinchcliffe has become a fan favorite in the world of motorsports. The Canadian has been commentating on matters related to F1 and will be the voice of IndyCar this season. However, his endeavor in the series had been earmarked with an accident during practice at the 2015 Indianapolis 500, in which he asserted how he would have died that day if not for the safety measures.

Racing has been a dangerous affair since its inception. Hundreds of drivers died around the world during the 20th century every year while taking part in various championships. However, various drivers championed the idea of a safer racing environment, which ultimately translated into the sport including multiple safety protocols.

Former IndyCar driver turned commentator James Hinchcliffe had suffered a major crash at Indianapolis in 2015. His Schmidt Peterson Motorsports car suffered a front-right suspension failure that caused him to crash with the barriers going over 200mph.

Reflecting on the incident, he stated how racing is inherently reckless with death being an omnipresent fear (via USF Pro championships):

"I mean there's two things you got to remember, one is that racing is inherently dangerous and will never be a 100% safe, but the second is that we learn from every accident. The sport is constantly evolving from the safety side and if you're driving race cars today, you are driving in the safest and best era to do it in the history of the sport."

James Hinchcliffe then expressed his gratitude to have been racing in a safer era and said:

"My accident came in a carbon fiber tub, I hit a safer barrier, I had a Hans device, all these things that without you know, if I had that accident 10 years prior, 15 years prior, I would have died three different ways. You know there was no chance I was surviving that."

After retiring from IndyCar in 2021, the 38-year-old went onto become a revered commentator in the motorsport world.

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James Hinchcliffe goes into detail about his journey to become a commentator

James Hinchcliffe at the F1 Grand Prix of Miami - Practice - Source: Getty

Many former drivers often turn into commentators post their racing careers and James Hinchcliffe is no exception. His love for the sport was always present, which aided him in landing a commentating role and becoming a columnist for F1.

Hinchcliffe then revealed about his path to his current role, and said (via PlanetF1):

"I had this really unique opportunity to do a little bit of commentary when I was in the Atlantic Series on Champ Car at the time, and it was for the international broadcast, so no one in North America heard it... I always said, hey, when I’m done driving, this is what I want to do... I was a fan of this sport before I ever drove anything. And look, it’s no secret I’m a talker. So you take a thing I like to do and mix it with another thing that I like to do, and it just made sense."

Hinchliffe last raced this year in the IMSA 24 hours of Daytona. He finished 13th in the GTD Pro class.