Most Unluckiest DNF

**Craig** · 13 Apr 2001, 07:24 (Ref:80074)

Who do you think had the most unfair DNF ? I guess Mansell in Adelaide 86 has to be a contender, or Damon in the Arrows when he was like a lap from winning in Hungary (?) Who do you think takes the title as the most unlucky DNF ?

Airhead · 13 Apr 2001, 07:41 (Ref:80075)

Good choices Craig,

Perhaps Damon in Adelaide as well but the year (1995) he lost the championship to TGW when he was RAMMED off the track!

Wrex · 13 Apr 2001, 07:46 (Ref:80076)

I think you ended the discussion with your opening post Craig - I'm racking my brain trying to think of anyone unluckier than those two.

Moff, Damon was'nt that unlucky, He & TGF had been going tit-for-tat that way the whole season.

Mansell (and its very rare for me to feel sorry for this sook), was really unlucky not get that championship.

**Peter Mallett** · 13 Apr 2001, 08:02 (Ref:80079)

Quote:

Originally posted by Craig Antill
Who do you think had the most unfair DNF ? I guess Mansell in Adelaide 86 has to be a contender, or Damon in the Arrows when he was like a lap from winning in Hungary (?) Who do you think takes the title as the most unlucky DNF ?

Er. Damon finished second in that race.

Guy Goddard · 13 Apr 2001, 08:46 (Ref:80090)

Mansell 86 was harsh, standing in the pub at 2.00am in the morning with a full pint in my hand willing him on and then the tyre and then I dropped my pint in horror with all 200 people in the pub standing silent!!

Maybe Senna in 89 at Suzuki who drove well to make up for trying to punt Prost into the scenery only to be disqualified.

TimD · 13 Apr 2001, 09:13 (Ref:80096)

How about Senna tripping over Jean-Louis Schlesser's Williams at Monza in 1988, not only losing his chance at the race, but allowing Ferrari to take the only non-McLaren win of the year.

My, how I chuckled....

Jack Brabham, Monaco 1970, leading by a country mile a lap and a half before the end, when he goes offline to take a backmarker, locks up on cement dust and connects with the barrier. End of story, I think Rindt took the win.

And then of course there's Chris Amon...

badoer fan · 13 Apr 2001, 09:27 (Ref:80099)

You can probably guess what I'm going to say but:
Badoer Nurburgring '99
but alos Martini Germany '85 (in the points until he ran out of fuel)
and Eric van de Poele in the Lambo San Marino '91 He just managed to pre-qualify, made it into the race and was running an absolutely fantabulous 5th until the fuel line ruptured with 3 CORNERS TO GO! He never did score a point

**bella** · 13 Apr 2001, 09:42 (Ref:80103)

bador fan, you took the words right out of my mouth.... that was pretty unfortunate.

johnny herberts entire racing career is littered with unfortunate retirements.

**Peter Mallett** · 13 Apr 2001, 10:52 (Ref:80110)

Then there's Derek Warwick leading the British GP in 81 for Renault. DNF.

badoer fan · 13 Apr 2001, 11:15 (Ref:80122)

Andrea de Cesaris retired just as he took the lead for Jordan at Spa '91

robert2000 · 13 Apr 2001, 13:43 (Ref:80173)

Montoya, Brazil 2001?

Murph · 13 Apr 2001, 15:26 (Ref:80184)

Nice topic

Mosport Park.. the 1977 Canadian GP
I was there and I still can't believe just how dominant Mario & his Lotus 78 was. His only competition came from James Hunt..... and after James tangled with his team mate (Jochen Mass) Mario had lapped the field on the 60th lap! (the race was 80 laps). Mario allowed Jody Scheckter who was now in 2nd place to unlap himself on lap 70....but Mario was a quite comfortable 75 seconds in the lead... until his Ford DFV blew up and Mario coasted into the pits leaving a trail of oil that caused Ricardo Patrese and Vittorio Brambilla to spin off the road and smash into the parked cars of Hans Binder & Rupert Keegan. Gilles Villenueve also spun on Mario's oil but avoided the "car park" on the side of turn 8...but his race was done as well with a broken drive-shaft. At the end of 80 laps only 7 of the 25 starters were running.... the order was.... Jody, Depaillier (Tyrrell P34 6-wheeler), Mass (McLaren), Alan Jones (Shadow), Patrick Tambay (Ensign), and though he wrecked on lap 78.... the "Monza Gorilla" came in 6th in his Surtees!
Looking back.... What a weekend.... I was so very disappointed that Niki didn't race for Ferrari that weekend....but I had the pleasure of watching him clinch his 2nd WDC at The Glen the previous weekend....... but Niki's abscence did allow me to witness Gilles first outing for the Scuderia!!!!

TimD........ with Chris Amon..... there are so many days of sadness to choose from...... I would have to go with his heartbreak at the 1972 French GP.... driving the Matra MS120D at Clermont Ferrand. Chris took pole by about 1 second over Denny Hulme...drove away from the pack until his inevitable bad luck struck again.... a puncture this time...... AUTOCOURSE called his drive back through the field to 3rd place (behind JYS and Emmo)"the most inspired drive of the 1972 Grand Prix season".

How about "Jumper" Jarier....twice he was "denied" victory and both times his demise was met by joy & happiness from the home crowds! The first was when "Jumper" and his UOP Shadow was the class the field at Interlagos during the 1972 Grande Premio do Brasil! The UOP Shadow ran away from the field....+25 seconds on the #2 man, Carlos Pace. A fuel metering unit failed 8 laps from the end of the race... and Carlos Pace won his only GP. I saw (in the flesh) Jarrier have his heart broken a second time.... I cheered on Gilles first victory at Ile Notre Dame in 1978...... "Jumper" had started from pole and through the first 49 laps had built up a huge lead in his Lotus (he had replaced the late Ronnie Peterson) but an oil leak brought it all to an end. Gilles took the lead and he was "willed" home by about 100,000 of his closest friends!!!

take care, all

Murph

Murph · 13 Apr 2001, 16:00 (Ref:80187)

Opps!!!

I forgot Bruno Giacomelli at The Glen. The last USGP at Watkins Glen was held in 1980. Alan Jones won the WDC that year in his Williams FW07B. I was at the last 2 races of the the year...Canada & the US East GP at The Glen. Jones won both races...but the shocker was that at The Glen it was Bruno and his Marlboro Alfa Romeo 179 that stood out. Bruno started from pole, took the lead from the get-go, and had buildt up about a 14 second lead over Alan when his Alfa just died out on the back straight....as I recall it was an "electrics" problem.....'sigh....... anyway, I don't think Bruno or Alfa ever came that close to winning a GP ever again.

take care, all

Murph

Minardi fan · 13 Apr 2001, 22:08 (Ref:80242)

It absolutely HAS to be Badoer retiring from 4th at the Nurburgring in 1999 - I was in tears then, and by the end of the race in hysterics because Gene brought his car home 6th. HURRAH!!!

DancingMachine · 13 Apr 2001, 22:24 (Ref:80248)

it has to be schui..in the japanese gp..where he stalled the ferrari ans started dead last..overtook 5 cars in the pick up and another 10 till he reached hill....ofcourse he dnf due to a puncture caused by an accident

EERO · 13 Apr 2001, 22:34 (Ref:80257)

Murph, great memories, I had forgotten Giacomelli's near miss at the Glen. I was a huge Shadow and Jarier fan, that day in Brazil was heartbreaking.

For a more recent event, Monaco 1996, Damon built up a huge lead and retired at about the halfway point, Alesi's Benetton inherited the lead and he looked set for his second win, only to fail. This isn't to take away from Panis' brilliant drive, but I'm sure Damon wanted at least one victory at the site of his father's greatest triumphs.

Let us not forget the sad litany of DNF's which were unfortunate not only because they cost a driver a good finish, but also his life or career.

In the 1972, French GP Murph, mentioned, Helmut Marko was running in the top six in only his ninth race in the uncompetitive BRM on a tough track, Clermont-Ferrand, kick up a stone from alongside the track which smashed through his visor , blinding him in one eye. I would say that was a pretty unfortunate DNF.

BTW< Dr. Helmut Marko owns a small hotel in Graz that I just found on the web. Were I going to Austria, I'd make a side trip-it looks swell.

**Peter Mallett** · 14 Apr 2001, 02:22 (Ref:80312)

Forgive me if I get the date wrong. I'm a long way from my books.

What about the Monaco GP (82?) when Derek Daly in a Williams inherited the lead only to coast to a dead stop due to fuel pressure probs. There was no fuel in the tank. There were about three changes of leader in the last two laps as I recall. Perhaps someone can tidy this up?

marcus · 14 Apr 2001, 02:37 (Ref:80317)

what about mansell in Canada 91 ..when the car coasted to a halt out of the hairpin on the last lasp.

Eric Van der poel at Imola in 91 was also a very tough one.

Marco Apicella..Monza 93..frist Gp start was tangled up in a crash at first chicane and that ended his GP career all 300 metres of it.

Patrese at Imola in the early 80's driving for Brabham when he crashed at the Aqua Mineralli while leading.

not quite a DNF ..but Perry mcCarthy at Spain in 92 driving for Andrea Moda call rolled to a halt in the pitlane seconds after he first fired it up for practise..Poor Perry

Damon hill in the Arrows at Melbourne in 97 when the car broke down on the warm up lap.

there are hundreds more..just cant remember them all now

Airhead · 14 Apr 2001, 04:26 (Ref:80331)

Yes,

the Mansell one in Canada when he ran out of fuel. Well scoped Marcus. Unfortunate in the extreme.

**Peter Mallett** · 14 Apr 2001, 04:30 (Ref:80335)

I think you are referring to the "I ran out of fuel" story which Patrick Head clarified as "the stupid pillock was waving so enthusiastically he hit the ignition switch".

This was proved when they got the car back to the garage, plugged in the starter and fired it up without adding any fuel.

About the only time when Nige did something in a car that I thought was less than clever.

Langers · 14 Apr 2001, 06:12 (Ref:80348)

Schumacher Suzuka 1998

robert2000 · 14 Apr 2001, 09:55 (Ref:80366)

More-or-less everyone, Nurburgring '99.

Jean Alesi, Monaco '96 would have to be another candidate. Or even Damon Hill in the same race. They were both miles in front of the rest when they both suffered mechanical failure which put them out.

Ralf's Girl · 14 Apr 2001, 10:27 (Ref:80370)

I doubt I can think of any that haven't already been said, but here goes:

Damon in 96 at Monaco - he was driving really well (not to mention better than the supposed Rainmaster TGF, who crashed halfway round lap 1...

) and deserved to win. Another Damon one, not quite a retirement, but Hungary 97, where he would undoubtedly have won but for his clutch problem.

As M-fan said, Nurburgring 1999, when Luca Badoer retired from 4th. But I suppose the point that Marc Gene got was some consolation.

I can think of a couple of Hakkinen ones as well - Silverstone and Austria 1997. Silverstone should have been his first win, and would have been if it hadn't been for the engine letting him down. And Austria was another he could have won. He deserved to win Silverstone - he should have worked for his first win, instead of having it gifted.

Tristan · 14 Apr 2001, 15:43 (Ref:80446)

Nurburgring '99 OBVIOUSLY, any man who can take that silver Minardi to FOURTH has to be THE man.

Damon at the hungaroring

erm.....

yeah, they've all been said. Hmmph.

But JPM 2001 must be quite high up there. Couldn't beleive it.

yorkie · 14 Apr 2001, 20:52 (Ref:80509)

I remember an incident at the Italian GP in 93/94. The two Ferraris driven by Berger and Alesi were following each other coming up to the Curva Ascari when the TV camera on the lead Ferrari fell off and hit the suspension of the following Ferrari causing terminal damage to the car which later retired. That incident summed up Ferrari's effort for the early 90s

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