Rush

[felixR]

A biography of Formula 1 champion driver Niki Lauda and the 1976 crash that almost claimed his life. Mere weeks after the accident, he got behind the wheel to challenge his rival, James Hunt.

This is epic.

[felixR]

More!

[cordz]

Can't wait

[cartoon]

Viewing event for NSW?

[Setanta]

I don't have any time for Niki Lauda ever since I read about his comment when Roger Willaimson burnt to death and only David Purley stopped to try and help him in the '73 GP.

“I am paid to race, not to stop.”

Yet when the same thing happened to Lauda he lived because others stopped and gave assistance.

In Purley's own words:
"What surprised me was that no other drivers stopped to help. There was all this talk of 'Purley trying to rescue his friend' and so on, but that wasn't the case - I didn't know Roger well at all. What happened was purely a reflex action. In Aden, if one saw a burning tank one tried to help the people inside, and it was exactly the same at Zandvoort. A matter of a man needing help. That car burned for several laps, and all the 'safety crusaders' just kept on bombing through the accident scene without even backing off..."

Williamson's death was largely the fault of the organisers (response teams let him burn alive and left his body in the car until the end of the race) but Lauda was a dick about it and was lucky that when his turn came, people had more compassion.

There were better men than him on the track in the history of F1.

[cartoon]

Didnt a marshal get chopped in half also during that accident?

[Setanta]

Different race, ran across the track, hit by a car, fire extinguisher he was carrying 90% decapitated the driver and marshall was nearly chopped in half. Will find the race after dinner.

Edit: Tom Pryce was the driver, Frederik Jansen van Vuuren was the marshal, 1977 South Africa GP. Footage of the accident is on youtube, I don't suggest you watch it.