Audi driver Allan McNish was lucky to walk away from this spectacular crash in the 2011 Le Mans 24 hour race. The incident happened inside the first hour, just after the Dunlop bridge, when McNish clipped the #58 Luxury Racing Ferrari driven by Anthony Beltoise.
According to Beltoise the speed of the prototype R18 TDI is up to 50km/h quicker than the slower GTE class Ferrari through that section of track and speculation suggests that McNish could not see the Ferrari around his teammate in the #1 Audi who had slowed down due to the slower car.
It was a frightening accident and the relief of the Audi Sport Team Joest crew can be seen after McNish emerged from the wreckage.
12 replies on “VIDEO: Allan McNish crashes out of Le Mans”
i was watching this live as it happened. poor camera man shat himself as that wheel kept following him
[…] #1 car with Mike Rockenfeller at the wheel, although the contact was similar to that suffered by Allan McNish who crashed out in the first hour. The 27-year-old German was fast approaching the #71 AF Corse Ferrari and went for an overtake down […]
That is amazing footage. McNish is no stranger to big shunts. I remember his epic off at 180R at Suzuka in the Toyota F1 car during a practise session where his car went through the armcove barrier… The Footage after showed him taking a breather on the side, clearer winded… This footage is amazing
PS I love the young kid in the Audi pit, putting his fire proof headwear on, expecting to have some form of Audi in the pits… That Audi ain’t going anywhere except to the scrap metal yard.
Good god, he walked away from that! Even if he couldn’t see the ferrari, it was still a pretty stupid manoeuvre….
Seriously, if Beltoise knows there’s a 50km/h speed difference to the LMP1 there, why on earth would he turn in so hard with 2 LMP1 coming up to pass?
Those safety marshalls and photographers are incredibly lucky. The car only needed to be a few inches higher and it would have sailed right over the barrier. Can’t belive how high that tyre must have been in the air and then come crashing down next to phoograher in blue.
i was most amazed that McNish’s race suit was still white after they got him out. i was expecting various shades of brown…
[…] Audi team lost two of its cars in spectacular fashion when both Allan McNish and Mike Rockenfeller survived horrific […]
@Dave, Beltoise said he checked his mirror and didn’t see anyone trying to overtake so turned in as normal. I suspect McNish didn’t know the Ferrari was there either!
Yeah, just watched the McNish interview. Answers a few questions e.g. #2 went off course due to mistake, McNish take is that Beltoise only ever saw 1 R18 behind him because of the off course by #2 etc. Heck, what do I know thousands of miles away watching on a dodgy internet feed? At least Audi managed to take the win for both of the retired cars!
[…] emotions for Audi. Two of their cars were destroyed in horrific crashes—thankfully nobody neither Allan McNish nor Mike Rockenfeller were seriously hurt—while their third and final car hung on to win the […]