F1: Top 5 crashes at the German Grand Prix.

As we all know, the much-anticipated German Grand Prix takes center stage this weekend on the F1 calendar. The race will be an opportunity for Sebastian Vettel to extend his lead at the top or might be Lewis Hamilton's ticket to overtake his German counterpart and head to the pinnacle of the driver's standings.

But in the world of F1 and motorsport in general, things are never so straightforward. While fans largely get to see the positive aspects of life on the edge, drivers practically risk their lives every time they step foot inside the compact spaces of a race car. This has been well documented in the past with the high number of fatal accidents in the sport, shortening life spans enormously and altering the course of racing in the process.

Sadly, the legacy of many drivers is largely lost in a major accident too, with most people remembering the tragic incident over their achievements in the past. Just take Ayrton Senna for example. Before the Brazilian's shocking death in 1994, he was widely tipped to be the greatest of all time but had his career and life terribly cut short on that fateful evening in Imola, Italy, causing a rage and calling for a more modern-outlook on F1 cars and technology.

Thankfully, we live in slightly safer times now but with the unpredictable German Grand Prix coming up, we wanted to take a look back at some of the most jaw-dropping crashes that took place at both the notorious Nurburgring and the venue for this weekend's race, Hockenheimring.

#5 Kimi Raikkonen, 2003 (Hockenheimring)

Let's start with a name everyone can relate to. Before Kimi Raikkonen was winning big with Ferrari, the "Iceman" was plying his trade with rivals McLaren in Formula One, and was doing a pretty good job for the team. Generally considered a reliable bet for a decent finish, McLaren put a lot of faith in the Finnish driver as was visible through his early days with the team.

However, the cool and calm Raikkonen was anything but at the 2003 German Grand Prix in Hockenheim when things went horribly wrong for the future champion. Check out the video below.

After nudging Ferrari driver Rubens Barrichello, Raikkonen went cannoning into the barricade at full speed causing a massive bang and resulting in debris flying everywhere. Despite the high-speed crash, Kimi can be seen getting out of the car relatively unscathed to everyone's relief.

#4 Michael Schumacher and Luciano Burti, 2001 (Hockenheimring)

Sticking with familiar names, here's one that F1 fans will perhaps never forget. Multi-time champion Michael Schumacher may have dominated the late 90s and 2000s with his incredible driving skill in a powerful Ferrari but this is one memory of the German that isn't quite in tune with his numerous accolades.

At his home race in Hockenheim, Schumi was slow to begin the race, and with a sea of cars behind him, that wasn't a very smart thing to do. While most cars narrowly escaped contact, Brazilian driver Luciano Burti did not, and smashed into the back of the Ferrari at speed. The result of the contact was quite bizarre, with Burti's car launched into the air and coming down after a back flip and some truly insane acrobatics. Thankfully, Burti was okay, but for a brief moment everyone had their hearts in their mouths. Check it out below.

#3 Felipe Massa, 2014 (Hockenheimring)

Another recent accident to take place at the Hockenheimring involved Felipe Massa taking a shocking tumble at the start of the 2014 German Grand Prix. The race itself began smoothly but soon turned very sour for the Brazilian Massa, whose lengthy career has seen some ups and downs. This, however, was a very literal interpretation of those ups and downs.

In the fan video below, Massa can be seen trying to avoid his teammate Valteri Bottas before colliding with Kevin Magnussen instead, resulting in dire consequences. His right-rear wheel hits Magnussen's front-left and Massa's Williams is amazingly turned upside down.

After a nervous slide off the track, Massa's car thankfully comes around and avoids Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull by the narrowest of margins. A race steward can be seen giving the thumbs up soon after, which surely calmed some restless souls at the time.

#2 Nikki Lauda, 1976 (Nurbugring)

If you're into racing and movies, chances are you've come across the movie 'Rush'. The sensational rivalry between the astute Niki Lauda and the flamboyant James Hunt is well documented in the movie and gives the closest account of what went down between the pair in the 1970s.

An incident is shown in the film which mirrors that in real life, but the extent of which can only be explained by those who were there themselves. At the dangerous Nurbugring in 1976, Lauda lost control of his car and went straight into the barricade at close quarters. Shockingly, his car caught fire and Lauda himself was engulfed in flames. The horrific accident was viewed by those in attendance, only to see fellow drivers come to the aid of the ailing Lauda. After suffering burns to his face and lungs, the tenacious Austrian made his way back to racing just six weeks after the life-threatening incident.

#1 Onofre Marimon, 1954 (Nurburgring)

The first ever Formula One driver to be fatally injured on track was perhaps the saddest and most bone-chilling of all accidents to ever take place at the German Grand Prix.

Onofre Marimon was one of the most promising drivers in the 50s at a time when Juan Manuel Fangio ruled the roost of F1 with his numerous victories. After finishing third in the British Grand Prix, Marimon was practicing at the Nurburgring when he tragically lost control of his car at a turn while trying to improve his racing time. His Maserati hit a tree and went rolling down a slope before trapping Marimon underneath its weight. The Argentine was killed instantly.

It was later revealed that his braking unit had given way and the sport had lost one of its upcoming talents as a result.