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The deciding factor in what will make this list is how big the crashes were in terms of the number of drivers involved. So, Fernando Alonso's crash in Australia in 2016, for example, doesn't make the list, as only two cars were involved, despite the extreme damage which was done to Alonso's car.
With the mesmeric speed of Formula 1 cars, human reactions often can't keep up with what they demand, so crashes are commonplace and on narrow circuits or in fast corners, there's often nowhere to go except into another car or the barriers. So, with that in mind, strap in for a rundown of the biggest crashes in Formula 1's history.
#5 - Woodcote Pile-up, Britain 1973
Most of the crashes in this list took place on either the starting line or the first corner, as the most amount of cars are close-up together, therefore increasing the likelihood of an accident. While this crash occurred on the first lap of the British Grand Prix in 1973, it was at what was then the final corner on the circuit.
Jody Scheckter was competing in only his fourth GP and was running an impressive fourth place but the South African ran wide at Woodcote, got on the grass and was turned around. His McLaren was blocking the track at one of the fastest corners on the circuit and drivers were desperately swerving to avoid his stricken vehicle.
The circuit was completely blocked by the time the leaders came around again, and despite the marshall's poor attempts to slow the cars, no further drivers were caught up in the mess. In total, nine drivers retired from the race, and thankfully, nobody was seriously injured in an era when fatal accidents were common in the sport.
#4 - Start-line crash, Germany 1994
The 1994 German Grand Prix is much more famous for Jos Verstappen's incredible fire in the pit-lane, but there was action from the very start with this accident. The old layout of the Hockenheimring was a circuit with narrow long straights separated by chicanes, not dissimilar to what Monza is today, and this caused some spectacular crashes over the years.
However, it was ironically when the cars were at their slowest (off the line), that we saw the biggest crash in Germany. Alex Zanardi and Andrea de Cesaris (who else) tangled towards the back of the field, taking out themselves and both Michele Alboreto and Pierluigi Martini.
The Italian quartet which was out soon expanded to include other drivers, including Mika Hakkinen who slammed into the wall on the outside of Turn 1 thanks to David Coulthard and Mark Blundell and Eddie Irvine, the former braking to avoid an accident only to ironically create one via Irvine. In total, 10 drivers retired from this crash, and there was damage to the likes of Coulthard.
#3 - Tabac Wave, Monaco 1950
This is, without doubt, one of the most peculiar crashes in F1 history, and it occurred in just the second ever championship race. On the first lap, while the cars were going through the fast Tabac corner, a freak wave deluged the corner from the Monaco harbour.
In those days, cars had treaded tyres in the dry, but this wasn't enough to prepare most drivers, who were caught out by the strange occurrence. Farina, Fagioli, Rosier, Trintignant, Schell and more were all caught up in the sudden lack of grid and retired because of the incident.
Monaco's narrow streets were even tighter in the '50s than nowadays so, like 23 years later in the UK, there was nowhere for these drivers to go. Thankfully, nobody was seriously injured because of the low speed of the crash, however, Jose Froilan Gonzalez did suffer burns when his car caught alight the following lap after sustaining damage on his Maserati.
#2 - Hail Storm Chaos, Britain 1975
Two years after the Scheckter pile-up, Silverstone saw another huge crash, but this time it was thanks to some freak British weather. With a few laps remaining, Emerson Fittipaldi foresaw the rain storm and changed to wet weather tyres, but he was one of the few to do so and those who didn't, didn't stand of chance of staying on the road.
Heavy rain, strong winds and hail soon drenched the Silverstone circuit, causing Pace, Hunt, Scheckter, Mass, Watson, Depailler and more all aquaplaned off in scenes that would be replicated in 2007 at the Nurburgring, but not on this scale.
The drivers that were classified second through to fifth didn't actually cross the line and Fittipaldi was the only man to finish on the lead lap. Thirteen drivers in total were caught up in the melee, and this likely would've been more if the race ran to full distance. Like the previous crashes, nobody was seriously hurt, which was a minor miracle in this era of motorsport.
#1 - Lap 1 Melee, Belgium 1998
Nothing has matched this before or since this whole race was full of huge incidents but this was the largest of them all and the biggest in Formula 1 history. The Great Murray Walker described the crash as "the worst start to a Grand Prix" in the whole of his life, and it's hard to disagree with him.
Spa-Francorchamps weather is unique on the calendar (just look at the recent WEC race there) and it was typically wet in Belgium for the start of this one. Going out of La Source, Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard tangled (to this day, both blame the other for this accident and due to the spray, we can't see whose fault it was).
Regardless of where the blame lay, Coulthard spread into the wall, blocking the track and because of the fog-like spray, collected most of the field on the run down to Eau Rouge. Car after car slammed into the growing wad of carbon fibre traversing down the track, 13 in total were damaged beyond repair.
Only four drivers didn't restart, but this was in the days of the "T-car", a spare car to be used in case of a restart, so nine other drivers restarted thanks to this rule. It was a race of huge attrition, only eight making the chequered flag.
Needless to say, the race was red flagged and restarted later, after the large cleanup operation had been completed.
Which was the biggest F1 wreck ever in your view? Was it Belgium '98 or another pile-up? Let us know in the comments below!
