One of the most infamous accidents in Formula One history occurred at Woodcote corner during the 1973 British Grand Prix at Silverstone. This was before the passage through Woodcote had been slowed by chicanes. It was a fast and difficult right hander, which Jackie Stewart once described as “without doubt one of the most important corners in the F1 world.” Running in P4 at the end of the opening lap was 23 year-old Jody Scheckter, racing in the fourth GP of his career. Heading out of Woodcote onto the pit straight, Scheckter put a wheel on the grass and lost control of his McLaren, eventually spinning to a halt some way up the road with his car blocking half of the track. With most of the field behind the incident and approaching the scene at speed, the consequences were inevitable. Eight drivers were caught up in the ensuing carnage, one of whom — Italian Andrea de Adamich — suffered a broken ankle. Scheckter himself escaped from the accident unscathed, despite being collected by several cars at high speed.

This accident ranked an honorable mention in F1A&G’s new “Top Sixes” feature collection.