F1’s most dangerous corner has ended in disaster for five world champs.. now Hamilton & Co face it again at Canadian GP
LEWIS HAMILTON will be facing down with one of Formula One’s most dangerous corners when he drives at this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix.
In sector three of the Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve in Montreal, turn 14 has gained a reputation for snuffing out the races of many an F1 champion.
The suitably named Wall of Champions is the final corner around the circuit, and it has been the difference between glory and defeat for a number of former world champions.
The iconic name was earned in 1999, when THREE champions hit the concrete wall and saw their races come to an abrupt end.
Damon Hill, who won the title in 1996, was the first to crash during the race.
The Brit lasted just 13 laps before hitting the wall amid a patchy season with Jordan.
F1 legend Michael Schumacher followed on lap 29, handing championship rival Mika Hakkinen a crucial advantage before Schumacher went on to break his leg at Silverstone.
The German had led the race off the line and was beginning to pull out a gap before coming into the corner too quickly and hitting the oncoming barrier after losing his cars rear on correction.
Jacques Villeneuve, champion in 1997, followed just five laps later as he tried to recover from a poor qualifying.
Indeed, it was not the first time the Canadian had crashed at the circuit, previously doing so on lap one of the 1997 race in Montreal.
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Future champions would fall victim too, with 2009 champion Jenson Button crashing out of the Canadian GP in 2005.
The Brit had taken pole in qualifying and was on course for a podium before seeing his racing afternoon come to an end on lap 13.
Button explained: “The problem I had in the hairpin was I ran wide and I didn’t realise how much rubbish got on the tyres because coming into the chicane I just had huge understeer.
“That was it really. I should have gone across the green stuff but I thought if I did that I would have to let Michael pass and I didn’t want to do that. I’d rather crash in third than finish fourth really.”
Four more crashes at the wall would occur before Sebastian Vettel crashed his Red Bull in what would be the second year in a row he won the title.
The German had fortunately crashed his car in Free Practice 1, going on to recover over the weekend and claim pole and a podium as Button won in changeable conditions.
The only member of the current grid who has fallen victim to the Wall is Carlos Sainz, though the nature of the turn means close scrapes are always likely.
Hamilton has openly admitted his fear of the corner, confessing: “I never like to talk about the Wall of Champions. You never want it to suck you in.”
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