Buemi Was Centimeters Away from F1 Disaster

The first lap incident during the Spanish Grand Prix two weekends ago, when Jarno Trulli caused a series of crashes a few corners from the start, could have ended tragically for Toro Rosso rookie Sebastien Buemi. As revealed by the Swiss driver himself, he was only inches away from a deadly contact with teammate Sebastien Bourdais.

The Frenchman's Toro Rosso STR4 was projected into the air after his impact with Trulli's Toyota, climbing over the top of Buemi's car. While passing only centimeters from his helmet, Bourdais car actually touched Buemi's shoulder, causing him a slight injury.

“It was dangerous. The other Toro Rosso flew past not less than ten centimetres from my helmet, and a bit of the car hit my right shoulder, which hurt briefly,” revealed Buemi to Swiss newspaper Blick, while also saying Bourdaid did not apologize for the incident. “No, he said only that he didn't see anything.”

A similar accident occurred during the 2007 F1 season opener in Australia, when David Coulthard's Red Bull car climbed over Alexander Wurz' Williams machinery, nearly touching his head and hands. The incident caused quite a stir inside the world of Formula One, as it led to improved safety measures for the F1 drivers.

Starting 2007, side head protection was introduced and made mandatory to all F1 cockpits. It proved to be an important step forwards in terms of drivers' protection, as it practically saved the life of BMW's Robert Kubica during his incredible crash in the Canadian Grand Prix, that same year.