F1 driver crashes car moments after first grand prix win

The 1975 Austrian Grand Prix remains one of the most extraordinary finishes in F1 history, not because of a dramatic battle for the lead, but because the winner destroyed his own car the moment he crossed the line.

With the F1 paddock heading back to Austria this weekend for the latest round of the 2026 season, RacingNews365 has looked back at one of the most dramatic moments in the event's history.

The Österreichring on 17 August 1975 was lashed by torrential rain. The start was delayed by around 45 minutes as cars were sent back to fit wet tyres, and when the race finally got underway, visibility was appalling. 

The weekend had already been marred by tragedy; Mark Donohue suffered a fatal crash during practice, and a marshal was killed after being struck by debris, casting a long shadow over the entire event.

In conditions that would have tested many drivers, Vittorio Brambilla excelled. The Italian, a noted wet-weather specialist, charged through the field in his March 751, overtaking James Hunt's Hesketh to seize the lead as the rain intensified. 

By the mid-stages, thunder and lightning made an appearance, and team managers lobbied furiously for the race to be stopped. The organisers relented after 29 of the scheduled 54 laps, showing the chequered flag with Brambilla some 27 seconds clear of Hunt.

But as Brambilla saw the chequered flag and realised he had just taken his maiden, and what would prove to be his only, grand prix victory, he punched the air in celebration, lifting both hands from the wheel. 

On the streaming pit straight, the car instantly snapped away from him. He slid across the standing water and slammed into the barriers, wrecking the nose of the March.

Remarkably, the car was still drivable. Brambilla completed his victory lap with the front bodywork mangled, waving to the crowd. Because the race had not reached full distance, he received just 4.5 points instead of the usual nine.

See the crash below!

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