Kubica's Kanadian Krash -- Now in 3-D
Spectators, commentators and fans all feared the worst when BMW Sauber's star driver Robert Kubica hit the wall at the end of the hairpin at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on St. Helen's Island in Montreal during this year's Canadian Grand Prix. But as we all know, the Polish driver suffered only a concussion and a sprained ankle, despite the high speeds, high G's and hard impact of the crash. Now he's back in the cockpit, sticking it to everyone this side of Ferrari and McLaren, defending champions Renault included. (Thank God for carbon fiber, eh Robbie?)
The techies over at RTL, the German network that broadcasts the Formula One events, put together this three-dimensional re-creation of the crash, complete with some Matrix-style viewing-angle sweeps. The action is slowed down so you can better see what happened, which makes it all too easy to forget the enormous speeds at which the crash occurred.
Unfortunately, whoever posted it up on YouTube decided to mix in a typically poor soundtrack, but since the original was without sound anyway, offended parties can feel free to turn down the volume completely.
- Kubica survives crash at 75 G
- New view of Kubica crash as F1 goes after YouTube clips
- VIDEO: Kubica crashes Canadian GP
Thanks to everyone who wrote in with the info!
Video after the jump.
[Source: RTL via YouTube]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
CheezeDog 8:21PM (7/09/2007)
Hmmm, Im not sure if the music was really nessary...
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c. baines 2:11AM (7/10/2007)
You guys watch too much 'Simpsons. heh.
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Alex 9:35PM (7/09/2007)
I'd change that title ...
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Hoffy 10:05PM (7/09/2007)
Haha. I'll second that Alex. It's like that Simpson's episode with the Krusty Komedy Klassic
Alex 10:07PM (7/09/2007)
@ Hoffy
Haha, exactly.
Richard 10:25PM (7/09/2007)
There have been a good number of "high-fives" around this accident within the F1 world because of the progress made in making the cars stronger and safer in an accident. You know - the 'if we hadn't mandated blah, blah, blah, Kubica wouldn't be here today.'
All that is great - and certainly true. But, when you look at this animation it is very clear that the blows the FW29 took are not head-on, but glancing blows.
Kubica is very lucky. Maybe John Paul II was riding with him. Whatever.
If they had been direct, head-on collisions between the FW29 and the wall (like at 90 degrees) there wouldn't be so much high-fiving going on. Kubica - and F1 - got VERY lucky here.
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Matt W. 12:50AM (7/10/2007)
Yes, the blows were glancing because of the safety precautions taken in track design.
Brad 10:34PM (7/09/2007)
Richard, I agree that if this impact had just been a few more degrees towards head on that we could possibly be talking about the loss of Kubica. He was indeed very lucky.
BTW, the FW29 is the Williams chassis. BMW's chassis is the F1.07
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Richard 8:31AM (7/10/2007)
Oops!
I am living in history when Mario, Sir Frank and Patrick were in partnership.
Thanks Brad.
Frick 10:49PM (7/09/2007)
hmmm... this is totally wrong. If you look at the actual footage, the car flipped over onto the concrete barrier after the impact... this animation is total fiction.
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Viktor 11:48AM (7/10/2007)
the problem is that you are looking at the "actual" footage from ANOTHER crasch....
search youtube for Robert Kubica Crash and you'll see this one...
Driver 2:29AM (7/10/2007)
What the hell is with the music??? As if the crash itself wasn't horrific enough, they added that kind of noise to it?
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Mallory 8:49AM (7/10/2007)
It's a good thing he didn't hit anything.
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Noidor 11:25AM (7/10/2007)
He's along the same lines as Takuma Sato, but only better. Hopefully after such a wreck he'll settle down and use his brains when deciding on how aggressive he needs to be.
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frankzappa22 12:55PM (7/10/2007)
Did anyone else notice that when all the wheels are stripped off, and the car is upside down, it kinda looks like a coffin. Kinda spooky.
Kubica was 4th at Silverstone, so he doesn't see too worse for wear.
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jeff 10:41AM (7/13/2007)
Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
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Djembar Kartasasmita 12:24PM (7/13/2007)
Nice try guys ... but this is NOT how the whole thing happened! Close but unfortunately not close enough!
Compared to the real and actual footage, there seem to be some discrepancies.
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Gary 1:36PM (7/13/2007)
What ? !! No Pyrotechnics ? !! It would have been the perfect finale to such a cheesey video .
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