Wilson Fittipaldi's totalled machine (left) lies in the 1975 slop at Silverstone. A downpour destroyed the race, the Lotus of Brian Henton and the Hesketh of James Hunt (car 24) two of the slippery track's victims (right).

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In 1973, 12 cars were out by the end of the first lap, nine of them because of collision damage thanks to one massive pile-up. Jody Scheckter's off in the McLaren triggered a chain reaction which saw the Surtees of Jochen Mass, Carlos Pace and Mike Hailwood, the Shadows of Jackie Oliver and George Follmer, the BRM of Jean-Pierre Beltoise, the March of Roger Williamson and the Brabham of Andrea de Adamich all cannon into each other.

1975 saw 12 cars actually involved in the pile-up this time, caused by the heavy rain which brought a halt to the race after 56 laps. As car after car collected each other on the front straight, blinded by the spray, race leader Emerson Fittipaldi was caught up in it as well. The race was stopped, but the rules dictate that in this situation results would be taken from the last completed lap, in which case the Brazilian was awarded the victory.

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Mika slides off the track to the left, taking 4 others with him, meanwhile Brundle and Herbert are touching, and at the back, de Cesaris is causing mayhem.

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The mayhem started in mid pack, where Andrea de Cesaris in the Sauber took out Alessandro Zanardi's Lotus and the Minardis of Michele Alboreto and Pierluigi Martini. Incredibly two cars ended up against the pit wall, and the other two on the outside of the track, leaving clear space for the rest to pass.

But up ahead, Mika Hakkinen moved his McLaren across David Coulthard's Williams, and the resulting nudge slew the Finn in front of the rest of the pack. Mark Blundell was forced to brake hard in his Tyrrell, and was smashed from behind by the Jordans of Eddie Irvine and Rubens Barrichello, the Sauber of Heinz-Harald Frentzen and the Lotus of Johnny Herbert.

Amazingly all these wrecks ended up on the gravel trap, and the race was allowed to continue. While it may have robbed the audience of a good race, at least it allowed Ukyo Katayama to run third for a while, and the Ligiers to wind up second and third!

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What a mess. Hakkinen and Schumacher are through the mist safely as Coulthard ploughs into the wall (top left). He slides back into the middle of the track and is collected by Irvine and others (top right), starting a chain reaction as more unsighted drivers plough into the debris (bottom left), which is left strewn across the track (bottom right).

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While Hakkinen, Schumacher, Fisichella, the Jordans and the Williams cars got through, Coulthard was collected by Eddie Irvine, and thus a chain reaction started which resulted in Alexander Wurz's Benetton, Shinji Nakano's Minardi, plus the Prosts, Saubers, Stewarts, Tyrrells and Arrows cars all ending up in a wrecked mass of debris strewn across the track.

Commentator Murray Walker described it as the worst start crash he'd ever seen. Amazingly, only a few drivers then missed the restart half an hour later.

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