31/07/2025 15:10
On July 31, 1994, one of the most iconic moments in F1 history
occurred at the German Grand Prix. At the time, Jos Verstappen was
racing for Benetton during his rookie F1 campaign, over 20 years
before his son Max made his debut on the grid. For the first time
since 1983, the season marked the first time that cars were allowed
to be refuelled in the pit lane during a race. Verstappen pulled
into the pit lane roughly one-third of the way through the event at
Hockenheim to serve a pit stop. However, fuel was accidentally
sprayed from the hose and onto the car after the team removed a
filter in the fuel system in a bid to speed up the process. Almost
immediately, the car was completely engulfed in flames with
Verstappen and several mechanics in the firing line. Those nearby
rushed to put out the flames, which quickly generated a huge plume
of smoke in the pit lane. No mechanic was seriously injured,
however Verstappen suffered burns around his eyes as he had his
helmet visor up during the pit stop. It was a stern reminder of how
dangerous refuelling could be, and Benetton was later fined by the
FIA. Verstappen would state to RTL that he never doubted about
continuing his career afterwards. In his eyes, the incident
actually showed that he can trust his team in case of an
emergency. However, Verstappen conceded: "It stays with you your
whole life." See the incident here!
