Australian Grand Prix: Martin Brundle's crazy Albert Park 1996 Formula 1 crash

Martin Brundle

Remembering Martin Brundle’s MEGA Melbourne crash on Jordan debut

Ex-F1 driver Martin Brundle totalled his team's car on his debut during the very first lap at the '96 Australian Grand Prix

Jay Winter

Thursday 30 March 2023 12:57

Martin Brundle's massive crash at Albert Park in 1996 is one that he still remembers vividly, even after all these years.

The crazy shunt which saw Brundle's Formula 1 car flip over David Coulthard happened on the Norfolk-native's first-ever Grand Prix lap for Jordan GP, the Irish team owned by Eddie Jordan between 1991 and 2005.

In an interview with the F1 Australian Grand Prix official account on YouTube, the Sky Sports F1 commentator recalled the heavy shunt ahead of the race Down Under.

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"I can still remember that accident from 1996 in slow motion as the car is going up in the air and turning over and I'm thinking, please don’t go up in the trees,” said the 63-year-old.

"[I was] committed at the start of the race. Coolish tyres and brakes, full tanks of fuel. And I broke a Jordan, my first ever Grand Prix lap for Jordan as well, broke it like an egg."

Giving the thumbs up... and sending the crowd wild

Despite the severity of the crash, Brundle was determined to get back in the race.

The driver recalls running across the track to undergo a very brief safety check from former F1 Safety delegate, Charlie Whiting.

The check, which only required him to recite the day’s date – things were different in 1996 – allowed the Briton to jump into Jordan’s spare car.

On his way back to the car, a marshal asked whether Brundle was allowed to carry on, and the driver replied by giving him a thumbs up.

Martin Brundle is now a TV pundit with Sky Sports

"I didn't realise everybody in the world was watching this. So when my thumb went up, the crowd went mad," he said.

"If I'm honest, my head was probably not quite where it needed to be.

“So I had another incident later on. But you’re hardwired to just race again."

Brundle’s epic crash is a big part of the reason why only 11 cars finished in the 1996 Australian Grand Prix. With Melbourne’s street circuit boasting plenty of short and sharp turns and a 60 per cent chance of a safety car, fans can only hope for such an intriguing round three in F1.