Sky Sports F1 use fatal crash in Canadian Grand Prix promo video

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Sky Sports F1 use fatal crash in Canadian Grand Prix promo video

Sky included the clip ahead of next weekend's race in Montreal

Matthew Hobkinson Lead Editor

F1 Editor & Journalist

Thursday 5 June 2025 18:42

A Sky Sports F1 promotional video for the Canadian Grand Prix included footage of Riccardo Paletti's fatal crash from the 1982 race in Montreal.

Paletti tragically lost his life at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve after the Italian crashed into the back of Didier Pironi's stalled Ferrari at the race start. He suffered abdominal injuries, two broken legs and the car was soon engulfed in flames as the petrol from the fuel tank ignited.

He was airlifted to hospital but did not survive his injuries.

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Sky's promotional video, set to Gwen Stefani's Hollaback Girl, featured a compilation of notable moments and various crashes from previous Canadian GPs.

As spotted by @racing_insider, sandwiched between a clip of a groundhog running across the track and a smiling Toto Wolff was the moment that Paletti's car burst into flames.

After contacting Sky Sports, GPFans have been told by the broadcaster that the clip's inclusion was an oversight and was in no way intended to cause offence.

They have since updated the promotional video to remove the clip.

Riccardo Paletti crash not Sky's first promo mistake

This is not the first time that Sky have faced criticism for their editorial choices in promotional videos.

Max Verstappen's 2021 crash at Silverstone – which saw the Red Bull star collide with the barriers at high speed following a 180mph battle with Lewis Hamilton that ended with him going to hospital – was included as part of their Christmas advert campaign that year.

Sky apologised to Verstappen and Red Bull admitting a mistake was made while also pulling the footage.

The historic clip of Paletti's death, which GPFans have chosen not to include out of respect, is a stark reflection on the risks of motor racing.

Elio de Angelis' death during a 1986 test session rocked the sport four years later, with Paletti being the last F1 fatality at a grand prix prior to Ayrton Senna and Roland Ratzenberger’s passing on consecutive days at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix in Imola.

Thankfully, F1's safety measures today are cutting edge, with additions such as the Halo being vital for the drivers.

Even as recently as last month when Yuki Tsunoda flipped upside down during qualifying at Imola, the Halo kept the Red Bull star from serious harm – so much so that he was still able to compete in Sunday's main race.

Max Verstappen Mercedes Circuit Gilles Villeneuve