When Michael Andretti almost decapitated Gerhard Berger in Formula 1.

Michael Andretti-Gerhard Berger: very high risk

It cannot be said that Michael Andretti’s relationship with Formula 1 was idyllic even before the ‘no’ he just received. In 1993, as a driver, he participated in the world championship and it was a catastrophic year, to say the least, that could have ended early and tragically.

Giving confidence to Mario’s son had been McLaren. In the Brazilian Grand Prix, the second of the season, Andretti junior started from fifth place behind Alain Prost, Damon Hill, Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. His start was bad, perhaps partly because he was not used to starting from a standstill.

Michael was overtaken by several cars. Gerhard Berger, sprung from the thirteenth box, arrived in the corner occupying the outside line. Andretti, from the inside, went with his single-seater to latch onto the Austrian's Ferrari.  Leveraging the side guards positioned on the outside of the Interlagos track, the American’s McLaren took off over the Maranello’s Rossa. 

No one was hurt, fortunately, but one only has to look at the photograph accompanying this article to get an’idea of what could have happened.