“At that moment Ayrton Senna saved my life”; 1992 Belgian Grand Prix

Erik Comas credits Ayrton Senna for possibly saving his life after a 200mph crash at the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix.

“He turned off the car’s ignition, avoiding an explosion. At that moment Ayrton Senna saved my life”.

Comas crashed into the barriers at Blanchimont and lost consciousness during a practice session. While unconscious, Comas’ foot remained on the throttle. Ayrton in the McLaren was the driver behind the Ligier driver, Senna stopping his McLaren on track and rushing to help the unconscious driver. Senna turned off the Ligier’s engine and held Comas’ head upright until medics could reach the driver, keeping the Frenchman’s airways clear.

Comas missed the race but was fortunate to have avoided serious damage and harm thanks to Senna’s quick thinking.

Comas would later reveal in an interview that, “I was unconscious in the car accelerating like crazy. Ayrton arrived and directly heard the crazy sound produced by the engine, the motor was screaming at 7000-8000 RPM or something around”

“[…] After the impact it seems that there were some leaks of fuel, so the risk was high. In a few seconds it could have exploded, yes, probably, so Ayrton Senna saved my life, yes.”