If you’ve even a passing interest in Formula 1, you’ll know who Martin Donnelly is. During practice for the 1990 Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez, Donnelly suffered a horrific accident that left him lying unconscious in the middle of the tarmac. The rear suspension on his Lamborghini V12-powered Lotus Type 102 had collapsed at the high-speed Bosque corner, sending him into the wall at such velocity that it tore the car in half, ejecting him in the process. Miraculously, he survived, though his career as an F1 driver was well and truly over. But that’s only part of a remarkable career spanning single-seaters to Le Mans prototypes, as we discovered when he joined us on The Gassing Station for a live podcast.
Speaking at last weekend’s exclusive 98 Collective event at Woodcote & Copse Silverstone, Donnelly recounted some incredible stories from his career prior to the accident, including winning the gruelling Macau Grand Prix while battling, as he puts it, “one of the biggest hangovers of my life.” He also talks about the differences between racing in Formula 1 and Group C, and the tricks some teams employed to get ahead of the competition. Of course, hailing from Belfast means he had plenty of run-ins with the late Eddie Jordan, against the wishes of his manager thanks to the maverick team owner’s habit of “fleecing” everyone.
While his racing career never recovered after his crash, the fact that Donnelly survived such a violent accident means he’ll always occupy a special place in Formula 1 history, one that’s since been immortalised in the recent(ish) F1 movie. Donnelly talks about getting a surprise phone call from seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton about featuring his accident in the film, and that he now gets sent monthly hampers from his new best mate, Brad Pitt.
It’s a fascinating chat that could have easily continued for hours upon hours. Perhaps we’ll invite Martin back for a part two, in which case you’ll want to become a member of the 98 Collective to get VIP access to select events in 2027. To do so, you’ll either need to buy or sell on PH Auctions to join, so why not have a look at what’s currently available while giving the pod a listen? Or if you like the sound of a Lamborghini V12 F1 car, a Lotus Type 102 similar to Donnelly’s (but with its chassis still in one piece) is available on PH with a Camel-liveried Contach to go with it…
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