The worst examples of Choking in Motorsports.

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Originally Posted by D-Type

Apparently it wasn't Reutemann at fault. The car developed a handling problem that even Reutemann couldn't drive around. But Reutemann was not prepared to publicly blame the car.

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That was rumor. Neither Reutimann nor anyone from Williams have ever come forward to back that claim. Considering how Reutimann left Williams not that long after I would have thought he would have gladly put the blame on the car but he refuses to blame it to this day.

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Originally Posted by anthonyvop

That was rumor. Neither Reutimann nor anyone from Williams have ever come forward to back that claim. Considering how Reutimann left Williams not that long after I would have thought he would have gladly put the blame on the car but he refuses to blame it to this day.

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And don't forget he also lost 4th gear. One reason for the handling problem I have see cited is a poor set of tyres - apparently 30 years ago they weren't as consistent as they are now.

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Originally Posted by Mark

Perhaps the most famous example is Senna crashing out of the Monaco Grand Prix despite having a substantial lead.

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Which was due to slow puncture, as has been confirmed by McLaren mechanics long time ago.

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Originally Posted by Garry Walker

Which was due to slow puncture, as has been confirmed by McLaren mechanics long time ago.

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I've never heard that theory before, even in books as recent as "Senna vs Prost" it's made out that Senna lost concentration and made a mistake.

Even in the Senna film they said that the reason he crashed was that he'd started to relax and lose concentration.

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Originally Posted by Bruce D

I've never heard that theory before, even in books as recent as "Senna vs Prost" it's made out that Senna lost concentration and made a mistake.

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Former McLaren engineer/mechanic Neil Trundle said that it was a slow puncture in a 2006 (?) edition of F1 Racing magazine. I don't think I have a copy of it anymore, but it was only a very small excerpt.

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Originally Posted by Mark

Even in the Senna film they said that the reason he crashed was that he'd started to relax and lose concentration.

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It was because Prost took a chunk out of Senna's lead and Senna decides to go faster.

Same in Italy 1988 and Brazil 1990. In the former the Prost plays games with Senna and Ferrari too catch Senna so Senna thinks he can make the difference in the chicanes and backmarkers; in the latter Senna again is in a comfortable lead till Prost takes eats into it and Senna makes a silly banzai move on the lapped car of Nakajima.

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Originally Posted by anthonyvop

That was rumor. Neither Reutimann nor anyone from Williams have ever come forward to back that claim. Considering how Reutimann left Williams not that long after I would have thought he would have gladly put the blame on the car but he refuses to blame it to this day.

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About a decade ago on Autosport.com's Ask Nigel Roebuck feature and in an anthology of quotes which I have at home, Peter Windsor - at the time Williams team manager or some such was quoted that the car was never right on race day and completely lost confidence.

Reutimann was a driver who need confidence and Williams has gone on to say that the regretted not giving him the emotional support that year though Head probably still thinks Carlos need to pull his thumb out his backside.

Lewis Hamilton in 2007. Rookie status aside, what a choke!

Just remembered Scott Goodyear's premature ejaculation:

[youtube]6XZxGvH6Asw[/youtube]

Vettel 2011 Canadian GP