Topic: Jackie Stewart about to crash his Matra at Silverstone

[Allan L]

Here, in the middle of a crisis, is a well-known racing driver.
For a point tell me who, where, when and the car he's just lost control of.

[nicanary]

Now there's something you wouldn't have seen every day  .

[Rusty Chrome]

Jackie Stewart on the start/finish straight at Silverstone during qualifying for the 1969 British Grand Prix in the Matra MS80

[Allan L]

That is exactly what it is!
Well done, and another point for you, but as a matter of interest how did you know?

[Rusty Chrome]

As I've been an F1 fan since the sixties, I could see straight away it was a Matra MS80, so that narrowed it down considerably. I was fairly sure it was Stewart driving particularly with nicanary's clue and pretty certain it had to be the British GP/Silverstone because of the advertising. The 1969 race was legendary because of the battle between Stewart and Rindt, and I knew Stewart didn't have a problem during the race. Sure enough when I checked the race report, he did have a spin at the end of qualifying.

[nicanary]

Whoops! Sorry Allan, I didn't mean to interfere with your puzzle. It was meant to be a light-hearted comment but clearly I went a bit too far.

[Allan L]

I don't think that was much of a clue, nicanary, so I'm not bothered.
I was at Silverstone for Friday practice and unusually was in the right place with camera ready when Stewart appeared, well out of control, and thumped into the bank a few yards to my left.
He got out of the wreckage p.d.q. and as there was plenty of time till the end of practice they called Beltoise in and Stewart was given his MS80 to qualify so that he could use it in the race. Beltoise, meanwhile, had to set a time in the MS84 (4-W-D) car that he would have to race.
It turned out that Stewart's time in the MS80 set up for Beltoise was still good enough for the middle of the front row so I reckoned it'd be a good race so bought a ticket for the Stowe grandstand as I left and came back next day. It was indeed a good race,  at least for all but the last ten laps.

[Rusty Chrome]

Great photo (given the circumstances), thanks for sharing a little bit of F1 history!