2023 Ananico Grand Prix: Difference between revisions

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Latest revision as of 22:26, 26 June 2023

2023 Ananico Grand Prix
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A1 Red Bull Ring.svg
Race details
Date 25 June 2023 (2023-06-25)
Location Ananico National Circuit, Ananico, Jade, Zamastan
Course Permanent racing facility
Course length 4.318 km (2.683 miles)
Distance 71 laps, 306.452 km (190.420 miles)
Weather Sunny
Podium
First
Second
Third

The 2023 Ananico Grand Prix was a Formula motor race held on June 25th, 2023 at the Ananico National Circuit, a street circuit that runs through Ananico, Jade, Zamastan. The principle race of Crown Formula, it was the 56th time the Ananico Grand Prix was held. It was the third race in the 2023 Crown Formula World Championship. The race became infamous for the many spinouts and crashes that occured, including the accident during the last lap which resulted in the deaths of Zamastanian driver Arnaud Crozier and Parabocan driver Ronaldo Javi Batista. Miles Kingston of Unified Sera won the race, having narrowly avoided the last lap crash. Officials and race organizers of Crown Formula were heavily scrutinized for their decision to carry on the race instead of postponing it after heavy rain had preceeded the race and made the track prone to hydroplaning.

Background

Drivers

Qualifying classification

Pos. No. Driver Country Sponsor Final
grid
1 51 New Zamastan Flag1.jpg Arnaud Crozier Zamastan ZSuites & Foresster 1
2 97 ParabocaFlag.png Ronaldo Javi Batista Paraboca Poldero 2
3 12 Quetanaflag.jpg Micael Dantas Quetana Quetana Airways 3
4 99 Flag of the Imperial Commonwealth of Zoygaria.jpg Hiroši Coyabaši Zoygaria Lumia 4
5 4 New Zamastan Flag1.jpg Timothee Snowden Zamastan Pegassi 5
6 66 Flag of Besmenia.png Tobias Mechter Besmenia Besmenian Airways 6
7 72 Normaaaaark.png Lukas Haag Greater Normark Northgas 7
8 27 SeranFlag.jpeg Miles Kingston Unified Sera Pegasus MC 8
9 19 Voeyetska flag.svg Erik Björnsson Vœyetska Laouron Energi 9
10 26 Benthoflag223.svg Davi Alves Ruis Bentho Bara 10
11 6 ShoassauFlag.png Adje Sokken Shoassau Banobia 11
12 8 CaspiaFlag.png Bjoren Djurna Caspiaa Cavitale 12
13 14 Flag of Jyau.png Alex Spalding Jyau Forebel Bleu 13
14 7 Drambenburg Flag.png Mikkal Podzbrad IV Drambenburg Maarlboru AG 14
15 80 Flag of SaintOffeat.png Morten Aandahl Saint Offeat NWOOC 15
16 44 Sprotavia1.png Józef Kubica Sprotavia Wokulski Group 16
17 32 VitosiumFlag.png Bartolo Da Rocha Vitosium Selmor 17
18 13 Kossmil flag 3.png Dmitry Manturov Kossmil KTC 18
19 38 ArteganaFlag.png Rudy Silander Artegana TricioMedio 19
20 25 Beatavic Flag.png Harrison Thompson Beatavic Snelle Auto 20

Race

Race report

Crozier's car flips during the fatal crash. Ronaldo Javi Batista's car can be seen in the righthand side moments before it also crashed.

Weather conditions were less than ideal, as a torrential downpour prior to the race made the track noticably slippery for drivers. An early 5th lap spinout and crash by Hiroši Coyabaši drew warnings from some race officials, but the determination to continue the race was made. With only minor spinouts occuring throughout the rest of the race, it came down to a five-way challenge for first between Crozier, Batista, Thompson, Spalding, and Kingston, with several drivers close behind. However, the 10th turn, second to last before the final stretch, proved to be disasterous as Batista's car lost control and appeared to hydroplane into Crozier, who in turn smashed into Thompson, Spalding, and Silander.

Going at a speed of 305 km/h (190 mph), Batista's car began to slip and could not take the turn at the left corner, and, continuing in a straight line, collided with Crozier. Batista's car smashed into the side wall, killing him instantly, and Crozier' car collided with Thompson before it was flipped twice, smashing through a tire barricade and into the concrete barrier. Harrison Thompson, Alex Spalding, and Rudy Silander's spinouts resulted in sufficient damage to their cars as well, and all suffered minor injuries with the most serious being a broken arm for Thompson and a contusion for Silander. Drivers directly behind the crash were able to avoid the damage and continued, but anyone more than a half lap behind were stopped. Miles Kingston, the Unified Sera driver, managed to avoid the crash and sped on to the finish, only discovering the horror that he narrowly avoided after he stopped and exited his car, cutting his celebration short with visible shock and tears. In the press conference following the race, Kingston said "I can't feel satisfied, I can't feel happy" with his win following the events that had occurred during the race weekend.

At 2:23 pm local time, a red flag was shown to indicate the race was stopped and race doctors arrived at the scene to treat the drivers. When a race is stopped under a red flag, cars must slow down and make their way back to the pit lane or starting grid unless notified of a restart. This protects race marshals and medical staff at the crash scene, and allows easier access for medical cars to the incident. After seeing the accident scene, IMA President Viktor Bunyachenko was so distressed that he left from the race.

Since the crash had finished on the final lap, the race was concluded, and the participating drivers agreed to perform an honorary lap to commemorate Crozier and Batista. Miles Kingston's number 27 car led the somber procession, with a Zamastanian and Parabocan flag drapped on the hood as the vehicles slowly made their way around the course.

Pos. No. Driver Country Sponsor Final
grid
1 51 New Zamastan Flag1.jpg Arnaud Crozier Zamastan ZSuites & Foresster DNF - Fatal accident
2 97 ParabocaFlag.png Ronaldo Javi Batista Paraboca Poldero DNF - Fatal accident
3 12 Quetanaflag.jpg Micael Dantas Quetana Quetana Airways 14
4 99 Flag of the Imperial Commonwealth of Zoygaria.jpg Hiroši Coyabaši Zoygaria Lumia DNF
5 4 New Zamastan Flag1.jpg Timothee Snowden Zamastan Pegassi 6
6 66 Flag of Besmenia.png Tobias Mechter Besmenia Besmenian Airways 3
7 72 Normaaaaark.png Lukas Haag Greater Normark Northgas 4
8 27 SeranFlag.jpeg Miles Kingston Unified Sera Pegasus MC 1
9 19 Voeyetska flag.svg Erik Björnsson Vœyetska Laouron Energi 2
10 26 Benthoflag223.svg Davi Alves Ruis Bentho Bara 12
11 6 ShoassauFlag.png Adje Sokken Shoassau Banobia 13
12 8 CaspiaFlag.png Bjoren Djurna Caspiaa Cavitale 7
13 14 Flag of Jyau.png Alex Spalding Jyau Forebel Bleu DNF
14 7 Drambenburg Flag.png Mikkal Podzbrad IV Drambenburg Maarlboru AG 5
15 80 Flag of SaintOffeat.png Morten Aandahl Saint Offeat NWOOC 11
16 44 Sprotavia1.png Józef Kubica Sprotavia Wokulski Group 8
17 32 VitosiumFlag.png Bartolo Da Rocha Vitosium Selmor 10
18 13 Kossmil flag 3.png Dmitry Manturov Kossmil KTC 9
19 38 ArteganaFlag.png Rudy Silander Artegana TricioMedio DNF
20 25 Beatavic Flag.png Harrison Thompson Beatavic Snell Auto DNF

Post-race

The Crown Formula organization released a statement of condolences, with the Zamastanian chapter organizer saying "these racers distinguished themselves every day for the world to see, and today is the greatest loss in formula history." The organization also said that it would be conducting an extensive investigation into the accident, and that the upcoming 2023 Calatas Grand Prix in Paraboca would be postponed for a few days for both safety reviews and out of respect for the late Parabocan driver.

The other Zamastanian driver on the course, Timothee Snowden, said of Crozier "he was the greatest racer I've ever gone up against, and I'm certain that my comrades would say the same. He was the epitome of greatness on the track, taking his wins in pride, taking his losses in stride, and always striving for better."

Caspiaa's Bjoren Djurna, the winner of the 2021 Championship who famously beat Crozier in a narrow finish at the Rio Palito Grand Prix that year, said of both drivers "Arnaud and Ronaldo were friendly, competitive souls and I am honored to have spent time with both of them on and off the race track. Today's just, it's horrible. It's horrible. It's a loss for their families, for the racing community. The sad irony of Crozier having lost his life here in Zamastan, Ronaldo having done so a week before Calatas, it's fateful. It's horrible fate. We'll miss these guys a lot."