It was a near fatal accident, ensuring the 1976 German Grand Prix in Nürburgring would be remembered for all the wrong reasons.
Four decades on from the crash, and a new film examines the horror encountered by Austrian Formula One driver Niki Lauda.
Last night, on the eve of this weekend's British leg of the Grand Prix at Silverstone, Lauda: The Untold Story premiered on the big screen nationwide.
World Touring Car Championship Driver Tom Chilton (below) and former F1 driver Jackie Oliver joined fans at Cineworld in Milton Keynes, fastening their seat belts for the detailed look at the accident, and the most remarkable of comebacks by the World Champion.
Everyone knows the story, already of course. But film-maker Hannes Schalle (above) reveals more depth and clarity in his new work.
Schalle has done a terrific job teasing contributions from many of the industry's leading lights - Sir Jackie Stewart, David Coulthard, Mark Webber and Lewis Hamilton among them.
Of course, 'Lauda...' works because it didn't only have his blessing, but also his input.
"I always wanted to tell the heroes story, and the journey," explained Schalle.
"...It took two or three phone calls to convince him..."
That perseverance and consequent passion has paid off, presenting the viewer with a canvas of remarkable detail.
"When I was 13 years old, after the moon landing, Lauda was the most touching moment for me," Schalle said.
"It's a unique story, and as an Austrian too, it was personal."
[gallery link="file" ids="12152,12147,12153,12149,12146,12154,12158,12155,12151,12150"]The story is interwoven with expert opinion, memories from fellow drivers and previously unseen footage from that devastating day.
Motorsport has never been without risk, but driver deaths reached obscene proportions before tragedies like the 1976 crash brought about more change in the industry, and increasing safety developments.
Lauda suffered severe burns in the accident, and yet a mere 33 days after being given the last rites ("I was asked, and being pragmatic I thought it wouldn't hurt...but I never heard them," Lauda recalls) he was back at work, in the driving seat.
Despite the tragedy of the past, this film arrives in the current era triumphant - there hasn't been a fatality for two decades.
This is a work that motorsport fans will naturally reach for, and one that tech-obsessives will devour too, but equally 'Lauda: The Untold Story' offers something to those for whom the tyre-on-the-track sport remains a mystery.
Post-film Suzi Perry (above) hosted a live satellite Q&A from Cineworld Milton Keynes with a panel comprising director Hannes Schalle, F1 Safety Car driver Bernd Maylander and former F1 driver Giancarlo Fisichella.
Pictures: Al Hunter
