Comas: “Senna saved my life”

Erik Comas took AUTOhebdo on a ride on his Lancia Stratos in the Carpooling of the week. The former Ligier driver F1 looked back on the notable moments of his career and his difficult passage in the premier single-seater discipline.

The Franco-Swiss was particularly marked by his accident during testing for the 1992 Belgian GP where he almost lost his life on the Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

“At the 24 Hours, we removed the interior curbs at Blanchimont because the Touring cars were on two-wheelers, but we did not put them back on for the Grand Prix. It was at the start of free practice, and on my 3rd lap I attacked Blanchimont, a blind corner, at full speed... remembered Erik Comas. Lehto had just cut inside and plastered the corner with dirt. At 280 km/h, I found myself in the rail and my right front wheel hit my head. At least that's what I saw, because I don't remember anything. »

“Unconscious, I crossed the sandpit again with my foot still fully on the accelerator. The oil and water were leaking, I had 180 liters of gasoline and the engine was on the breaker. Senna stopped and turned off the ignition before it exploded. It was Senna! A man of unparalleled generosity, the first to welcome me to F1 and who probably saved my life... It took me a few races to get over it. It was only in Japan that I recovered all my means..."

Discover the full interview with Erik Comas in issue 2181 of AUTOhebdo, available now in digital version on all platforms and on newsstands.