Racing through the pain barrier: drivers who endured agony to reach the finish line
Finishing sixth in the Bahrain Grand Prix with broken wrists and a fractured toe, Lance Stroll is the latest racer to block out torturous pain rather than miss a race. Here are some of the most incredible stories
Lance Stroll was just over a week out of surgery, nursing broken wrists and a fractured toe when he hobbled into the Bahrain paddock last week. Just driving out of the pitlane was a feat, let alone his sixth-place finish — wrists “on fire”.
But in the world of racing where the competitive urge conquers all, chances come rarely, and a pool of young talent is jockeying to take your place, racing through the torment is preferable to sending in a sicknote.
Stroll’s Bahrain heroics follow in the wheeltracks of some of the sport’s most dedicated drivers who have endured sometimes unimaginable pain to compete. Scroll down to read some of the most impressive, from incredible F1 returns to bizarre attempts to ignite a NASCAR career.
We’ve focused on four wheels in our list: motorcycle racers are mostly in a different dimension altogether, headed by Mick Doohan’s incredible recovery story.
Lance Stroll
Broken wrists, hand and toe at 2023 Bahrain Grand Prix
Lance Stroll recovering in hospital after bicycle crash
Lance Stroll was in noticeable pain throughout his time at the Bahrain GP – unsurprising given the fractures to his wrists, hand and right big toe that he had sustained just two weeks earlier.
Crashing his bike in Spain, Stroll was told by his medical team that he should expect to miss the first two races of the season at least, targeting a comeback shortly after the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.
But after undergoing successful surgery on his right wrist 48 hours after the accident and pushing through a rehabilitation programme, Stroll found himself able to race in Bahrain, whilst still experiencing considerable pain — unable to use different racing lines during qualifying, seen wincing during the national anthem, and talking of weeping into his helmet after the jolt of hitting his team-mate.
Jackie Stewart
Broken wrist at 1968 German Grand Prix
Jackie Stewart ahead of the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix
Of Jackie Stewart‘s 27 grand prix wins, his triumph at the 1968 German Grand Prix is arguably the most impressive. At a rain-soaked and fog smothered Nurburgring, Stewart had qualified sixth for Tyrrell-Matra, receiving the all-clear to race after fracturing his right arm during a pre-season Formula 2 test.
After a delayed start, Stewart quickly moved up to fourth by Turn 1, his car using Dunlop 226-compound wets with wide drainage grooves, giving him a significant advantage on a track which had rivers of water running across it. Halfway round the opening lap, Stewart had moved up into second, surpassing Jochen Rindt and Chris Amon, and by the end of it, he led Graham Hill by a nine second margin – never looking back.
Stewart went on to win by a scarcely believable 4 minutes and 3.2 seconds, battling a sticking throttle and tumbling oil pressure, all whilst nursing a broken arm in a race that never should have been started.
He would go on to finish second in the drivers’ standings, 12 points behind Hill.
Niki Lauda
Recovering from severe burns at 1976 Italian Grand Prix
Niki Lauda (left) with James Hunt (right) in the pits during the famed 1976 F1 season
In perhaps the most astounding F1 comeback of all time, Niki Lauda braved severe facial burns and bleeding wounds to return for Ferrari at the 1976 Italian Grand Prix – 42 days after a near-fatal crash at the Nurburgring.
Not expected to survive and even being read his last rites, it was a near miracle that Lauda qualified fifth at Monza ahead of Carlos Reutemann, the driver Ferrari had hired to replace him. The reigning world champion then recovered from a slow start during the race to pass Reutemann again, claiming fourth and a deserved hero’s welcome as his Ferrari crossed the finish line.
He would later go on to lose the drivers’ world championship to Hunt by just a single point, pulling out of the finale in Japan after deeming the treacherous weather conditions unsafe.
Nigel Mansell
Severe burns at 1980 Austrian Grand Prix
Nigel Mansell during the 1980 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort
Grand Prix Photo
Nigel Mansell‘s F1 career got off to a rather painful start, when he lined up in last place for the 1980 Austrian Grand Prix, with petrol slowly leaking into his cockpit. The combination of fuels quickly began to burn Mansell’s backside as the race got underway, despite mechanics’ best attempts to dilute the mixture with water.
In a true show of grit and determination, Mansell drove through the pain, only coming to a stop on lap 40 when his Lotus-Ford ground to a halt. The fuel had inflicted first- and second-degree burns on his skin but he was awarded with a full-time drive with the team the following season.
Fernando Alonso
Broken wrists at 2022 Australian Grand Prix & beyond
Fernando Alonso at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix
Even whilst piloting the underpowered Alpine, Fernando Alonso was in contention for pole position at the 2022 Australian Grand Prix, going fastest in second sector of the Albert Park circuit before his lap came to an abrupt end. Entering Turn 11, the Alpine‘s hydraulics failed, forcing the car to career off into a gravel trap and slam into a tyre wall.
The impact and the snap of the steering wheel broke small bones in Alonso’s wrists and hands as he tried to keep the car on track.
Although painful, the Spaniard was cleared to race in Sunday’s race, where he started tenth but ultimately fell to 17th by the end of the race due to poor strategy, doomed by a flurry of full and virtual safety cars.
Alonso continued to recover fully from the injuries to his wrist until the summer break, but still managed to fight at the front of the field, even capturing P5 at Silverstone and P6 at Paul Ricard.
Lewis Hamilton
Broken wrist during Formula Super A Championship
Lewis Hamilton at the 2001 Karting World Championships
Grand Prix Photo
Ahead of years spent dominating the F1 grid, Lewis Hamilton clung to a future drive at McLaren by hiding a broken wrist in the Formula Super A Championship.
In 2001, Hamilton had already been identified as a future star, signing onto McLaren’s driver development programme, but injured his wrist in an 0ff-track incident. In pursuit of a title and wanting to keep his career intact, Hamilton hid the injury from his team bosses and continued to race, effectively only using one hand.
He eventually fell to 15th in the standings, one point ahead of Nico Rosberg, but his determination ultimately earned him a debut F1 drive with McLaren in 2007, winning a world title a year later.
Graham Hill
Recovering from broken legs at 1970 South African Grand Prix
Graham Hill at the 1969 British Grand Prix
Grand Prix Photo
The legendary career of Graham Hill was set to come to an unexpected end after a crash at the 1969 United States Grand Prix — caused by a high-speed puncture. The impact broke both his legs, and confined the former F1 world champion to a wheelchair for months.
Having enjoyed a highly successful F1 career up until that point, it was a surprise when the 41-year-old returned to the paddock the following year, lifted into the car for the 1970 South African Grand Prix. Starting 19th, Hill rose through the field to finish a brilliant sixth, in what would be his last great performance in an F1 grand prix, reduced to occasional points finishes until his retirement in 1972.
Johnny Herbert
Recovering from multiple fractures at 1988 Brazilian Grand Prix
Johnny Herbert wins the 1999 European Grand Prix
Grand Prix Photo
Having signed for Benetton ahead of the 1988 F1 season, Johnny Herbert‘s once glittering career took a sudden turn when he was involved in a horrifying F3000 crash at Brands Hatch – breaking his legs, ankles and feet in several places.
Told he would never walk again, let alone race, Herbert defied the odds in his eventual F1 debut in Rio de Janeiro, finishing fourth in the 1989 Brazilian Grand Prix. The race took place less than six months after Herbert’s accident, with the Briton still having to use crutches to move around the paddock.
His immense resolve earned him a place at Lotus for the 1992 and ’93 season, before returning to Benetton in ’95 where he captured victories at the British and Italian GPs. His final success would come with Stewart-Ford in 1999, taking a surprise win at the European Grand Prix.
Jean Behra
Showered with hot oil at 1957 French Grand Prix
Jean Behra at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix
No stranger to racing despite personal suffering — according to Motor Sport’s Denis Jenkinson — Jean Behra rose to new painful heights when he was showered in hot oil due to a split exhaust during the 1957 French Grand Prix. In considerable pain, the Frenchman later parked on the pit straight, allowing his Maserati to coast across the line to claim sixth place – seven laps behind race winner Juan Manuel Fangio.
On his day, the Frenchman had been a match for some of the best drivers F1 had to offer, winning 12 non-championship races and earned a reputation for competing at all costs, even battling flames with his bare hands at the 1957 Venezuelan Grand Prix during a refuelling stop. Behra was also injured midway through the 1957 season when involved in a tractor accident, breaking his ribs, but he continued to race during the year.
While his talent was significant, Behra never won an F1 grand prix, missing out due to flurry of misfortune before suffering a fatal crash at Avus in 1959.
Ricky Rudd
Swollen face at 1984 Daytona 500
Ricky Rudd with eyes taped open ahead of the 1984 Daytona 500
Getty Images
Ricky Rudd may be the only non-grand prix driver on this list, but by no means is his push through the pain barrier any less spectacular.
Having swapped cars with Dale Earnhardt ahead of the 1984 Bud Clash at Daytona, Rudd suffered a massive 200mph shunt, his car somersaulting nine times. Remarkably, Rudd escaped with nothing more than facial injuries and torn cartilage in his ribcage, ready to race again just two days later in the Daytona 500.
With his swollen eyes taped open, he finished a distant seventh behind eventual race winner Cale Yarborough, but won next time out in Richmond. Rudd was diagnosed with a concussion two races later when his face swelling returned.
