Marussia F1 driver causes huge crash by stopping at finish line

Spielberg (AUT) 10-12 July 2015 – Fifth round of the World Series by Renault 2015 at the Red Bull Ring. Robert Merhi #40 Pons Racing. Action. © 2015 Diederik van der Laan / Dutch Photo Agency / LAT Photographic

It is common practice for race car drivers to jump from one discipline to the next to try and hone their skills, and probably, to get noticed by prospective sponsors. Our very own Marlon Stockinger now running in GP2, has also agreed to also drive for the remainder of the season for the Lotus Junior Team in World Series Renault. What is not common, is for a Formula One driver to have a brain fade during a junior series race; one would expect that an F1 driver would have more sense and not commit silly mistakes on track.

But nobody told that to Roberto Mehri. The current Marussia Formula One driver was participating in the Renault World Series for the PONS Racing team at the Red Bull Ring in Austria. After crossing the finish line, Mehri suddenly slowed down (reports from the Mehri camp after the race said he had suspension problems), causing the trailing car of Nicolas Latifi to ram the back and flip over. Both drivers walked away from the violent crash.

The accident, deemed by many as a move not becoming of a F1 driver, brought about a two-race ban for the Mehri.