Video: Driver hits dog in F1 support race

Posted on

| Written by

The GP2 sprint race at the Istanbul circuit this morning has been disrupted due to animals on the circuit.

Halfway through the race a furious Bruno Senna brought his wrecked iSport car into the garage having collided with a dog on the back straight.

A second dog was seen running around turn two and the organisers quickly deployed the safety car while it was caught. (Update; there is a video below, not for the squeamish).

Keeping animals out of racing circuits is always difficult. Last year Anthony Davidson’s race at Montreal was ruined when he hit an animal.

But the consequences can be much worse. Former F1 driver Cristiano da Matta suffered severe head injuries when he hit a deer during Champ Car testing at Elkhart Lake.

ISport team principal Paul Jackson was understandably concerned: “People are going to have to look at it and see what action needs to be taken. The organisers need to take a serious look at that.”

Bruno, nephew of Ayrton Senna, postponed his racing career for several years following his uncle’s death at San Marino in 1994.

Author information

Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

Got a potential story, tip or enquiry? Find out more about RaceFans and contact us here.

21 comments on “Video: Driver hits dog in F1 support race”

  1. I remember watching the Aussie V8s in Bathurst 2005, and I think it was Jim Richards who hit a Kangaroo, so it can happen anywhere.

  2. I have a question: it would be the same if the dog jumps in Istanbul Prak, than if it does in Silverstone(i.e)?

    Because we talked about the FIA’s random deccisions. But FOM doesn’t judge the same the circuits depending the owner, and the place, and…

  3. There was a deer in Brazil as well iirc. As for judging all circuits in the same way, I disagree; some circuits will naturally be harder to “police” than others (comparing Monaco to the old Hockenheim, for example), and as such I think some leeway/normative judgement should be used in such situations.

  4. This hadn’t better happen later on in the F1 race… It’s a bl**dy disgrace, the race organisers should have the book thrown at them for this. Also, wasn’t there two dogs on the track??

  5. Didn’t Anthony Davidson hit a hedgehog or similar last year in Montreal? If he hadn’t he’d have finished well in the points, maybe even a podium….

  6. TommyBellingham
    11th May 2008, 11:22

    Yes 2 dogs, Bruno Senna hit one in the middle of the straight and whilst it was going on a Dog was running around turn 2

  7. What on earth are dogs doing being allowed on the circuit during a race? Groundhogs and deer, being wild animals, are more understandable (though still very hazardous). But I thought dogs were generally people’s pets? I’ve heard of it happening in Brazil some time ago, though luckily the practise session where it happened was halted before it was hit by any vehicles.

    Not that I see the organisers facing any serious consequences because the organiser is Bernie Ecclestone…

  8. Keith I’m pretty sure it was Road America and not Elkhart Lake.

    Bet you’d love to have an edit button ;)

  9. Alinora:

    I think you’re right about what will happen as the owner is Bernie but on the pets angle there are a large number of stray dogs in Turkey so these are likely to effectively be wild animals too.

  10. Is Bruno any good?, i’ve purposefully ignored any news on him due to his surname, I’ve heard he’s the top gamer for Sega’s hardcore racers.

    is he exciting to watch?

  11. Edinburger Neil
    11th May 2008, 11:54

    anyone found a link to a replay as i missed this due to being stuck in bloody helfords

  12. TommyBellingham
    11th May 2008, 11:55

    Elkhart Lake and Road America are the same thing. Its like saying the accident happened at Barcelona not Catalunya

  13. found a video, got it in a post here;
    http://f1bloggen.se/2008/05/11/infor-turkiets-grand-prix-bruno-senna-kor-pa-hund-i-gp2/
    almost hard to believe that two dogs could find their way out on the track.. the norwegian commentator talked about possible sabotage.. alost seems so..

  14. Thanks for the clarification, Tommy.

  15. sadly doggie heaven got another visitor today

  16. Sush, there’s a bit on Bruno here: The four drivers fighting for a 2009 F1 drive

  17. In NASCAR, Bruno would have been classified as ‘getting the lucky dawg’.

  18. Thanks for the JUMP Keith.

    My money would be on Rahal though on being more successful.

  19. yeah right…not even one video shows all that happened..all I have seen on every site providing this scene was a censored video…come on..

  20. I think this video gives an accurate enough impression of what happened. Do you really need to see the poor dog in pieces to know it died Max?

Comments are closed.