The driver of a Group B rally car has lost control and crashed into a crowd of spectators, in a grim flashback to the incidents that ended the sport’s golden era.
Videos uploaded to YouTube from the Turin motor show at the Piazza San Carlo show a procession of racing cars driving slowly, until a Lancia 037 arrives in frame.
The Lancia’s driver revs its supercharged 2.0-litre engine and dumps the clutch, initially driving in a straight line but then losing control of the rear-wheel drive rally car, pitching it towards the crowd who were standing behind temporary barriers.
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Italian news outlet Notizie reports 12 onlookers were injured, one of whom underwent emergency surgery at the nearby Mauriziano hospital for lacerations.
According to news agency ANSA, Italian police are investigating the crash, both for the involvement of the driver and event organisers.
Unfortunately the incident is a reminder of how quickly cars can lose control when not driven to the conditions.
It’s also an unfortunate flashback to the 1980s Group B era of rallying which saw cars like the Lancia 037, Audi Quattro and Peugeot 205 T16 push the limits to be as fast as possible, which resulted in three spectator deaths and three driver fatalities in the span of a year.
