Exactly 30 years have passed today since Jyrki Järvilehto’s almost fatal test accident.
Jyrki Järvilehto had received a real stroke of luck in early 1994, when the manager Keke Rosberg was packed by the Benetton boss Flavio Briatore with the Finnish version of the contract paper Michael Schumacher as a team mate.
Happiness was completed by being engaged Fairy tale Larmala had just become pregnant with the couple’s first child.
However, the sky fell on my neck almost immediately.
On January 21, 1994 – 30 years ago to the day – Järvilehto’s F1 dream was concretely shattered along with his neck vertebrae.
The car driven by JJ crashed into the safety fence of the Silverstone track. The Finn, who only got the Benetton feel on the first day, was rushed to a hospital in Northampton.
– Things went a bit in the wrong direction. We went into the cement wall with a pretty big bang, Järvilehto recalled to Iltalehte in the summer of 2019.
Teammates Michael Schumacher and JJ Lehto smiled in Benetton’s press photos. PDO
“Everything looked good”
Several vertebrae in his back and neck were badly damaged, and the Finn had to undergo surgery in an unconscious state.
– It was a really cold day, probably only one degree. We tested new components and suspension. Something happened at the Stowe corner: was there sub-freezing water or did some part fail in the car.
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In the end, Järvilehto’s Benetton career lasted only six GPs. PDO
If the crushed bone fragments had sunk a millimeter deeper, Järvilehto would not have survived.
Benetton’s telemetry data revealed that the speed at the time of the crash was approximately 220 kilometers per hour. The concrete fence did not flex at all. Even the fact that Järvilehto was not paralyzed was a great miracle.
– I just remember that a week earlier the contract with Benetton had been published. Schumi was my teammate then and everything looked really good.
A false image to the public
It is clear that the Iltalehti of the day after the accident did not have a single word about Järvilehto’s Friday night drive-out.
Benetton and manager Rosberg did everything they could to hide its seriousness.
The Ruutlipuppa program broadcast on Sunday evening had captured Järvilehto. He said he was in relatively good shape and completely denied, for example, back pain.
From the beginning of the week, the press’s eyes were already on the recovery. Finnish F1 fans were worried whether Järvilehto would participate in the opening race of the F1 season in two months.
Now we know that it was snobbery – or irresponsible pressure.
Unlucky return
According to the doctors, recovery would have required at least six months. Järvilehto didn’t have that long.
If Verstappen drove the first two races as Schumacher’s teammate.
The Finn’s return coincided with the infamous Imola race as a holiday. Roland Ratzenberger died in Saturday’s exit and the biggest star of the F1 series Ayrton Senna in Sunday’s competition.
JJ’s own competition was over in a couple of seconds. Lotus driver Pedro Lamy crashed into the rear axle of the Benetton at the start, and pieces of the F1 car flying around injured ten spectators.
The events were extremely mentally exhausting for the Finn, who had returned from a serious injury.
Only one World Cup point
And that physics wasn’t okay either. Järvilehto’s neck was so weak that he looked up at the sky when accelerating and at his knees when braking. It was clear that it was on bumpy tracks that the troubles of the January accident were most clearly visible.
The next race was held in Monaco, where JJ Lehto was no less than four seconds behind Schumacher in qualifying. The Finn’s head moved recklessly from side to side, and he could not distinguish the track accurately.
– At that time, it was part of formula one that accidents happened. Cars and tracks were very different in terms of safety, Järvilehto said five years ago.
– Of course, I hoped that the recovery would have started well, and happened quickly. It is easy to be overoptimistic in such operations.
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Järvilehto won the Le Mans 24 Hours race twice in his career. This Audi guaranteed the number one position in 2005. PDO
Järvilehto drove Benetton in six races in the end. He finished three times and got one World Championship point.
The time at the top had already ended during the test run in January.
– The final healing took a really long time. The team didn’t give a chance to improve. It went a little crazy.
According to Järvilehto’s own assessment, he had only recovered in the summer of 1995. That’s when he also won the biggest victory of his sports career: the first place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with McLaren.