Massive Formula 3 Crash Shows That Even Racers Drive Toward What They're Looking At

It's one of the basic tenets of driving: keep your eyes on the road because you tend to direct your car to whatever you're looking at. That's why rubbernecking at a side-of-the-road crash is kind of terrifying. But as it turns out, even race car drivers aren't immune to the seductive call of driving directly into their line of sight. And at this weekend's Formula 3 race at the Nosiring, that resulted in a pretty spectacular accident.

The driver starting in sixth, Dan Ticktum, stalled on the start (sounds like the infamous F2 clutch issues are plaguing F3, too). Everyone did a pretty great job of avoiding his beached car... except for 21st-place starter Ameya Vaidyanathan.

Vaidyanathan just plows full-force into the back of Ticktum. I can't tell if he didn't see Ticktum, or if he was so busy looking at Ticktum that he didn't even consider pulling out of the way.

In either case, the little (uh, big) push from Vaidyanathan finally got Ticktum's car going. It pushed him right into the barrier! And the other car involved slipped into the pitlane exit.

Both drivers exited the car of their own accord, thankfully, and neither sustained any injuries aside from, I'm sure, some injured pride.

As for the rest of us fans: stop rubbernecking and get those eyes back on the road!