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The Independent
18-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Brain surgeon loses £14m snowmobile holiday crash claim after text messages read in court
An "adrenaline junkie" brain surgeon who sued McLaren for £14m after a snowmobile crash has had his case thrown out after post-accident texts emerged of him telling company staff 'No worries … sh*t happens …[do] I owe you guys a snowmobile". High-flying neurosurgeon Andrew Cannestra suffered multiple injuries when the skidoo he was riding careered off a forest track in Lapland during a £23,000 luxury break booked through the Pure McLaren Arctic Experience for him and his then partner, Kaitlin Mealor. The 54-year-old medic, who specialises in spinal surgery, struck a tree after negotiating a forest turn and was out cold for 30 minutes following the impact in February 2020. He went on to sue McLaren Automotive Events Ltd, claiming the impact of the crash on his future earnings alone exceeds £14m. But lawyers for McLaren Automotive denied blame, insisting that on-the-spot guides did their utmost to ensure a safe skidoo trip, carefully briefing Mr Cannestra and his partner before they set off. Dismissing the claim, Mr Justice Richie said that Mr Cannestra - who was dubbed an "adrenaline junkie" by his then partner - had "wanted more speed" and had caused the crash himself when he "accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes". The briefing he and his partner received before riding had been adequate, the judge said, adding: "They were both on a McLaren ice driving holiday. Adrenaline cannot have been irrelevant to the experience of driving on ice in a superpowered car. There is nothing wrong in that. Life is for living and excitement and risk are part of that. "He wanted more speed. He should have understood that being guided at higher speed would be more challenging and risky." Neil Block KC - for Mr Cannestra - had told London's High Court that both riders were 'absolute novices' and argued their guides should have done more to explain the detailed layout of their route through the forest. The surgeon crashed after a pause in the journey during which his guide had changed the drive mode so that the doctor's snowmobile could hit higher speeds. The impact resulted in a brain haemorrhage and severe leg injuries, causing lasting problems with 'word-finding, comprehension, memory and fatigue' and worsening his previous hand tremor. Mr Cannestra, who was earning around £1.8m per year, has had to give up brain surgery, although his lawyers say he 'continues to work to a limited extent.' Mr Cannestra's KC claimed the lead guide 'rode at an excessive speed for a novice rider to follow safely'. But Matthew Chapman KC - for McLaren Automotive - argued that Mr Cannestra had appeared a competent rider and fully in control of his snowmobile, adding that he had seemed 'eager' for his vehicle to be switched to a faster travel mode. In his ruling, the judge pointed out that the surgeon had sent a post-accident text to McLaren staff, saying: 'No worries … sh*t happens … I asked ... if I owe you guys a snowmobile, or any other costs. Please let me know. It was my error and my responsibility." In another, he wrote: "Thank you both so much for your help yesterday and thru my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour. Please let me know anything I am responsible for.... transport.... a snowmobile..... etc. we had a great time and all is good!' In his evidence, Mr Cannestra had insisted his post accident messages did not amount to an admission of fault, also taking issue with any image of him being a thrill-seeker. And although conceding he is a passionate classic car fan - having owned up to 33 at various times in the past - he explained that he never raced his vehicles, restricting himself to 'collecting and restoring them'. But dismissing his claim, the judge said: "Whilst the claimant was in Lapland on an expensive four-day driving experience for McLaren road cars on ice, he chose to drive a snowmobile as part of the ancillary fun activities provided by McLaren. "He was following a guide round a snowy track through trees, but he lost control, drove off the track and hit a tree. He was injured. At first, he thought it was all his own fault, apologised and offered to pay for the smashed up snow mobile. "A few months later, he instructed solicitors and by the end of July 2020 a pre-action protocol letter was written by his solicitors, to McLaren's solicitors, asserting negligence/breach of contract by the guide and claiming damages for personal injuries. "After the accident, the claimant told the guide his glove had become stuck to the throttle. The claimant had sent a message offering to pay for the snowmobile because it was, using his words, 'my error and my responsibility' and caused by 'my little self destructive snowmobile behaviour.' "Negligence was denied. The cause of the crash was pleaded as the claimant accidentally accelerating whilst negotiating [a turn] instead of braking. "I did not find Kaitlin Mealor's evidence to be of much assistance. She appeared to me to be playing a wing person role to support her ex-partner. "I was not persuaded by her denial of the the accident about the claimant being an adrenaline junkie who was always getting into accidents. "This conversation may be put into context. The claimant had bought two McLaren road cars, which are up the top of the list of the most powerful vehicles on roads worldwide. "They were both on a McLaren ice driving holiday. Adrenaline cannot have been irrelevant to the experience of driving on ice in a superpowered car. There is nothing wrong in that. Life is for living and excitement and risk are part of that. "He wanted more speed. He should have understood that being guided at higher speed would be more challenging and risky. I consider that he did understand this. He also understood that they would go through trees. "I consider that about five minutes was an appropriate length for a briefing for just two customers. I find that the briefing complied with local Finnish standards. "At the ambulance in the car park, he told [the guide] that he accidentally pressed the throttle in the middle of turn two and blamed his glove. "At hospital, he told a medic he accidentally hit the gas instead of the brakes. He considered that he himself was the cause of the accident. He did not blame [the guide] for rushing him or disappearing. "He reached turn two and turned through 25 degrees, then squeezed or pushed the throttle by mistake with his right hand and shot straight forwards into a tree. In whatever mode, that accidental throttle use would have caused him to go straight off the track." He said the guide was not dealing with a "17-year-old new car driver " who had just passed their driving test, adding: "He was guiding a mature, supercar and jet-ski aficionado, who had ridden confidently and wanted more speed. The claimant was prepared to leave his partner behind to increase his own enjoyment. "The claim will be dismissed and judgment will be entered for the defendant," the judge concluded.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Simone Ashley reveals F1 cast had five-minute window to shoot scenes during real races
Simone Ashley has revealed she and her F1 co-stars sometimes only had five minutes to shoot a particular scene during real Grand Prix races. The upcoming sports action film stars Brad Pitt as a Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor a young rookie played by Damson Idris. The film, directed by Joseph Kosinski, was made over two years, with many scenes being shot during real Grand Prix championships around the world. The Bridgerton actress, who has an undisclosed role in the film, revealed on the Dish podcast that the stakes were "pretty high" when they had such tight windows to shoot their scenes. "Traditionally, you would do a scene and you've sometimes got all afternoon or an hour or so, you do like eight takes to however many takes," she explained. "Sometimes, Joe Kosinski, our director, would just be like, 'Right, we've got five minutes. We've got like two shots at this.' "So once we got into the rhythm of it all, it really caught on and you just had to be on it. You're in the real Grand Prix, like you hear all the crowds and the engines and it's just chaos. At the same time we're shooting this movie, there's a real race going on with the real racers and all of that. The stakes were pretty high." In addition to various Grands Prix, Ashley revealed that they also filmed a sequence in the Lapland region of Finland. "I was in the Arctic, I was in Finland, in like the north of Finland, and we were driving on a frozen lake in McLarens," she shared. "That was pretty wild. They called it the Arctic Experience and I was like, 'Yeah, cool, yeah' and then we were on the plane, I was like, 'Are we going to the Arctic?!' And my friend was like, 'Yeah!' We were in Lapland. I'm so glad I packed my thermals." The Sex Education star added that she joined the cast last year, a year into production, and wrapped her role at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. F1, which features real drivers such as Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, will be released in cinemas on 25 June.
