RIP Henry Surtees
#51
Posted 20 July 2009 - 10:37
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#52
Posted 20 July 2009 - 10:50
#53
Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:07
My condolences to John and Jane Surtees.
#54
Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:22
A sacred Right of the Individual,whats more Henry was doing it,NOT TALKING ABOUT IT,by all accounts he carried himself with dignity/pride and Passion,just a shame the Journey wan't longer.
What it does remind us, is to wholeheartedly support our offspring and above all ,tell them we LOVE them,"no matter what"!!!..............R.I.P Henry, my heart felt sympathy to the Surtess Family.............With respect427
#55
Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:50
RIP Henry
#56
Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:56
RIP Henry.
#57
Posted 20 July 2009 - 12:41
My respect to Henry for his commitment to pursuing his dream of motorsport success and my deepest sympathy to his family and friends on their tragic loss.
#58
Posted 20 July 2009 - 13:36
RIP Henry, and my sincerest condolence to the Surtees family and friends...
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#60
Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:32
#61
Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:33
#62
Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:35
I have an 18 year old son myself and I can't imagine how terrible it must be to lose him.
I cried for Henry even though I've never met him. He seemed like a nice young man.
My thoughts go out to the Surtees family in this time when the whole world seems to have come to a halt.
Edited by sonar, 20 July 2009 - 18:59.
#63
Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:38
#64
Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:44
#65
Posted 20 July 2009 - 16:08
It doesn't help but at least he was doing something that he obviously loved.
#66
Posted 20 July 2009 - 17:29
Henry looked so right in that TS-10. Thank you for those photos, they will now be etched in my memory forever. God speed Henry.
#67
Posted 20 July 2009 - 18:37
I took this photo of Henry Surtees mid race on the Saturday.
By chance I was walking through the paddock after the race just as Mr and Mrs Surtees came out of the Surtees area, John looked so proud with a broad grin and Jane Surtees was holding a bottle of champagne and Henry's trophy. Henry arrived back from his car to greet them, it was such a joyful scene and for me the high spot of the day.
I couldn't believe the following day's accident and my thoughts have been with all the Surtees family. Such a sad day.
David
#68
Posted 20 July 2009 - 18:52
I had that awful hollow feeling when I saw that he was motionless at the wheel of his car, rather like Senna.
I've always admired Big John. I have no means of contacting him, but if I did have, then I would try to offer nothing other than comfort.
Edward
#69
Posted 20 July 2009 - 19:24
My condolences to John and family- what a tragic loss for them.
#70
Posted 20 July 2009 - 19:51
Moving tribute from JP. So very sad.
http://www.motorspor...asp?NewsID=4870
Yes...JP said it all there.
On other occasions I have pondered what a cruel thing time can be. But I wasn't thinking of the milliseconds which were the culprit here.
#71
Posted 20 July 2009 - 20:59
I would like to offer my sincere condolences to Henry's family and friends
I hope that they can take some comfort from the knowledge he was doing what he loved
#73
Posted 20 July 2009 - 21:53
Henry looks so at home in that TS-10. RIP
#74
Posted 21 July 2009 - 00:49
So sad. I have no words...
Our most Sincere condolences to the Surtees family.
Lin and Gary
#75
Posted 21 July 2009 - 05:51
Guess he never even saw what hit him.
RIP
Edited by Leif Snellman, 21 July 2009 - 05:53.
#76
Posted 21 July 2009 - 07:06
#77
Posted 21 July 2009 - 17:11
My sincerest condolences to John and Jane
RIP Henry
Edited by Rosemayer, 21 July 2009 - 17:11.
#78
Posted 21 July 2009 - 20:42
So young. So terribly sad. Sincere condolences to John and Jane Surtees on their tragic loss.
RIP Henry.
#79
Posted 21 July 2009 - 22:06
I hope he never realised what happened
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#80
Posted 22 July 2009 - 10:11
RIP Henry.
#81
Posted 22 July 2009 - 10:18
I was at Brands Hatch on Saturday and watched the first Formula 2 race of the weekend, it was a very close and competitive affair with Henry Surtees finishing third just a few feet behind the first and second cars.
You would think you would be relatively protected sitting in that, must have been very long odds for this to have happened.
#82
Posted 22 July 2009 - 10:30
I agree, that is why it was such a freak million to one accident. The TV clip, which is on the web, shows just how unlucky poor Henry was, a split second either way and he'd still be with us.You would think you would be relatively protected sitting in that, must have been very long odds for this to have happened.
#83
Posted 22 July 2009 - 11:46
For an impact with massive force there still is really no substitute for thick gauge steel tubing all around the drivers head, rather in the way the rollover hoops are designed in current top fuel dragsters.
Steel will deform absorbing energy whilst remaining in place to take a second blow, whilst carbon fibre while strong in a first blow usually absorbs energy by shattering or breaking off leaving nothing for subsequent rolls etc before the car come to a final halt.
When the F1 rules were redrafted in this area giving better head protection in the wake of the Senna accident for 1996 you may remember Ferrari F310 and others had very high built up sides to protect the drivers head early that year in the spirit of the regulations.
However Jordan and Williams saw a loophole in the FIA drawing of the cockpit side height in relation to a line drawn between the dashtop rollhoop and the drivers head rollhoop, so that by setting the main rollhoop a bit further to the rear of the car they could lower the cockpit sides for an aerodynamic gain yet still stay within the dimensions set by the FIA however I always thought this exposed the drivers head more than the rule makers had in mind.
However , nothing was done and lower sides ( athough better than pre 94) became the norm for all the constructors since that date.
Lower Formulae tend to follow the fashion of the then current F1 car styling ( for no good reason )
Maybe something good could come out of this tragedy. Time for the FIA technical working group to revisit this area of driver protection and look seriously at making regulation changes, it might help someone in the future.
Edited by RTH, 22 July 2009 - 12:33.
#84
Posted 22 July 2009 - 21:56
Obviously they will look at the efficiency of "Wheel Tethers" but the lack of run off area and the close proximity of the barriers on the exit of Westfield did allow that wheel to bounce back on line all too easily.
Cockpit protection might be improved, but I don't see an easy answer to that one.
#85
Posted 22 July 2009 - 22:22
The reason March put in those rollbar braces was because a front wheel had come off the March F1 car during a practice run at Ontario Speedway in California either the weekend of the Questor GP or in tire testing prior to the QGP. It hit Ronnie Peterson in the head BUT it didn't knock him out or kill him. It did, however, freaked Robin Herd and Max Mosley out. So they decided to protect their drivers in the future from a reoccurrence.
If someone else has a clearer recollection of the incident please don't hesitate to correct my memory.
#86
Posted 22 July 2009 - 22:50
The circuit modifications introduced then, reduced most corners to second gear speeds...something we still see the legacy of today in F1
#88
Posted 23 July 2009 - 10:37
Lovely photo Luc, thanks for sharing.I would like to share this picture from happier days. Zolder Historic GP 1997 : Sir John with a Mercedes Benz engineer, his daughter and 6-year old Henry :
I like that you call John "Sir John" which is what many of us here think he should be, long overdue.
I'm still stunned by this tragedy, and can't imagine how the family feel. It was so good to see John around the UK circuits, and I treasure the chat I had with him at Oulton Park last year, again keenly supporting son Henry's promising efforts.
Rob
#89
Posted 23 July 2009 - 11:04
Lovely photo Luc, thanks for sharing.
I like that you call John "Sir John" which is what many of us here think he should be, long overdue.
I'm still stunned by this tragedy, and can't imagine how the family feel. It was so good to see John around the UK circuits, and I treasure the chat I had with him at Oulton Park last year, again keenly supporting son Henry's promising efforts.
Rob
What a lovely photo!!! Still, reminds me of how young Henry still was. What a pity that he was taken away so young from his family...
#90
Posted 23 July 2009 - 11:27
#91
Posted 23 July 2009 - 11:56
Just read it in my copy of AUTOSPORT that arrived in the post this morning. Utterly shocking and deeply sad. Condolences to all touched by this. Am I the only one who is haunted by the parallels between this accident and the one which befell Tom Pryce at Kyalami in 1977?
Tom Pryce was not the only one who was killed by having a hit in the head by something: e.g. Alan Stacey (a bird), Markus Höttinger (a wheel)...
#92
Posted 23 July 2009 - 12:00
Tom Pryce was not the only one who was killed by having a hit in the head by something: e.g. Alan Stacey (a bird), Markus Höttinger (a wheel)...
Of course, but what I meant was that, as in the Surtees crash, the sequence of events in the Pryce tragedy started with a retirement (albeit mechanical rather than due to an accident) which seemed initially to pose no great danger, and then rapidly changing in nature due to an object striking the unsighted driver's helmet, ending with the car continuing under full power with an unconcious driver and then hitting a barrier.
Edited by cpbell, 23 July 2009 - 12:00.
#93
Posted 23 July 2009 - 12:20
#94
Posted 23 July 2009 - 12:42
Driver would have been frighteningly exposed by modern standards if this had ever raced ! (photo borrowed from the other recent TNF thread )
I certainly hope the driver wasn't driving too fast...? Looks terrible & dangerous!!!
#95
Posted 23 July 2009 - 12:51
What's great is that he has left such a positive legacy!!!
Memories of Henry:
#96
Posted 23 July 2009 - 13:44
I certainly hope the driver wasn't driving too fast...? Looks terrible & dangerous!!!
The driver is far too tall for the LIFE chassis there (at the FoS, I think?) However, I do recall Damon Hill's shoulders being exposed in the 1992 Brabham chassis.
#97
Posted 23 July 2009 - 13:53
The driver is far too tall for the LIFE chassis there (at the FoS, I think?) However, I do recall Damon Hill's shoulders being exposed in the 1992 Brabham chassis.
Yup, I know! I'm surprised that when folks take part e.g. in the FoS, they don't try to be as authentic as possible in every detail! A lot smaller driver should have looked a lot better!
#98
Posted 23 July 2009 - 13:58
The driver is far too tall for the LIFE chassis there (at the FoS, I think?) However, I do recall Damon Hill's shoulders being exposed in the 1992 Brabham chassis.
As was Derek Warwick in the 86 Brabham.
#99
Posted 23 July 2009 - 15:25
Just read it in my copy of AUTOSPORT that arrived in the post this morning. Utterly shocking and deeply sad. Condolences to all touched by this. Am I the only one who is haunted by the parallels between this accident and the one which befell Tom Pryce at Kyalami in 1977?
If you are haunted by that comparison: don't. The comparison is way off. Wheels flying off cars in racing (hitting other cars, drivers, etc): all the time. Marshall crossing the track (with fire-extiquinsher that hits driver in the head): once.
RIP Henry, you died doing what you loved best.
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#100
Posted 23 July 2009 - 15:44
If you are haunted by that comparison: don't. The comparison is way off. Wheels flying off cars in racing (hitting other cars, drivers, etc): all the time. Marshall crossing the track (with fire-extiquinsher that hits driver in the head): once.
RIP Henry, you died doing what you loved best.
Yes, but, as I pointed-out above, whilst the specific cause was different some of the parallels are eerie - for eample, the concept of an out-of control car with a driver who is either dead or deeply unconcious is upsetting and potentially dangerous for othercompetitors, plus the concept of a driver suffering a fatal accident as a result of somone else's non-serious accident or breakdown is truly tragic.