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RIP Henry Surtees


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#51 Udo K.

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 10:37

I'm totally shocked! Don't find words. John was my hero since I met him first in 1964 at the Ring... I followed his career and his life. And now this! My thoughts are with him and his family.

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#52 380W

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 10:50

My sincere condolences to Big John and all the Surtees family.

#53 hhh

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:07

Terrible news, what a waste, such a talented young man doing what he loved.....
My condolences to John and Jane Surtees.

#54 thunder427

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:22

With greatest respect to the Surtees Family,this is not a time to reflect on, "If Only"!!!,young Henry Chose to follow his dream.
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 AAA-Eagle

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:50

It is terrible to hear this... My sincerest condolences to John and Jane

RIP Henry :cry:

#56 LotusElise

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 11:56

Terrible news. How awful for John and Jane, and Henry's siblings.
RIP Henry.

#57 Speedy27

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 12:41

Reflecting on how John survived two very committed careers in motorsport during times that were much more dangerous than the present one only heightens the tragic loss of his young son, Henry. It's a sad reminder that this sport remains a dangerous one.

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 cretoxyrhina

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 13:36

Very terrible news, such a waste of young talent...

RIP Henry, and my sincerest condolence to the Surtees family and friends... :cry:

#59 Giraffe

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 14:27

Posted Image
By giraffe138

Young Henry pictured at Goodwood on Friday 3rd July.

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#60 barrykm

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:32

RIP Henry. Terribly sad. Condolences to his family, especially his Mom and Dad. :cry:

#61 Andrew Kitson

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:33

Moving tribute from JP. So very sad.
http://www.motorspor...asp?NewsID=4870

#62 sonar

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:35

It's almost to horrible to imagine.
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 Jones Foyer

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:38

My thoughts are with the Surtees family. Very sorry to hear about Henry's death.

#64 David M. Kane

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 15:44

A well done press release by Jonatham Palmer. I'm still stunned. I just review the video again and I notice the damage to his airbox was even greater than I notice on the first viewing. It was a wicked hard hit.

#65 Gregor Marshall

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 16:08

Very sad news indeed.
It doesn't help but at least he was doing something that he obviously loved.

#66 David M. Kane

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 17:29

Pedro917:

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 David Lawson

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 18:37

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.

Posted Image
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 SEdward

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 18:52

Having gone through the awful experience myself in my family, I can assure you that there is nothing worse for parents than laying their own children to rest.

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 David Birchall

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 19:24

My God, eighteen years old-how sad.
My condolences to John and family- what a tragic loss for them.

#70 David Beard

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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 John Ginger

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 20:59

Like many others, I cannot find the right words

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

#72 BRM MICK2

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 21:26

Very sad news ,from Goodwood on Sunday


Posted Image


RIP






#73 David M. Kane

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Posted 20 July 2009 - 21:53

BRM Mick2:

Henry looks so at home in that TS-10. RIP

#74 vashlin

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Posted 21 July 2009 - 00:49

Just logged on and was stunned to see this news.

So sad. I have no words...


Our most Sincere condolences to the Surtees family.

Lin and Gary

#75 Leif Snellman

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Posted 21 July 2009 - 05:51

What a freak accident! :eek: We have seen wheels flying through the air hundreds of times but this time it landed straight on a helmet.
Guess he never even saw what hit him. :(

RIP

Edited by Leif Snellman, 21 July 2009 - 05:53.


#76 Arjan de Roos

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Posted 21 July 2009 - 07:06

My thoughts are with the Surtees family.

#77 Rosemayer

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Posted 21 July 2009 - 17:11

Just logged on no parent should have to bury their child.
My sincerest condolences to John and Jane
RIP Henry :cry:

Edited by Rosemayer, 21 July 2009 - 17:11.


#78 Piston Broke

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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 Arturo Pereira

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Posted 21 July 2009 - 22:06

I have just watched a short clip about this accident. What a silly one for sure :eek: :(

I hope he never realised what happened :cry:

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#80 wolf sun

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 10:11

Terrible, terrible news, I´m still in a state of shock. My sincerest condolences to the Surtees family.

RIP Henry.

#81 RTH

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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.

Posted Image


You would think you would be relatively protected sitting in that, must have been very long odds for this to have happened.


#82 Andrew Kitson

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 10:30

You would think you would be relatively protected sitting in that, must have been very long odds for this to have happened.

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.


#83 RTH

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 11:46

I always liked that extra bit of safety protection around the upperbody and head area that March built in to their cars from 1973 to 1978 with the forward facing roll bar supports.

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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.

Posted Image


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 Bill Becketts

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 21:56

An awful and tragic thing to happen. I do hope some good comes out of this, if only as a legacy to Henry.

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 David M. Kane

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 22:22

RTH:

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 Bill Becketts

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Posted 22 July 2009 - 22:50

The car modifications introduced after Ayrton Senna's fatal accident were mainly to do with protecting the driver from his own front wheels (Should the front suspension fail) stopping the wheel from side slapping the cockpit and it's driver to awful effect.

The circuit modifications introduced then, reduced most corners to second gear speeds...something we still see the legacy of today in F1

#87 Pedro 917

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 09:38

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 :

Posted ImagePosted Image

Copyright Luc Ghys

#88 Kingsleyrob

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 10:37

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 :

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

#89 Greatest

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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... :cry: :(

#90 cpbell

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 11:27

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?

#91 Greatest

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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 cpbell

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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. :cry:

Edited by cpbell, 23 July 2009 - 12:00.


#93 RTH

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 12:20

Driver would have been frighteningly exposed by modern standards if this had ever raced ! (photo borrowed from the other recent TNF thread )

Posted Image

#94 Greatest

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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 )

Posted Image



I certainly hope the driver wasn't driving too fast...? Looks terrible & dangerous!!! :down:

#95 Greatest

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 12:51

I'm sorry I never had the chance to meet Henry in person outside the tracks, but according to the statements of his fellow drivers he really must have been someone worth of meeting! There are not too many of Mr. Nice-Guys in this world...!

What's great is that he has left such a positive legacy!!! :up:

Memories of Henry:

#96 cpbell

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Posted 23 July 2009 - 13:44

I certainly hope the driver wasn't driving too fast...? Looks terrible & dangerous!!! :down:



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 Greatest

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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 alansart

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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.

Posted Image



#99 Chezrome

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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 cpbell

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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.