23 replies to this topic

[jimjimjeroo]

I was just watching the 2001 Australian GP and realised that that weekend was the last weekend there was a death in F1! 10 years and 12 days on and we have been fatality free. could F1 be the safest racing formula to participate in?

I have been trying to find a list of trackside fatalities and there doesnt seem to be one...

4th March 2001 Australian Grand Prix - Graham Beveridge
10th September 2000 Italian Grand Prix - Italian Paolo Ghilimberti, 33, was struck by a wheel which flew off one of six cars involved in a crash at the second chicane, Variante della Roggia.

[Rob G]

Motorsport Memorial has a huge, meticulously detailed list of trackside fatalities, but it covers all of auto racing rather than F1.

Off the top of my head, there was the von Trips tragedy at Monza in 1961, Bueonos Aires in 1953, Mexico in 1970 (I think, although it may have been a dog rather than spectators), and the Tom Pryce accident at Kyalami in 1977. Plus there was a mechanic killed at Imola in 1981 (I might be wrong on the venue and/or the year) when he fell off the pit wall as Ruetemann was driving past.

[Villes Gilleneuve]

The Villeneuve-Peterson crash in Japan 77 killed a spectator.

[Altitude]

Plus there was a mechanic killed at Imola in 1981 (I might be wrong on the venue and/or the year) when he fell off the pit wall as Ruetemann was driving past.

I think the incident you are referring to was at Zolder in 1981 when an Osella mechanic, Giovanni Amadeo was killed in the pitlane as Reutemann was passing.

[Tsarwash]

Considering some of the pit lane antics in the last two years, I think that lack of serious injuries and fatalities is down to luck more than anything. I'm not sure what the answer is though.

[Fastcake]

Well that's certainly an excellent date to Mark, let's just hope we go another 10 years without any deaths to all involved.

[Collombin]

A spectator was killed in Dan Gurney's crash at Zandvoort in 1960.

A marshal died in the big crash at the 1962 Monaco GP.

[Ross Stonefeld]

I was just watching the 2001 Australian GP and realised that that weekend was the last weekend there was a death in F1! 10 years and 12 days on and we have been fatality free. could F1 be the safest racing formula to participate in?

Deaths are pretty rare in all forms of motorsport these days. MotoGP might be one of the most dangerous, just because they've had two in less than ten years.

[AndreasF1]

The Villeneuve-Peterson crash in Japan 77 killed a spectator.

More like 3 IRC

[frp]

Four or five sadly died at Montjuic in 1975.

[underdog13]

More like 3 IRC

In regard to the Villeneuve, Peterson accident in Japan in 77 from wikipieda.
He also raced in the Japanese Grand Prix, but retired on lap five when he tried to outbrake the Tyrrell P34 of Ronnie Peterson. The pair banged wheels causing Villeneuve's Ferrari to became airborne. It landed on a group of spectators watching the race from a prohibited area, killing one spectator and a race marshal and injuring ten people. After an investigation into the incident no blame was apportioned and, although he was "terribly sad" at the deaths, Villeneuve did not feel responsible for them.[20]

Cheers

[stevewf1]

The Villeneuve-Peterson crash in Japan 77 killed a spectator.

According to Autocourse 1977-78:

"Two people were killed and seven seriously injured as the Ferrari scythed through the crowd and landed behind them..."

The accident happened on lap 6 when Villenueve ran into the back of Peterson's Tyrrell 6-wheeler at the end of the main straight. Villeneuve said "the brake pedal had gone to the floor".

In retrospect, the pictures of the cart-wheeling Ferrari looked eerily similar to Villeneuve's accident at Zolder 5 years later...

Edited by stevewf1, 19 March 2011 - 02:26.

[johnmhinds]

In regard to the Villeneuve, Peterson accident in Japan in 77 from wikipieda.
He also raced in the Japanese Grand Prix, but retired on lap five when he tried to outbrake the Tyrrell P34 of Ronnie Peterson. The pair banged wheels causing Villeneuve's Ferrari to became airborne. It landed on a group of spectators watching the race from a prohibited area, killing one spectator and a race marshal and injuring ten people. After an investigation into the incident no blame was apportioned and, although he was "terribly sad" at the deaths, Villeneuve did not feel responsible for them.[20]

Cheers

Blame should have been placed on the track owners.

There was little to no run off and barriers that were just a bunch of tyres piled at most 5 tyres high at the end of the longest straight in F1.

Even a minor off there would have resulted in spectator injurys/deaths.

[JacnGille]

Blame should have been placed on the track owners.

There was little to no run off and barriers that were just a bunch of tyres piled at most 5 tyres high at the end of the longest straight in F1.

Even a minor off there would have resulted in spectator injurys/deaths.

The spectators watching from a prohibited area. Hardly the track owner's fault.

[teejay]

The spectators watching from a prohibited area. Hardly the track owner's fault.

We have to remember safety standards 30 plus years ago were much different to today.

These days you would get arressted for going into a banned area.

[g1n]

I was just watching the 2001 Australian GP and realised that that weekend was the last weekend there was a death in F1! 10 years and 12 days on and we have been fatality free. could F1 be the safest racing formula to participate in?

I have been trying to find a list of trackside fatalities and there doesnt seem to be one...

4th March 2001 Australian Grand Prix - Graham Beveridge

strange, I never knew someone died at Australian GP, can you give more details? how did it happen?

[DanardiF1]

Deaths are pretty rare in all forms of motorsport these days. MotoGP might be one of the most dangerous, just because they've had two in less than ten years.

Even that's quite amazing for the type of accidents many of the bikers have, and the fact that most of their body protection is really to deal with skidding on the tarmac.

We've had a few 'biggies' in the last ten years too, like Kubica's Canada smash, that in the not-too-distant past may easily have been fatal... Alonso's crash in Interlagos 2003 was another scary one, as was Button's Monaco smash.

[Bleu]

strange, I never knew someone died at Australian GP, can you give more details? how did it happen?

Villeneuve's tyre went through the hole in the fence (hole was there so marshals can go through it to the track and also flags will be waved through that)

Edited by Bleu, 19 March 2011 - 12:31.

[RC127]

Villeneuve's tyre went through the hole in the fence (hole was there so marshals can go through it to the track and also flags will be waved through that)

Wow! There was an angle there I had never seen before - have seen the onboard and the "head on" shot, but not that third shot (which at full speed is simply astonishing, especially when Jacques's car rolls over after sliding away from the wall).

[Sausage]

That tv-cam shot was also recorded in widescreen wich you can find around the net. In it you can see the tire hitting the marshall through the hole in the fence, very bad luck there

[RC127]

That tv-cam shot was also recorded in widescreen wich you can find around the net. In it you can see the tire hitting the marshall through the hole in the fence, very bad luck there

Found it, watched it. The odds of that must be so small, sometimes your number is up and there is nothing you can do. The universe literally is out to get you.

[teejay]

Could you pm a link - naturally some people may not want to see that.

[Tufty]

Could you pm a link - naturally some people may not want to see that.

Me too please, I've always wondered exactly what happened there.

[Victor]

I was just watching the 2001 Australian GP and realised that that weekend was the last weekend there was a death in F1! 10 years and 12 days on and we have been fatality free. could F1 be the safest racing formula to participate in?

I have been trying to find a list of trackside fatalities and there doesnt seem to be one...

4th March 2001 Australian Grand Prix - Graham Beveridge
10th September 2000 Italian Grand Prix - Italian Paolo Ghilimberti, 33, was struck by a wheel which flew off one of six cars involved in a crash at the second chicane, Variante della Roggia.

The GP with trackside fatalities are as follows:

1953 Argentine Grand Prix - Farina crashed into the crowd killing 13 spectators
1961 Italian Grand Prix - von Trips crashed into the crowd killing 14 spectators
1962 Monaco Grand Prix - A marshal was killed by a wheel from Ginther's car
1975 Spanish Grand Prix - Stommelen's car got airborne and landed on the crowd killing 5.
1977 South African Grand Prix - Pryce hit a marshal who was crossing the circuit. Both driver and marshal died.
1977 Japanese Grand Prix - Debris from G. Villeneuve's car killed a marshal and a photographer.
1981 Belgian Grand Prix - A mechanic was hit by Reutemman's car in the pits and died the daty after.
1994 San Marino Grand Prix (yes, San Marino 94) - Several mechanics and spectators with light injures after being hit by debris from Lamy-Lehto crash at the start.
2000 Italian Grand Prix - Frentzen's car hit and killed a marshal.
2001 Australian Grand Prix - A losen wheel from J. Villeneuve's car killed a marshal.