At the 24 Hueres Du Mans in July 1955, the inevitable finally happened. Bodies were strewn throughout the stands The majority of the dead were French, with the numbers injured running into the hundreds. The death of the spectators was blamed on inadequate safety standards for the track design. The discussion focused on traffic policy and environmental questions rather than on safety. [3] Levegh was thrown out of his tumbling car and hit the ground, crushing his skull upon impact and killing him instantly. All he did was turn in abruptly. Going into the second hour, Castellotti started dropping back, but Hawthorn and Fangio continued the duel, swapping the lead and dropping the lap record further and further, lapping most of the field.[4][5]. If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here. ", Get the latest news from the world of sport along with the best opinion from our outstanding team of sport writers, direct to your inbox every Friday. This was indeed one of the most terrible accidents in the early decades of motorsports. 82 people were killed during a crash at Le Mans 24-hour race in 1955 Pierre Levegh's Mercedes ricocheted into the pit-lane grandstand The race between leaders Mike Hawthorn (Jaguar) and Juan. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in motorsports history. It shows you not only how the crash happened, but how little stood between those watching and the flying wreckage. The dead and dying were everywhere; the cries of pain, anguish, and despair screamed catastrophe. Many other drivers tried to describe the whole crash as a blameless 'racing incident,' but Hawthorn blamed Lance Macklin, the driver of the Austin-Healey. The pits and grandstands had been reconstructed, but there were no barriers between the pit lane and the racing line, and only a 4ft (1.2m) earthen bank between the track and the spectators. In 2003, the Federal Assembly of Switzerland started a lengthy discussion about whether this ban should be lifted. From the pits, they couldn't get across to the wreck, and it was hard to tell how bad everything was. At the Circuit de la Sarthe, the audience stands at the pits were demolished. France and Switzerland both banned motor racing after Le Mans. During late night practice, a week before the race, Michelot went out to test one of the cars during the night following a meal at the Hunaudires restaurant. Fitch said that in light of "recent unpleasantness," Mercedes "should not win this race over the bodies of however many.. French people." It commemorates the deadliest accident in motorsport history, which took place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race on June 11, 1955. On that date, the Ministry of the Interior released new regulations for racing events and codified the approval process that future racing events would need to follow. Here's What Happened At The Tragic 1955 Le Mans Disaster - HotCars Fangio never raced at Le Mans again. Jaguar went on to win the race. 1955 Le Mans disaster | Autopedia | Fandom [15][8], Macklin, on reading Hawthorn's 1958 autobiography, Challenge Me the Race, was embittered when he found that Hawthorn now disclaimed all responsibility for the crash without identifying who had caused it. The behemoths of sports racing all featured their sports cars with their respective drivers for another car racing festival. [40], Macklin's Austin-Healey 100 was sold to several private buyers before appearing on the public auction block. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. This would be unbelievably flippant today. 2023 Getty Images. As Macklin cut towards the middle of the track, Pierre Levegh, a Mercedes-Benz driver, was approaching at a speed of close to 150 mph; Macklin's car acted as a speed ramp for Pierre catapulting the car towards the spectators. Browse 63 1955 le mans disaster stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The shadow of World War Two crept over the race. The opening hours were a fast and furious affair with drivers battling for early supremacy. A major crash caused large fragments of debris to fly into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Bouillin (who raced under the name Pierre Levegh) and injuring nearly 180 more. Collect, curate and comment on your files. In terms of human toll, it is the most catastrophic accident in motorsports history. It decided that auto racing detracted from its primary goals, and the United States Automobile Club was formed to take over the race sanctioning and officiating. Innocence - along with a tragic human toll - was lost forever. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. The wreckage was examined and tested and, finally, returned to Mercedes-Benz nearly twelve months after the catastrophe. Large pieces of debris, including the Mercedes' engine block, radiator, front suspension, and bonnet (hood), were sent flying into the packed spectator area in front of the grandstand. Even then, it took hours for that Mercedes boss to reach his superiors and get their approval to withdraw their cars. During preliminary tests on a wet track on Saturday morning, April 2, 1966 he lost control and drove down an escape road. Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. D-Type Jaguars won the Le Mans 24hr endurance race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. On lap 35, Hawthorn and Fangio were racing as hard as ever. Instead it pointed the finger of blame at the track layout which was deemed unsuitable for such high- speed racing. Fitch approached one of the Mercedes team bosses and explained to him why it made sense for the very German team (many of those working at the team were very much active when Mercedes race cars had swastikas painted on the side) to pull out of this French race. (AP Photo/Jacques Marqueton), Spectators flee the searing flames of a smashed Mercedes racing car after an accident at Le Mans, France, endurance race which killed more than 80 persons, June 11, 1955. [3], Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, watching from the pit wall, recalled, "The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to retire from motor racing until 1989. Macklin moves over to the right to let him pass. The driver (Pierre Levegh) was killed, as were 83 spectators. The significant chunk of the car slammed into a concrete structure and disintegrated, causing the fuel tank to explode. During the closing period of the preliminary practice session, Weber took an unscheduled lap of the circuit. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think."[17][18]. If you had panned in your camera on Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorne drinking from the fizz of the victor's champagne bottle and ignoring the happenings at the Le Mans circuit, you would have been forgiven to think that it was another victor's dance at the podium. They use them to cover one of the bodies in the road. After his victory, Hawthorn celebrated with champagne. . Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. . In his biography, Hawthorn said he was "momentarily mesmerized by the legend of the Mercedes superiority Then I came to my senses and thought Damn it, why should a German car beat a British car. June 11, 1955: 83 People Were Killed at the Le Mans 24 Hour Race. It's Most spectators at the race were still oblivious to the accident that just happened. During the first lap of Haller's stint (and his second participation) at 9 pm, his, Near the end of his driving stint and half an hour after the green flag came out, the Rondeau of Lafosse, who was lying in seventh place at 5:03 pm, was approaching the Lola T600 of, At 12:40 pm, part of the rear bodywork of Enjolras's WM came loose at Arnage, causing the car to go airborne over the safety barriers. They suggested that Mercedes-Benz had tampered with the official fuel-supply with an explosive additive, but the intensity of the fire was due instead to the magnesium-alloy construction of the chassis. The French magazine L'Auto-Journal published it with the sarcastic caption, " votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn!" [39], Fitch became a major safety advocate and began active development of safer road cars and racing circuits. Its sloping back acted like a ramp for Levegh's Mercedes, however, which flew into the air. In other racing events where a car's ability is based on how fast it moves and in record time, this is a test of car reliability. This newsreel without sound shows the crash as it actually happened. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. [32][33] In 2015, the ban was relaxed for electric vehicles only, such as cars involved in Formula E electric racing. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. It turned friends into enemies, fans into critics, and winners into losers. He lost control of the car three hours later in the early morning whilst approaching the Arnage esses and veered off the track on the left side and collided with an oak tree, killing the driver almost instantly with massive head and chest injuries. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . The Jaguar team in turn questioned the fitness and competence of Macklin and Levegh as drivers. Fangio and Moss were the lead pairing for the German company who had pinned their hopes on a new 300 SLR which boasted an ultra-lightweight magnesium alloy body. Bueb in particular was very reluctant, but given Hawthorn's condition had no choice, as Dewis firmly pointed out to him.[3]. [15] The initial media accounts were wildly inaccurate, as shown by subsequent analysis of photographic evidence conducted by Road & Track editor (and 1955 second-place finisher) Paul Frre in 1975. At Arnage during the final hours of the race, Marchal's Aston Martin spun while attempting to pass another competitor. . Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, watching from the pit wall, recalled, The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. 776 60 60 comments Best Add a Comment Neubauer got the French authorities to test residual fuel left in the wrecks fuel injection and the result vindicated the company. Behind them were two Mercedes: Levegh ahead of Fangio. Sign in The Worst Accident in. Mike Hawthorn celebrating the 1955 Le Mans victory despite causing the deadliest accident in history of racing. The French police files have never been opened, and one long time Le Mans racing chief later estimated the death toll at 130. Mercedes team manager Alfred Neubauer assembled a multinational team for the race: pairing his two best drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss in the lead car, 1952 race-winner Karl Kling with Frenchman Andr Simon (both also in the current F1 team) and American John Fitch with one of the elder statesmen of French motor-racing, Pierre Levegh. What stands out in these pictures is the confusion. And the car's magnesium body burst into flames like a torch, burning others to death.. The Le Mans endurance race is organized by France's Automobile Club de L'Ouest and has been held . Paul Frere - It is completely clear from these photographs that Hawthorn did not make a sudden-brake-and-pull-sharp-right manoeuvre only a short distance from the pits Tony Bailey No use without acknowledgement Plagiarism of this site will NOT be tolerated Home Home The next round of the World Sportscar Championship at the Nrburgring was cancelled, as was the non-championship Carrera Panamericana. Documentary about the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race in which Pierre Levegh's Mercedes went into the crowd killing 83 and injuring 120, the worst disaster in motor racing history. Neubauer got the French authorities to test residual fuel left in the wreck's fuel injection and the result vindicated the company. One spectator actually recorded the crash head-on. So abruptly that he ended up missing his garage space and was ordered to do another lap to make it back around since backing up wasn't allowed. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Racing fuel exploded. When he finally made it into the pits again, past what was then the scene of the crash, tears were streaming down his face. The 1955 Le Mans Disaster Via: Youtube On the 11th of June 1955, about 300,000 spectators gathered at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France for another endurance car race event. In the background of the picture below, you can see people on the other side of the track, standing on top of teams' pit garages, trying to see how bad things were. [25][26] Their retirement was briefly announced over the public address system. This is a list of 24 Hours of Le Mans fatal accidents, which consists of all the drivers who have died during a 24 Hours of Le Mans weekend, or in pre-race testing or practice sessions in preparation of the event. Simplifiez votre flux de travail avec notre systme de gestion des fichiers numriques. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Macklin claimed that Hawthorns move to the pits was sudden, causing an emergency that led him to swerve into Leveghs path. The announcer claims that the sand trap has "claimed another victim." The action was still unresolved when Hawthorn was killed in a non-racing crash on the Guildford bypass in 1959, coincidentally while overtaking a Mercedes-Benz in his Jaguar. Macklin swerved out from behind the slowing Jaguar into the path of Levegh, who was passing on the left in his much faster Elektron magnesium-alloy bodied Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. "I felt the heat of his exhaust as he went by me, no more than three feet over my shoulder. Entering the straight, his Matra veered off the inside of the track and exploded into flames. Show more. Another 120 were "maimed," according to current writing, though initial news stories estimated around 70. Having achieved that, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport. The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. [2] Sixteen during the race itself, five during pre-race practice and testing sessions, and one en route to the race. Even at the scene, it doesn't look like anyone knows what's going on. A photographer captured Hawthorn slugging from the customary bottle of champagne presented to the victory - just over 20 hours after the tragedy. 1955 Le Mans Disaster killed 84 people plus nearly 180 - reddit The rear of Leveghs car landed on the berm and exploded into flames. Once it was extinguished, there was nothing left but the frame. That was the exact number of spectators killed during the Le Mans disaster. Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. The images may be black and white but even the faded frames of a tragedy 65 years ago still pack a powerful punch. Organisez, contrlez, distribuez et mesurez tous vos contenus digitaux. The action was still unresolved when Hawthorn was killed in a non-racing crash on the Guildford bypass in 1959, ironically while overtaking a Mercedes-Benz in his Jaguar. The cars had no seat belts; the drivers reasoned that it was preferable to be thrown clear in a collision rather than be crushed or trapped in a burning car. The Le Mans organizers did not actually stop the race. Future British F1 champion Mike Hawthorn drove for Jaguar and then-F1 champion Fangio drove for Mercedes, along with British phenom Stirling Moss, American John Fitch, and Frenchman Pierre Levegh. 77 deaths at Le Mans | Motor sport | The Guardian In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. Three years ago, another Audi crashed and nearly careened over a low wall into a large row of photographers. BBC Four - The Deadliest Crash: the Le Mans 1955 Disaster Noticing that Hawthorn was slowing down, Macklin swerved left to avoid Hawthorn, whether it was an instinctive reaction, a loss of control from going onto the change of road-surface, or his car's disc brakes operating unevenly. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. Mercedes-Benz won both of these events, and was able to secure the constructors championship for the season. But it's wrong to try and point fingers. The circuit goes through a dedicated section of the racing track too. died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree, crashed and nearly careened over a low wall into a large row of photographers. The Worst Accident in Motorsports History (1955 Le Mans Disaster) - YouTube 0:00 / 2:27 Sign in to confirm your age This video may be inappropriate for some users. [14] Half an hour after the crash Fitch realised that news was probably being broadcast on the radio, and he needed to telephone his family to reassure them that he was not the driver of the crashed car. However, a press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium drinking from the victor's bottle of champagne. The Austin-Healey driver had to swerve out of the way as Hawthorn darted into the pits. It became part of the FIA World Endurance Championship in 2012 after previous stints in the Sportscar Championship and the Intercontinental Le Mans Cup. In 1969, it was bought for 155 (equivalent to 2,714 in 2021). Only two cars were involved in the disaster. Dveloppez votre marque de manire authentique en partageant son contenu avec tous les crateurs Internet. Ivor Bueb and Norman Dewis, both Le Mans debutants, had to step into their respective cars for their first driver stints.

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