. At Le Mans 1955, 83 race fans were killed after debris from the highly-flammable magnesium-alloy bodied Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR went flying into the bleachers after it crashed on the track. This became the semi-official pronouncement of the Mercedes team and Macklin's story. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . The dead and dying were everywhere; the cries of pain, anguish, and despair screamed catastrophe. The fuel fire raised the temperature of the remaining Elektron bodywork past its ignition temperature, which was lower than that of other metal alloys due to its high magnesium content. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The crash started when Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn pulled to the right side of the track in front of Austin-Healey driver Lance Macklin and started braking for his pit stop. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images However, a press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium drinking from the victor's bottle of champagne. The deadliest crash ever in motor sports history happened in Le Mans, France, on June 12, 1955. The Jaguar boss didn't have to report back to the factory, and when Mercedes came up to him to say they weren't going to finish the race, they asked if he would too. (AP Photo/Jimmy Prickett). Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. 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]. 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. A single accident that caused death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. Browse 305 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Bodies were strewn throughout the stands The majority of the dead were French, with the numbers injured running into the hundreds. . [25][3] Tony Rolt and other drivers had been raising concerns about the pit straight since 1953. Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think."[17][18]. Footage of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. [3] Levegh was thrown out of his tumbling car and hit the ground, crushing his skull upon impact and killing him instantly. Other bodies are scattered near the picket fence where the Mercedes racer crashed. The 1955 Le Mans disaster of 11th June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. . Discover the great outdoors on Ireland's best walking trailsStart Exploring, Latest news from the world of sport, along with the best in opinion from our Cole was killed when his Ferrari left the road, impacting one of several farm houses lining the road at Maison Blanche. Find Le Mans Disaster stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. The importance of the crash is not how two cars crashed into each other. Mercedes-Benz won both of these events, and was able to secure the constructors championship for the season. The body fell one way, the engine broke free and shot off, and the hood and front axle flew further. Fangio never raced at Le Mans again. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Filmmaker Quentin Baillieux paints a picture of sport and tragedy at Circuit de la Sarthe. The cars touched, Bonnier's was launched over the barriers and ended up in the trees. A further 120 people were injured. 24 Hours du Mans (in French), held at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France, a 24 hours' endurance-focused sports car race that started in 1923. The media also speculated on the violent fire that engulfed the wreck, which intensified when fire marshals poured their water-based extinguishers on the flames. Mike-Hawthorn.org.uk hosts right here a 1993 report on the race, and includes a comment from 'Lofty' England, the Jaguar team boss. Le Mans 1955 - the deadliest crash in motor sports history The Le Mans endurance race is organized by France's Automobile Club de L'Ouest and has been held . [42] The car retained the original engine SPL 261-BN,[41] but was reported to be in 'barn find' condition. There was great anticipation for the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, as Ferrari, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz had all won the race previously and all three automakers had arrived with new and improved cars. Cole was thrown from the car and died at the scene. Indeed, the German company withdrew from all motor racing at the end of that season and did not return until 1987. 1955 le mans hi-res stock photography and images - Alamy All he did was turn in abruptly. The circuit at Le Mans is incredibly long, and information was even more sparse away from the immediate vicinity of the crash. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images The accident happened at 6:26 pm, at the end of lap 35, when the first pit stops for the leading cars were starting. RELATED: These Le Mans Racers Dominated The Worlds Most Famous Race. A reporter for Life magazine recounted that: the Mercedes took off like a rocket, struck the embankment beside the track, hurtled end over end and then disintegrated over the crowd. [19][20] Team manager Alfred Neubauer had already reached the same conclusion, but did not have the authority to make such a decision. He was among the dead. Just behind Hawthorn was a much slower Austin-Healey, actually a lap down on Hawthorn. The final verdict assigned blame to no one. The accident caused, Just ten minutes into the race, Simonsen spun off the kerbs and into the Armco barrier on the exit of Tertre Rouge where it joined RD 338 (, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 23:30. [32][33] In 2015, the ban was relaxed for electric vehicles only, such as cars involved in Formula E electric racing. Most spectators at the race were still oblivious to the accident that just happened. Behind them were two Mercedes: Levegh ahead of Fangio. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images 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. Extricating the Dead and Dying. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of . Drivers run to their cars for the start of the Le Mans 24 hour race in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. At first you can see people running from the fire. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. [39], Fitch became a major safety advocate and began active development of safer road cars and racing circuits. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. In all, a total of 22 drivers have died in and around the Circuit de la Sarthe,[1] with more than half occurring along the circuit's Mulsanne Straight. 77 deaths at Le Mans Mon 13 Jun 1955 04.33 EDT Le Mans, June 12 Le Mans is in mourning today for the 77 people killed when the blazing wreckage of a Mercedes sports car crashed through. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large fragments of racing car debris to fly into the crowd. There is no question that racing cars today are almost infinitely safer than those of 1955. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. He tried to avoid a collision with Macklin but he was too close and too fast. Simplifiez votre flux de travail avec notre systme de gestion des fichiers numriques. [Warning: graphic content]. 1955 Le Mans disaster - Wikipedia Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. It does not include track marshals and spectators other race attendees, including the 1955 disaster which claimed the lives of 83 spectators. The accident reportedly occurred in heavy fog. It ended with the usual champagne, as well. The disaster at Le Mans heralded a new era for motorsports with more technological innovations to improve sports cars and driver's safety. Even then, it took hours for that Mercedes boss to reach his superiors and get their approval to withdraw their cars. Jaguar concentrated their racing almost exclusively on Le Mans and had a very experienced driver line-up, including Formula 1 (F1) Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images Its sloping back acted like a ramp for Levegh's Mercedes, however, which flew into the air. France and Switzerland both banned motor racing after Le Mans. Search instead in Creative? 1950s, accident & disaster, event & history, footage & video, france, Le Mans, sports, vehicles The images may be black and white but even the faded frames of a tragedy 65 years ago still pack a powerful punch. It is one part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, including the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. Pierre Levegh - Wikipedia The official inquiry held none of the drivers specifically responsible and criticised the layout of the 30-year-old track, which had not been designed for cars as fast as those involved in the crash. Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd 24 Hours of Le Mans and took place on 11 and 12 June 1955 on Circuit de la Sarthe.It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. Eighty-three spectators and driver Pierre Levegh perished at the scene with 120 more injured in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history Bianchi decided to start early as organisers were speculating a wet session later in the day. Also, there is the small matter of unconventional circuits, which unlike other competition which is held on private roads (which are consistently maintained), the Le Mans were held on long stretches of a public highway. The scene in the aftermath was hellish. It's not long before you see bodies piled up. The pits complex was pulled down and rebuilt, giving more room to the teams, but thereby limiting spaces to only 52 starters rather than the previous 60. Hawthorn and Bueb won the race by a margin of five laps from Aston Martin. The alloy burst into white-hot flames, showering the track and crowd with magnesium embers, made worse by rescue workers unfamiliar with magnesium fires who poured water onto the inferno, greatly intensifying the fire. "He pulled across in front of me, and then I remember being surprised to see his brake lights come on. Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree, crashed and nearly careened over a low wall into a large row of photographers. French magazin L'Auto-Journal published the image with the sarcastic laden caption, votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn. ("To your health, Mr Hawthorn."). His Monopole flipped at Maison Blanche, trapping and killing the driver. Pierre Eugne Alfred Bouillin (22 December 1905 - 11 June 1955) was a French sportsman and racing driver. Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. Getting out, he was immediately ordered by his team to get back in and do another lap to get away from the total confusion and danger. As the Austin-Healey moved across the road, Levegh raised his hand. 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. At a gathering for his 92nd birthday, Mercedes driver John Fitch explained just how little the drivers knew. Lance Macklin, who had just been lapped in his slower Austin-Healey moved across to avoid Hawthorn and Levegh ran into the back of his car. Being 98 years old, it is the oldest endurance racing event. The AP reports that they were trying to beat out the flames on Levegh. When the rest of Levegh's car landed on the embankment, the rear-mounted fuel tank exploded. On 10 June 2009, the Stnderat (upper house of the Swiss parliament) defeated a proposal to lift the ban for the second time. In picture, car numbered '17' (Equipe Los Amigos, XKD 513, 'short-nose') was third at Le Mans in 1957. Tony Rolt and other drivers had been raising concerns about the pit straight since 1953. However, there was a return to the sport in the '90s. Collect, curate and comment on your files. At the time, it took over six hours for the team to withdraw its cars. When he finally made it into the pits again, past what was then the scene of the crash, tears were streaming down his face. Show more. Grow your brand authentically by sharing brand content with the internets creators. But widen the scope of the camera, and you get a real feel that this victory had been tainted with something utterly terrible. . Accounts put the death toll at 80 to 84 (spectators plus Levegh), either by flying debris or from the fire, with a further 120 to 178 injured. A police officer helps carry out an injured man, dazed. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. A special Mass was held in the morning in the Le Mans Cathedral for the first funerals of the victims. [15][8] The Jaguar team in turn questioned the fitness and competence of Macklin and Levegh as drivers. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. His car skidded off the road on a wet British highway in 1959. Fast forward two hours and 26 minutes later, and disaster struck. The rest of the 1955 World Sportscar Championship season was completed, with the remaining two races at the British RAC Tourist Trophy and the Italian Targa Florio, although they were not run until September and October, several months after the catastrophe. "Then there was a hell of a bang like a bomb had hit.". Macklin, on reading Hawthorns 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. [8][9] What caught Macklin out though was that Hawthorn, using the Jaguar's advanced disc brakes, braked hard enough to slow his Jaguar from such a speed in time.[10][11][12][13]. The engine and front axle cut a swath like an artillery barrage. 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. Levegh would die before sunset. He recalled: "The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. However, an inopportune press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium swigging from the victors bottle of champagne. [3], The 1955 race began at 4pm on Saturday, and, as predicted, the lead cars of Eugenio Castellotti (Ferrari), Hawthorn (Jaguar), and Fangio (Mercedes-Benz) were at the head of the field in the first hour. The French magazine L'Auto-Journal published it with the sarcastic caption, " votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn!" The race authorities never called the race off. Here is a full view of the crash site from the nearby stands. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. (AP Photo/Jimmy Prickett), A few of the living come to the rescue among the dead and injured following the worst tragedy in racing history at Le mans, France, June 11, 1955. It was Hawthorn's Jaguar that started the whole incident, after all. On the other hand: damn those Jaguar D-types look nice. The French magazine LAuto-Journal published it with the sarcastic caption, votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn! (In English, To your health (Cheers), Mr. Hawthorn!). It was the turning point in the industry as considerable changes were made towards improving the safety of drivers and spectators. 776 60 60 comments Best Add a Comment Select from premium Le Mans Disaster of the highest quality. Most vehicle manufacturers focus on this particular race to test the fuel efficiency of their vehicles and know the viability of their cars and engines throughout the 24 hours rather than learning how fast their cars can go. Hawthorn!")[28][3]. They use them to cover one of the bodies in the road. On lap 35, Hawthorn and Fangio were racing as hard as ever. 77 deaths at Le Mans | Motor sport | The Guardian The Mercedes' body was partially made of a magnesium alloy. Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Mike Hawthorn were household names in the fifties with the marquee manufacturers of Ferrari, Jaguar along with Mercedes Benz all throwing resources at claiming the crown. Waiting until 1:45 am, when many spectators had left, he stepped onto the track and quietly called his cars into the pits, at the time running first and third. This is another in the series made by US soldier Jimmy Prickett of Electra, Texas. The momentum of the heaviest components of the car the engine block, radiator, and front suspension hurtled straight on into the crowd for almost 100 metres (330ft), crushing all in their path. Search instead in. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . . [14] When Fitch returned to his pit, he urged the Mercedes team to withdraw from the race, as continuing to compete would be a public relations disaster for Mercedes-Benz regardless of whether they won or lost. 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. The only people on and around the podium that day who had mixed emotions at the race end were either race officials who were trying (and failing) to put on a faade for the camera and were grateful for an end to a disastrous race or other workers at the Le Mans circuit who had no stake in the race. The dead and dying were everywhere; the cries of pain, anguish, and despair screamed catastrophe. 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. I should say that the 'pits' were completely undivided from the racetrack back then. The significant chunk of the car slammed into a concrete structure and disintegrated, causing the fuel tank to explode. Les tableaux sont le meilleur endroit pour sauvegarder des images et des vidos. His Mercedes Benz clipped the edge of the Austin Healey and was launched skywards. At Arnage during the final hours of the race, Marchal's Aston Martin spun while attempting to pass another competitor. The Austin-Healey driver had to swerve out of the way as Hawthorn darted into the pits. [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. My instant reaction when he did it was, 'Bloody Mike Hawthorn, he must be out of his mind!' The behemoths of sports racing all featured their sports cars with their respective drivers for another car racing festival. [14][15], Levegh's front-right wheel rode up onto the rear-left corner of Macklin's car, which acted as a ramp and launched Levegh's car into the air, flying over spectators and rolling end over end for 80 metres (260ft). Fitch explained that he only got an idea of how bad things were when he overheard a journalist friend of his reporting news that some 65 people were reported dead. 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. While all of this unfolded, the race continued. Bueb in particular was very reluctant, but given Hawthorn's condition had no choice, as Dewis firmly pointed out to him.[3]. The AP states that it's unclear how this body ended up as it lay. Search instead in Creative? During preliminary tests on a wet track on Saturday morning, April 2, 1966 he lost control and drove down an escape road. With Levegh dead, Macklin presumed that Hawthorns implication was that he (Macklin) had been responsible, and he began a libel action. All of this was from one car cutting through the crowd alone. 1955 - the Le Mans Crash in 90+ pictures from the Mike Hawthorn Tribute One of the major news stories after the 1955 Le Mans disaster was the retirement of Mercedes-Benz from future races. [36], The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. He was not aware that a barrier had been placed across the escape lane and he crashed heavily. Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, and a teammate of Hawthorn, watched the tragedy unfold from the pit wall. Other pictures show them dragging his body to the pits. "But by overtaking me and braking sharply he forced me to overtake him again, which meant I had to pull out in front of Levegh and Fangio. 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. 2023 Getty Images. Everything slows right down as if you were watching a slow-motion film. The Worst Accident in Motorsports History (1955 Le Mans Disaster An initial news report claims 82 spectators killed, some decapitated by a flying hood "like a guillotine." The horror of the crash caused some drivers present, including Americans Fitch (after completing the season with Mercedes), Phil Walters (who had been offered a drive with Ferrari for the rest of the season[2]), and Sherwood Johnston, to retire from racing. Here you can see the damage it took and how it could've acted like a ramp. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large parts of racing car debris to fly into the crowd. [2] Sixteen during the race itself, five during pre-race practice and testing sessions, and one en route to the race. Instead it pointed the finger of blame at the track layout which was deemed unsuitable for such high- speed racing. The Le Mans organizers did not actually stop the race. Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. These were the days of patriots racing Red, Blue, Green, White and Silver cars for the national glory of their country. 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. "He came alongside me, and I gave him the thumbs-up sign as he overtook me to wish him luck. outstanding team of sports writers. The Mercedes trucks were packed up and gone by morning. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan.
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