[14][18] When he got to the media centre to use a telephone, he got his first inkling of the sheer enormity of the disaster, overhearing a reporter filing that 48 deaths were already confirmed. 1955 June 11 Race car at Le Mans crashes into spectators, killing 82 On June 11, 1955, a racing car in Le Mans, France, goes out of control and crashes into stands filled with. Levegh's Mercedes flipped into the air and struck the sandbank at the side of the track. The Le Mans organizers did not actually stop the race. Fast forward two hours and 26 minutes later, and disaster struck. 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. 776 60 60 comments Best Add a Comment [25] In the end the enquiry ruled that no specific driver was responsible for the crash, and that it was merely a terrible racing incident. D-Type Jaguars won the Le Mans 24hr endurance race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. A special Mass was held in the morning in the Le Mans Cathedral for the first funerals of the victims. The protagonists were Pierre Levegh representing Mercedes, Mike Hawthorn driving for Jaguar, and Lance Macklin of the Austin-Healey team. An explosion followed, sending metal into the crowd of spectators. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. [Warning: graphic content]. 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. The Lola was completely destroyed, debris from the car were all around the forest, Bonnier had been killed upon impact. Indeed, the German company withdrew from all motor racing at the end of that season and did not return until 1987. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. '"[6][7] The lap before, Hawthorn's pit crew had signalled for him to come in the next lap. Look at how dense the crowd was. Macklin is startled at not having the more technologically advanced disc brakes as the Jaguar, which leads him to move to the right, kicking up dirt before veering towards the center of the track. The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race in Le Mans, France in June 1955, when a crash caused large fragments of debris to fly into the crowd. (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. Organisez, contrlez, distribuez et mesurez tous vos contenus digitaux. 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. Macklin's car hit the unprotected pit-wall, just short of the Cunningham and Mercedes-Benz pits where Shell and Lockheed equipment were stationed, running down a policeman, a photographer and two officials (all seriously injured), then rebounded back across the track again to end up skating down the left-side fence for a second time. Filmmaker Quentin Baillieux paints a picture of sport and tragedy at Circuit de la Sarthe. Levegh would die before sunset. Switzerland's motorsports ban still stands today. 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. 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. 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. John Fitch, Levegh's American co-driver, had suited up and was ready to take over the car at the upcoming pit stop, and was standing with Levegh's wife Denise Bouillin. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The importance of the crash is not how two cars crashed into each other. Fangio never raced at Le Mans again. The car landed on the earthen embankment between the spectators and the track, bounced, then slammed into a concrete stairwell structure and disintegrated. I'll try and give an explanation of how it happened, why so many people died, and why the organizers didn't cancel the race after the crash. This was only a few hours after the crash. Amateur driver Kippeurth lost control of his. . Levegh rear-ended Macklin at high speed, overriding Macklin's car and launching his own car through the air. But widen the scope of the camera, and you get a real feel that this victory had been tainted with something utterly terrible. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . France in particular, as the host of Le Mans, lifted their complete ban on 14 September 1955. 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. Levegh rear-ended Macklin at high speed, overriding Macklins car and launching his own car through the air. 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 Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. The AP reports that they were trying to beat out the flames on Levegh. 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. Here he is, still in his car after crossing the finish line, reaching up for a kiss from a local girl. With Levegh dead, Macklin presumed that Hawthorns implication was that he (Macklin) had been responsible, and he began a libel action. The Le Mans endurance race is organized by France's Automobile Club de L'Ouest and has been held . [8] Coming out of the Maison Blanche portion of the course, he rapidly caught Lance Macklin in his Austin Healey 100S, who had seen him and moved over to the right to let him pass. The death toll led to an immediate temporary ban on motorsports in France, Spain, Switzerland, Germany, and other nations, until the racetracks could be brought to a higher safety standard. In the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) dissolved their Contest Board that had been the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the U.S. (including the Indianapolis 500) since 1904. At 125 miles an hour, "he had no chance to do so himself.". Only two cars were involved in the disaster. The accident reportedly occurred in heavy fog. Bueb in particular was very reluctant, but given Hawthorn's condition had no choice, as Dewis firmly pointed out to him.[3]. I should say that the 'pits' were completely undivided from the racetrack back then. Shortly before he died, he wrote of the race: "It was as though we were at the point where a great rock had been hurled into a pond, sending out waves of shock and horror and indignation which would later flow back, bringing consequences which no one could foresee. The race authorities never called the race off. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think. It was only ten years after the end of WWII, and dead bodies in the French countryside was fresh in everyone's memory. Fitch said that in light of "recent unpleasantness," Mercedes "should not win this race over the bodies of however many.. French people." Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. [34] The ban was lifted in May 2022.[35]. Police managed to drag the Austin-Healey to the other side of the track. outstanding team of sports writers. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Extricating the Dead and Dying. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Cole was killed when his Ferrari left the road, impacting one of several farm houses lining the road at Maison Blanche. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Large. The AP states that it's unclear how this body ended up as it lay. But it's wrong to try and point fingers. "Then there was a hell of a bang like a bomb had hit.". Despite expectations for the race to be red-flagged and stopped entirely, race officials, led by race director Charles Faroux, kept the race running. [39], Fitch became a major safety advocate and began active development of safer road cars and racing circuits. 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Life reported that it was days before drivers put together exactly what happened and the public at large learned the gravity of the crash. Maybe that's what makes these pictures still so very chilling. A police officer helps carry out an injured man, dazed. [15][16], Prior to the crash, the car was involved in a previous incident with partial damage to the front bodywork, as photographic evidence shows. 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. Entering the straight, his Matra veered off the inside of the track and exploded into flames. Browse 311 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think., Mike Hawthorn and the Jaguar team kept racing. One marshal tried to douse the burning wreckage with water and sent huge bursts of white hot fire into the crowd, killing more as this recent history explains. 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. The Jaguar team in turn questioned the fitness and competence of Macklin and Levegh as drivers. With Levegh dead, Macklin presumed that Hawthorn's implication was that he (Macklin) had been responsible, and he began a libel action. Once it was extinguished, there was nothing left but the frame. Other pictures show them dragging his body to the pits. With the Mercedes-Benz team withdrawn and the Ferraris all broken, Jaguars main competition had gone. Last edited on 19 February 2023, at 23:30, "Historic Motor Racing - historicracing.com", "Lucien Bianchi Profile - Drivers - GP Encyclopedia - F1 History on Grandprix.com", "Race Car Driver Deaths: The Medical Causes of Racing Deaths w Examples", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_24_Hours_of_Le_Mans_fatalities&oldid=1140404005, Guilbert was making his way to the circuit during the morning of the race in his Ravel, a car designed by. The first 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. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. 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. The announcer claims that the sand trap has "claimed another victim." An American soldier at the race, Jimmy Prickett, was at the scene and took pictures immediately following the crash. Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. [25][26] Their retirement was briefly announced over the public address system. The circuit goes through a dedicated section of the racing track too. [14][3][18], Hawthorn had overshot his pits and stopped. Bianchi decided to start early as organisers were speculating a wet session later in the day. This is another in the series made by US soldier Jimmy Prickett of Electra, Texas. NEXT: Le Mans Hypercars And What It Means For Endurance Racing, Here's What Happened At The Tragic 1955 Le Mans Disaster, These Le Mans Racers Dominated The Worlds Most Famous Race, 10 Of The Coolest Le Mans Prototypes No One Remembers, Le Mans Hypercars And What It Means For Endurance Racing, Like A Phoenix: The Pontiac Sunfire Is The Affordable, Fun, American Coupe We Need, A New Toyota Celica Concept Shows What A Pure Toyota Sports Car Could Be Without BMW, A Modern Plymouth Road Runner Like This Could Shake Up Today's Pony Car Market, 10 Used German Performance Cars We'd Buy Over An American Muscle Car Any Day, The 2024 Chevrolet Impala SS: A Way To Save The Four-Door Muscle Car, 10 Most Reliable European Luxury Cars Ever. Here is a full view of the crash site from the nearby stands. [14][9] As a result, the car burned for several hours. "As I was rolling along backward I saw Levegh's car following me in the air, with Levegh sort of hunched over in the cockpit. Le Mans 11th June 1955. A large tree behind the Armco has been considered to be an integral part of the impact, causing an aortal separation in the driver's chest. 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 [30], Most countries lifted their racing bans within a year after the disaster. The main aim of the competition is basically to test the endurance of sports cars. In 1969, it was bought for 155 (equivalent to 2,714 in 2021). Newsreels show the crash itself, and police rushing to tear down advertising banners by the wreck. 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. It had been Levegh's unprecedented solo drive in the 1952 race that failed in the last hour, which allowed Mercedes-Benz their first Le Mans victory. 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 press, who knew better than most how awful the crash had been, scorned Hawthorn, blamed him for the crash, and in disgust carried pictures of him celebrating after the race, as the BBC reports. What stands out in these pictures is the confusion. Your email address will not be published. Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, watching from the pit wall, recalled, The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. Andr Guilbert was the first driver to die in June 1925 during the race's third year, although this was due to a collision with a van while en route to the race,[1] but is classified by race historians and authors of the official yearbooks, Christian Moity and Jean-Marc Teissedre. "Mike could have been mistaken about how fast my car was going," Macklin would tell Sports Illustrated in a 1986 interview. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. Another 120 were "maimed," according to current writing, though initial news stories estimated around 70. The grandstand was demolished and rebuilt with new spectator terraces and a wide ditch between them and the racetrack. Leveghs car, which was estimated to be travelling at over 150mph (240khm), flipped over and flew on before slamming into the bank by the spectator enclosure. This put him into the path of Levegh's Mercedes, closing in at over 200km/h (120mph), intent on doing another lap and in front of Fangio, who was patiently waiting to pass. In the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) dissolved their Contest Board that had been the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the US (including the Indianapolis 500) since 1904. [14] The bonnet lid scythed through the air, "decapitating tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine. [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. However, a press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium drinking from the victor's bottle of champagne. 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. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. "I felt the heat of his exhaust as he went by me, no more than three feet over my shoulder. Search instead in Creative? The official inquiry cleared all drivers of any fault. Registered in Ireland: 523712. [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. 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. Earlier this week an Audi R18 shot backwards into a wall and the driver survived with only a few friction burns. Copyright 2023 | WordPress Theme by MH Themes, 40 Amazing Photos of 17th and 18th Century Buildings in Eastern Massachusetts, Historys Oldest Color Photos Show How The World Looked Like A Century Ago, Jean Harlow in Publicity Portraits for Hells Angels, Taken Late 1929. 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 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. All of this was from one car cutting through the crowd alone. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. [19][20] Team manager Alfred Neubauer had already reached the same conclusion, but did not have the authority to make such a decision. Macklin moves over to the right to let him pass. A further 120 people were injured. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of . Instead it pointed the finger of blame at the track layout which was deemed unsuitable for such high- speed racing. But you quickly start to see people running towards the smoldering wreck, hoping to rescue anyone still alive. Five days after his accident, Hansgen died in the American military hospital of Orlans, France, where he had been admitted. [citation needed], Over the next year, the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) set about making extensive track improvements and infrastructure changes at the Circuit de la Sarthethe pit straight was redesigned and widened to remove the kink just before the start-finish line, and to give room for a deceleration lane. Last year, Aston Martin GT driver Allan Simonsen died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. Having achieved that, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport. There were two key factors regarding the track layout at that time first, there was no designated deceleration lane for cars coming into the pits, and second, that just before the main straight, there was a very slight right-hand kink in the road just after which Hawthorn started braking. That was the exact number of spectators killed during the Le Mans disaster. Select from premium Le Mans Disaster of the highest quality. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to retire from motor racing until 1989. 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. It's not long before you see bodies piled up. Search instead in. 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. He wrote a book saying so, and Macklin then sued Hawthorn for libel. In total, two drivers died in the 1920s, another two in the 1930s, one in the 1940s, five in the 1950s, six in the 1960s, two in the 1970s, two in the 1980s, one in the 1990s, none in the 2000s, and one in the 2010s. Profitez de millions dimages, de vidos et morceaux de musique de qualit. All he did was turn in abruptly. I did not discuss who might have been to blame but said that I believed the organizers had been right to continue the race and that Mercedes, having continued to race for more than six hours after the accident, I could not see the point in them withdrawing, and I did not intend to pull out the cars. Here you can see the damage it took and how it could've acted like a ramp. [25], Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. [43] It was then restored to its original condition.[44]. 1950s, accident & disaster, event & history, footage & video, france, Le Mans, sports, vehicles Mercedes-Benz won both of these events, and was able to secure the constructors championship for the season. The accident happened at 6:26 pm, at the end of lap 35, when the first pit stops for the leading cars were starting. In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. Chief engineer Rudolf Uhlenhaut had gone to the Jaguar pits to ask if the Jaguar team would respond in kind, out of respect for the crash victims. Just as the race was having the average pedestrian pace for a car race, there was an accident that changed the cause of motorsports history. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . Aside from two layout changes to make the circuit shorter, the Circuit de la Sarthe was largely unaltered since the inception of the race in 1923, when top speeds of cars were typically in the region of 100km/h (60mph). Macklin swerved out from behind the slowing Jaguar into the path of Levegh, who was passing on the left in his much faster Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. It was an appalling tragedy that shocked the world and changed the face of motorsports forever. Vintage Everyday [36] Tertre Rouge was moved about 200m and new tyre barriers were installed at the exit in 2014. 1955 Le Mans Disaster killed 84 people plus nearly 180 injuries when a driver slowed to make a pit stop causing the cars around him to serve. Life in Harlem in 1970 Photographed by Jack Garofalo, The Burning Monk: The Story Behind the Shocking and Iconic Image of Thich Quang Duc Immolating Himself on a Saigon Street, 1963. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. Macklin survived the incident without serious injury, jumping out of the wreck and over the bank. As callous as that might sound, there was a justifiable reason. [3][25][27], Hawthorn and the Jaguar team kept racing. . Sixty started, but only 21 finished, with Britains Mike Hawthorn the winner in a Jaguar. French magazin L'Auto-Journal published the image with the sarcastic laden caption, votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn. ("To your health, Mr Hawthorn."). Even then, it took hours for that Mercedes boss to reach his superiors and get their approval to withdraw their cars. 0. During the closing period of the preliminary practice session, Weber took an unscheduled lap of the circuit. 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. In 2003, the Federal Assembly of Switzerland started a lengthy discussion about whether this ban should be lifted. At Arnage during the final hours of the race, Marchal's Aston Martin spun while attempting to pass another competitor. Macklin, who also braked hard, ran off the right-hand edge of the track, throwing up dust. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think."[17][18]. The most recent death is Allan Simonsen, who died in the race of 2013. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. 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. The circuit at Le Mans is incredibly long, and information was even more sparse away from the immediate vicinity of the crash. Eighty-three spectators and driver Pierre Levegh perished at the scene with 120 more injured in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history [41] In December 2011, the car, estimated to raise 800,000 before the auction,[41] was sold for 843,000. The next round of the World Sportscar Championship at the Nrburgring was cancelled, as was the non-championship Carrera Panamericana. When the rest of Levegh's car landed on the embankment, the rear-mounted fuel tank exploded. At a gathering for his 92nd birthday, Mercedes driver John Fitch explained just how little the drivers knew. The Mercedes' body was partially made of a magnesium alloy. With two other drivers still in the race, Mercedes-Benz continued, but after so many calls for them to abandon the meeting and with the desire to avoid a PR disaster, they pulled out of the race in the wee hours of the morning and went home. Flying metal following the explosion killed some 80 and injured many spectators. You can see a man here, his arms outstretched in shock. The Austin-Healey driver had to swerve out of the way as Hawthorn darted into the pits. World Sports Car Championship.During the race, Pierre Levegh crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing 84 (including himself) and injuring 120 in the deadliest accident in motor racing history. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty 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. The healthy carry bodies away from the wreckage. A special mass was held in the morning in the Le Mans Cathedral for the first funerals of the victims. died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree, crashed and nearly careened over a low wall into a large row of photographers. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in motorsports history. Browse 265 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Other bodies are scattered near the picket fence where the Mercedes racer crashed. 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. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a major crash that occurred on 11 June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. 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. But I am not fully convinced that everyone was as cold to the crash then as they are now. 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. Much recrimination was directed at Hawthorn, saying that he had suddenly cut in front of Macklin and slammed on the brakes near the entrance to the pits, forcing Macklin to take desperate evasive action into the path of Levegh. [40], Macklin's Austin-Healey 100 was sold to several private buyers before appearing on the public auction block. At the time, it took over six hours for the team to withdraw its cars. Sign in The Worst Accident in. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in. The death toll led to an immediate temporary ban on motorsports in France, Spain, Switzerland, West Germany, and other nations, until racetracks could be brought to a higher safety standard. The weather had closed in on Sunday morning and there was no victory celebration. [3], Both Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz issued official statements, mainly in self-defense against the accusations leveled against them and their drivers. 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.
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