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. The announcer claims that the sand trap has "claimed another victim." I've seen many shots of the '55 disaster, but never all of them in one place outside of the AP archives. The 24 Hours of Le Mans is safer, much safer, than it was in 1955, but it is still a deadly track. It remains the worst disaster in motorsports history. However, a press photograph showed Hawthorn smiling on the podium drinking from the victor's bottle of champagne. 2023 Getty Images. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . - 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 On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [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. One British race report praised the variety of the field representing "a United Nations of motor racing." 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. But widen the scope of the camera, and you get a real feel that this victory had been tainted with something utterly terrible. Levegh crashed into the back of the Austin-Healey. What stands out in these pictures is the confusion. The French magazine L'Auto-Journal published it with the sarcastic caption, " votre sant, Monsieur Hawthorn!" Cole was killed when his Ferrari left the road, impacting one of several farm houses lining the road at Maison Blanche. Search instead in. The weather had closed in on Sunday morning and there was no victory celebration. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. NOJ393 after its restoration by Steve Pike and before its sale at auction by Bonhams. This became the semi-official pronouncement of the Mercedes-Benz team and Macklins story. On lap 35, Hawthorn and Fangio were racing as hard as ever. 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. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser. The images may be black and white but even the faded frames of a tragedy 65 years ago still pack a powerful punch. Meanwhile, Macklin's car, heavily damaged, rammed the left-side barrier, then veered to the right of the track into the pit lane, narrowly missing Kling's Mercedes-Benz, Roberto Mieres's Maserati, and Don Beauman's Jaguar, all of which were already in the pits refuelling before the accident. 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. Newsreels show the crash itself, and police rushing to tear down advertising banners by the wreck. [42] The car retained the original engine SPL 261-BN,[41] but was reported to be in 'barn find' condition. Hawthorn and Bueb won the race by a margin of five laps from Aston Martin. Extricating the Dead and Dying. "I believe he wanted to turn the car over at his stop, still in the lead. [19][20] Team manager Alfred Neubauer had already reached the same conclusion, but did not have the authority to make such a decision. 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. The healthy carry bodies away from the wreckage. Behind these fleeing spectators is the scene where many were killed when hit by flying pieces of the racer which exploded after crashing into a retaining wall. [Warning: graphic content]. The grandstand was demolished and rebuilt with new spectator terraces and a wide ditch between them and the racetrack. He took the racing name Pierre Levegh [lvk] in memory of his uncle, a pioneering driver who died in 1904. The race authorities never called the race off. During preliminary tests on a wet track on Saturday morning, April 2, 1966 he lost control and drove down an escape road. Browse 265 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Fast forward two hours and 26 minutes later, and disaster struck. There was also the criticism of the winner Mike Hawthorne for celebrating excessively, but he pushed back, saying it was no fault of his. Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. [25] Additional details emerged when the stills reviewed by Frre were converted to video form. Only two cars were involved in the disaster. 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. . Collect, curate and comment on your files. Macklin, who also braked hard, ran off the right-hand edge of the track, throwing up dust. In terms of human toll, it is the most catastrophic accident in motorsports history. [30], Most countries lifted their racing bans within a year after the disaster. [9][14], The critical kink in the road put the car on a direct trajectory toward the packed terraces and grandstand. 2023 Getty Images. It's easy to find reports of the crash today that talk about how desensitized the public was to the crash. Pierre Eugne Alfred Bouillin (22 December 1905 - 11 June 1955) was a French sportsman and racing driver. 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. [14] The bonnet lid scythed through the air, "decapitating tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine. "[16] Spectators who had climbed onto ladders and scaffolding to get a better view of the track, and those crowding to use the underpass to get to the pits, found themselves in the path of the lethal debris. 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. Maybe that's what makes these pictures still so very chilling. The driver (Pierre Levegh) was killed, as were 83 spectators. The doctor laid the boy in his car. It might have been the case that determined who was at fault once and for all, but Hawthorn died before the case could be resolved. Search instead in Creative? It's not long before you see bodies piled up. The Mercedes' body was partially made of a magnesium alloy. But I am not fully convinced that everyone was as cold to the crash then as they are now. 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. 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. Visible at left is the fire from burning Mercedes racer which careened crazily down the course, crashing into an earth barrier back of the picket fence. 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 engine and front axle cut a swath like an artillery barrage. 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 Jaguar team in turn questioned the fitness and competence of Macklin and Levegh as drivers. An American soldier at the race, Jimmy Prickett, was at the scene and took pictures immediately following the crash. 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. 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. Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. They saw the whole catastrophe unfold. 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. "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. 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. Footage of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. Levegh rear-ended Macklin at high speed, overriding Macklin's car and launching his own car through the air. 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. And the car's magnesium body burst into flames like a torch, burning others to death.. Hawthorn!")[28][3]. Browse 63 1955 le mans disaster stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The Mercedes crashed into the embankment that bordered the track, killing Levegh instantly. Levegh's Mercedes flipped into the air and struck the sandbank at the side of the track. The opening hours were a fast and furious affair with drivers battling for early supremacy. An estimated attendance of between 250,000 and 300,000 crammed together to witness one of the most spectacular driver line ups ever assembled to contest the venue's iconic 24-Hour race. 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. [36] Tertre Rouge was moved about 200m and new tyre barriers were installed at the exit in 2014. Most spectators at the race were still oblivious to the accident that just happened. Being 98 years old, it is the oldest endurance racing event. Mercedes-Benz won both of these events, and was able to secure the constructors championship for the season. During trials the veteran. With Levegh dead, Macklin presumed that Hawthorn's implication was that he (Macklin) had been responsible, and he began a libel action. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. [14][3][18], Hawthorn had overshot his pits and stopped. Car and engine bits struck the crowd as there was only a 4 foot bank between spectators and cars traveling up to 170 MPH due to a lack of safety standards. Eighty-three spectators and driver Pierre Levegh perished at the scene with 120 more injured in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history Thirty-five laps in the worst disaster in motorsports history unfolded. It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to retire from motor racing until 1989. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. Macklin also decided to retire after being involved in another fatal crash, during the 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod Circuit. 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. Levegh and competitor Mike Hawthorn were running near each other at the beginning of the pit lane when Hawthorn slowed for a pit stop. The film cuts short as the recorder dives for cover. "I felt the heat of his exhaust as he went by me, no more than three feet over my shoulder. . You can see a man here, his arms outstretched in shock. By 1955, top speeds for the leading cars were over 270km/h (170mph). Hawthorn and his co-driver Ivor Bueb won the race the next afternoon. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. "The hood decapitated tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine. Another 120 were "maimed," according to current writing, though initial news stories estimated around 70. outstanding team of sports writers. From the pits, they couldn't get across to the wreck, and it was hard to tell how bad everything was. The Austin-Healey spun into the wall, killing one spectator but leaving its driver unharmed. Everything slows right down as if you were watching a slow-motion film. Registered in Ireland: 523712. The body fell one way, the engine broke free and shot off, and the hood and front axle flew further. Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. In its silence, you sense the horror of what's being recorded. 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. Vintage Everyday The pieces of the Mercedes ripped through the crowd, crushing and decapitating. He tried to avoid a collision with Macklin but he was too close and too fast. Macklin claimed that Hawthorn's move to the pits was sudden, causing an emergency that led him to swerve into Levegh's path. [1], After conquering F1, Mercedes-Benz had debuted its new 300 SLR in that year's World Sportscar Championship, including a record-setting win at the Mille Miglia for Stirling Moss. [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. That said, the circuit had been resurfaced and widened after the Second World War. At first you can see people running from the fire. Everything started when Hawthorn in his Jaguar cut in for the pits. . [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. Find Le Mans Disaster stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Earlier this week an Audi R18 shot backwards into a wall and the driver survived with only a few friction burns.

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