Deaths in Formula 1

Being a high stakes and a volatile sport, there have been many deaths in Formula 1 racing. Formula 1 drivers risk their lives as well as those of other drivers, race officials and spectators. But such is a spectacle of a Formula 1 race that it attracts spectators in their hundreds of thousands for an event.

Ever since the first Formula Race at Silverstone in 1950, Formula 1 has been designated by the Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) as the highest class of open-wheeled, open cockpit, single-seat auto racing.

Formula 1 Improvements in Safety

Although any accidental death is a tragic event, the FIA as well as the Formula 1 drivers and constructors have made concerted efforts to improve safety in Formula 1 racing.

Helmets and safety suits were made compulsory early on. A monocoque built from carbon fibre was introduced to make the chassis more resilient during crashes.

Racing circuits had to meet FIA requirements to hold Formula 1 races in which the safety of drivers, officials and spectators was the primary criteria.

FIA moved to limit the power of the cars to limit the speed they could attain during a formula 1 race. They specified the strengths for various components of a racing car.

During the earlier decades, when few safety regulations were in place, the deaths in Formula 1 were more per decade.

Over the decades, the number of deaths has reduced even as the number of Formula 1 races has increased.

While 18 drivers died in the first decade of formula 1 racing ending in 1960, 14 died in the following decade. The number of deaths dropped to 10 in the decade leading up to 1980.

From 1982 to 1994 five drivers died culminating with the death of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna on successive days. A further five drivers died after that till 2017 with Jules Bianchi being the only fatality in a Championship race.

Fifty-two Formula One drivers have died to date either while testing, practicing, qualifying or racing in Formula One.

Jim Clark Death

One name you won’t see listed below is that of arguably the greatest driver in Formula 1 history – Jim Clark.

Although Clark did die behind the wheel, it was in a Formula 2 race known as the Deutschland Trophäe, raced at Hockenheimring on 7 April 1968.

1950 to 1960

Cameron Earl of the UK was a Technical Consultant for the English Racing Automobiles team. He had interviewed German auto engineers and designers of Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union, post-World War II.

On June 18, 1952, he was testing an F1 car on the test track at Nuneaton, Warwickshire, for the ERA when his car overturned. There was no medical help at hand and he died in a hospital from a fractured skull.

Chester Miller was an American race car driver who had earned the sobriquet “Dean of the Speedway” during his Indy career.

He was killed in a crash driving a Novi Special at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 15, 1953, during practice for the 1953 Indianapolis 500.

Charles de Tornaco was a Belgian racing driver who had participated in four World Championship F1 races. He was a founder of Ecurie Belgie which was later renamed Ecurie Francorchamps.

While practising on 18 September for the 1953 Monaco Grand Prix, Tornaco’s Ferrari rolled over. Tornaco suffered severe head and neck injuries. With no medical attention available, Tornaco died on his way to a hospital.

Onofre Marimón was killed during practice for the 1954 German Grand Prix on 31 July 1954. His braking unit is thought to have failed as he tried to negotiate a turn at the bottom of a steep incline.

Marimón’s car, a Maseratti, sheared off a tree and rolled several times before pinning him underneath. He died a few minutes after rescue workers freed him.

Eugenio Castellotti was born in Italy and had participated in 14 World Championship Grand Prix winning three podium positions. He died at the Modena Autodrome on 14 March 1957 when testing a new Ferrari car for the 1957 Grand Prix season.

Castellotti crashed on a curve in the Autodrome and his body was flung 100 meters away. Doctors later said that Castellotti had died instantly from a fractured skull.

Mario Alborghetti, a wealthy Italian motor racer, had a Maserati 4CLT Special modified for racing in Formula 1. He entered the car for the 1955 Pau Grand Prix in France. On11 April, Alborghetti was far behind in the race when Jacques Pollet approached to lap him.

Alborghetti must have pressed the throttle pedal instead of the brakes. The car raced across the track at the hairpin and ploughed into the straw bales. Alborghetti suffered fatal chest and head injuries which caused his death.

Manny Ayulo was an American racer who was killed on 17 May 1955 when his car crashed into a concrete wall during the Indianapolis 500 F1 Championship Grand Prix.

It was later found out that he was not wearing his seat belt and had wrenches in his pocket. His steering rod is believed to have given way.

Bill Vukovich died in tragic circumstances for a fault that can only be credited to fate. Having won the previous two Indianapolis 500 Grand Prix, Vukovich was leading the field and was too close and fast to avoid a collision between three laggards.

His car, a Kurtis Kraft, hit one of the cars, went over the concrete outside wall and cartwheeled several times before landing on several parked cars. The car burst into flames but Vukovich was already dead from a broken neck.

Eugenio Castellotti was born in Italy and got into F1 racing at a young age. He was the youngest driver to secure pole position with a Lancia at the 1955 Belgian Grand Prix at just 24 years and seven months of age.

His F1 career ended on 14 March 1957 when he was test driving a Ferrari Grand Prix car for the 1957 Grand Prix season. He died instantly of a fractured skull when his car crashed against a curve at the Modena Autodromo. 

Keith Andrews, an American F1 driver died trying to test-run his teammate, Guiseppe Farina’s car at the 1957 Indy 500 Grand Prix on 15 May. Farina, the only European entrant in the race, did not attempt to qualify because he found his car difficult to handle.

Andrews volunteered to test-run his car but crashed going down the front stretch and was crushed between the cowl and the fuel tank.

Pat O’Connor died on 30 May 1958 in a 15 car pileup at the Indianapolis 500 Grand Prix. O’Connor’s car, a Kurtis Kraft, sailed 50 ft. into the air and landed upside down after the collision.

Although the car burst into flames, doctors surmised Connors was killed from a fractured skull much before the car caught fire.

Luigi Musso’s car, a Ferrari, hurtled off the course during the 1958 French Grand Prix at Reims on 6 July 1958. He was trying to chase his teammate Mike Hawthrone on the tricky Gueux Curve.

Musso’s car struck a ditch and somersaulted. He was airlifted to a hospital with grievous head injuries but succumbed later the same day.

Peter Collins, a British F1 racer, died on 3 August 1958 in the German Grand Prix just 16 days after having won the RAC British Grand Prix, his third World Championship Formula 1 win.

Driving a Ferrari, he entered a corner too fast and hit a ditch. His car flipped into the air and Collins was thrown against a tree. He died later from critical head injuries at a hospital in Bonn.

Stuart Lewis-Evans was a British F1 driver who debuted on 19 May 1957. His F1 career ended when he crashed on 19 May 1958 at the Moroccan Grand Prix after having achieved two podium positions in 14 Grand Prix contests.

His Vanwall’s engine seized and his car was thrown into the barriers at high speed where it burst into flame. A badly singed Lewis-Evans was air-lifted to the UK where he died of his burns six days later.

Jeremy Unser was an American F1 driver who was involved in a 13 car pile-up and survived in the only F1 race he had contested in the 1958 Indianapolis 500 Grand Prix.

He died at the 1959 Indianapolis 500 Grand Prix during a practice session on 2 May 1959. He lost control of his car coming out of a turn. The car hit a wall after spinning and burst into flames. Unser died of his burns on 17 May 1959.

Bob Cortner had just got his F1 license on 18th May 1959. On the 19th as he emerged from the pits for a practice run for the Indianapolis 500 Grand Prix, his car was caught in a fierce crosswind.

The car swerved into the infield, before shooting straight back across the track into the outer wall. Cortner’s head hit the steering wheel and he died later that day of “massive head injuries”. Another American, Jerry Unser, had died just two days earlier on the same track.

Harry Schell was the only American driver to contest in the inaugural F1 race, the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950. Although Schell had never won a Championship race, he was well respected in the F1 world.

Schell crashed when his car slid into the mud at the side of the track and lost a wheel on 13 May 1960. His car somersaulted and crashed into a brick wall causing his death.

Chris Bristow, a British driver, died in an F1 car crash just a few minutes before his compatriot Alan Stacey, died during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix on 19 June.

His car, a Yoeman Credit Racing Cooper, crashed into an embankment on an extended fast right-hand curve. Bristow was flung into the barbed wire fence beyond, which decapitated him. At 22 years of age, Chris Bairstow remains the youngest driver to have died in an F1 championship race.

Alan Stacey, another British F1 driver, crashed only two laps after Chris Bristow was killed on June 19, during the 1960 Belgium Grand Prix. The previous day, Stirling Moss had met with an accident on the same bend and was severely injured.

Stacey was hit in the face by a bird while travelling at 190 km/h, rendering him unconscious. His car went over an embankment and through thick hedges and fell into a field. He was dead when the rescue team reached him.

1961 to 1970

Shane Summers was a British racer who had participated in Formula One races but never in a World Championship F1 event. He entered his Cooper T53 to contest in the 1961 Silver City Trophy.

On 1 June, Summers decided to go for a practice run in the rain at Brands Hatch. His Cooper left the track at Paddock bend, went through the fencing and a wall before crashing into a concrete buttress. Summers was killed on the spot.

Giulio Cabianca was a Formula One driver from Italy. On 19 June 1961, Cabianca was test driving a Cooper-Ferrari F1 car at the Modena Autodromo when the throttle of his car got stuck.

With Cabianca unable to stop, the car went through the open gate of the autodrome, crossed a road, hit several vehicles and hit a garage wall before stopping. Two people on the street were killed. Cabianca was conscious when rescued but succumbed a few hours later at a hospital.

Ricardo Rodríguez was a Mexican motor racing driver who at 19 years of age, became the youngest F1 driver to ever race for Ferrari. At the 1962 Belgian Grand Prix, he also became the youngest driver to score points in a Formula One race, a record that stood until the 2000 Brazilian Grand Prix.

Ferrari opted out of the non-Championship 1962 Mexican Grand Prix at the Magdalena Mixiuhca circuit, leaving Rodriguez high and dry at his home venue. Eager to race in front of the home fans, Rodriguez agreed to drive Rob Walker’s Lotus 24.

He died during unofficial practice when the rear suspension of the car failed at the fearsome Peraltada turn. He died instantly when his car hit the barriers. The Magdalena Mixiuhca circuit was renamed the Autódromo Rodriguez Hermanos (Rodriguez Brothers’ Circuit) after his elder brother Pedro, also died in a car crash in a race in Europe.

Gary Hocking, a Grand Prix Motorcycle racer, was based in Rhodesia. After his friend, Tom Phillis died at the 1962 Isle of Man TT, Hocking decided motor racing was much safer than motorcycle racing.

On 21 December that year, Hocking’s car, a Lotus 24 entered by Max Walker, ran off the edge at the long right-hand corner during practice for the 1962 Natal Grand Prix. The car somersaulted twice and Hocking’s head struck the roll hoop. Hocking died at a hospital in Durban later that day.

Wolfgang von Trips was a German F1 driver who had participated in 29 Championship races and won two of them. When racing at Monza in the 1961 Italian Grand Prix on September 10, his Ferrari collided with Jim Clark’s Lotus.

Trips’ car spun twice, rode up an embankment and struck a fence with spectators tightly packed behind it. Trips was fatally flung from the car and 15 spectators died in the accident.

Carel Godin de Beaufort competed in 31 World Championship Grands Prix and was the first Dutchman to win championship points. Forever dedicated to Porsche, he died when test driving a Porsche 718 for the 1964 German Grand Prix.

He was thrown out of his car at the dreaded Bergwerk corner on the Nürburgring circuit. He died the following day, 2 August 1964, in a hospital of massive head, chest and leg injuries.

John Taylor was a British driver who took part in 5 Championship Grands Prix. He first debuted in 1964 at the British Grand Prix.

He died on his return to the World Championship when racing at the 1966 German Grand Prix his Brabham collided with Jacky Ickx’s Matra on the first lap of the race and caught fire. He died four weeks later on 8th September.

 Lorenzo Bandini, an Italian F1 driver, was racing at the Monaco Grand Prix on 7 May 1967. Just as he entered the harbour chicane his rear left wheel hit the guardrail sending the car into an uncontrollable skid.

His car, a Ferrari, struck a light pole and overturned hitting some straw bales. The car caught fire but the marshals got Bandini out with 70% burns on his body. Bandini succumbed to a chest wound, ten chest fractures and his burns three days later at a hospital in Monte Carlo.

Bob Anderson was a Grand Prix motorcycle competitor who later turned to World Championship racing. The Briton drove his own cars in Formula 1 and was awarded the Von Trips memorial trophy for the most successful private entrant in 1964.

While testing his car, he slid off a wet Silverstone track and hit a marshal’s post. With serious injuries to his neck and chest, Anderson died a month later on 14 August 1967.

Joseph Schlesser, or Jo Schlesser was killed on his home turf, the French Grand Prix, in only his third World Championship Grand Prix on 7 July 1968.

At the Six Frères corner, his Honda slid wide and hit the bank. The Honda with 58 laps of fuel in it burst into flames and a trapped Schlesser had no chance of survival. Honda withdrew from the Championship after his teammate Surtees refused to drive the car.

Gerhard Mitter had won three championship points in his home 1963 German Grand Prix. as it was possible to compete in the German Grand Prix with Formula two cars. He was practising for the 1969 German Grand Prix with a BMW 269 when he crashed.

Mitter’s BMW crashed on the dangerous Schwedenkreuze turn on the Nürburgring Circuit. As a steering or a suspension failure was suspected, BMW withdrew from the contest.

Martin Brain was a British race driver who was successful in hill climbing races. He was a runner up to Peter Lawson in the 1968 British Hillclimb Championship. He also scored two wins in the club Formula Libre races at Silverstone in 1969 and at Croft in 1970.

In 1970, he entered a race organised by the Nottingham Sports Club at Silverstone. On 25 May during the race, his Cooper BRM had a close dice with Graham Eden’s Chevron, left the circuit and flipped. Brain died instantaneously.

Piers Courage was a British F1 racer who had earned two podium finishes in the 29 races in which he contested. Driving a Williams fitted with a newly designed De Tomaso chassis, he died on 21 June 1970 at the Dutch Grand Prix.

Courage’s steering or front suspension failed causing the car to go straight up an embankment and disintegrate. A wheel of the car came off and hit Courage on his head ripping off his helmet. Courage died instantly of a broken neck.

Jochen Rindt, although born in Germany, became the first driver to represent Austria in a Formula 1 Grand Prix. a successful F1 racer, he competed in 62 Grand Prix and won six of them while earning podium finishes.

Rindt died on 5 September 1970 when practising for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. His car spun into the guardrails after the brake shaft failed. Rindt suffered grievous throat injuries caused by his seat belt. He was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.

1971 to 1980

Joseph Siffert, a Swiss motorbike racer, won the Swiss 350 cc motorcycle championship before switching to car racing. He won two Formula One races for the Rob Walker Racing Team and BRM.

On 24 October, in the 1971 World Championship Victory Race, his car, a BRM P160, had a mechanical failure which caused his car to crash and roll over. Siffert was trapped under the burning car.

Roger Williamson died in only his second World Championship Grand Prix race after he debuted in the British Grand Prix, in 1973. Silverstone was his home circuit.

At the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, Williamson’s car overturned due to a tyre puncture and burst into flames. Despite the valiant efforts of another British driver, David Purley, to rescue his friend, Williamson who was trapped under the car, died of asphyxiation.

François Cevert, a Frenchman, competed in 47 F1 World Championship races earning one win and 13 podium finishes. Cevert joined the Tyrrell F1 team on Jackie Stewart’s recommendation.

During the 1973 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen on 6 October, Cevert ventured a bit too far to the left on “The Esses” and bumped on the curb. His car swerved to the right and left again crashing through the barriers. Cevert died instantly due to massive injuries.

Peter Revson had already won 2 World Championship Grands Prix in his second year as an F1 driver. He had bigger plans when he joined the Shadow F1 team for the 1974 season.

He was killed during a test session before the 1974 South African Grand Prix on the Kyalami circuit on March 22.

The front suspension of his car failed, resulting in his car crashing into the Armco barrier on the outside of the Barbecue bend. The car caught fire and Revson was dead before he could be rescued.

Helmuth Koinigg was an Austrian driver who was showing promise in his very first season as an F1 competitor. After securing a contract with Surtees for the last two races of the season he headed to the last race, the 1974 US Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.

On 6 October, the race day, his car suffered a suspension failure at turn 7 and hit the Armco barrier head-on. While the bottom of the barrier gave way, the car went through the barrier, the top portion decapitating Koinigg.

Mark Donohue was an American racer who was respected for his ability to set up his own cars and race them to secure victories. “Captain Nice”, as he was nicknamed, was lured out of his racing retirement to compete in the World Championships in 1974.

Midway through the 1975 season, Donohue decided to go with a March 751 car as his earlier car was giving handling problems. During a practice session a tyre on his car failed resulting in Donohue crashing into the catch fencing.

Although a marshal was killed from the debris of the car, Donohue emerged from the wreckage, seemingly unhurt. A severe headache led to him lapsing into a coma. Donohue died of a cerebral haemorrhage on 19 August 1975.

Tom Pryce became the first Welshman to win an F1 race, the 1975 Race of Champions, although a non-championship contest. He earned several Championship podium positions before his last race on 5 March 1977 at the Kyalami circuit in the 1977 South African Grand Prix.

On lap 22 of the race, Renzo Zorzi pulled up beside the track and his car immediately caught fire. Two marshals were rushing to his aid across the track. Pryce came over the brow of a rise and, blinded by Hans-Joachim Stuck’s car ahead of him, hit one of the marshals.

The fire extinguisher that the marshal was carrying hit Pryce in the head killing him instantly. The fire extinguisher bounced off the car and landed in the street behind the adjacent grandstand.

Brian McGuire, an Australian motor racer and a constructor, competed in two British Grand Prix. He bought a 1976 Formula 1 Williams, remodelled it and named it McGuire BM1 in order to compete in the 1976 British Grand Prix, but failed to qualify.

McGuire died on 29 August 1977 while competing in a Shell Sports G8 Championship race at Brands Hatch.

Ronnie Peterson earned a nickname as SuperSwede for winning two runner-up positions in the Formula 1 World Driver’s Championships. Peterson was involved in a mass collision on 10 September at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.

Peterson’s Lotus hit the barriers, bounced back on the track and caught fire. He was pulled out of the car with minimal burns but had severe leg injuries. He died the following day in the hospital when his bone marrow entered his bloodstream.

Patrick Depailler was a French F1 driver who won two races and achieved 19 podium positions as he contested in 95 World Championship Formula 1 Grand Prix races. Depailler suffered a fatal accident on 1 August in testing, ten days prior to the 1980 German Grand Prix.

A suspension failure pitched his car into the Armco barriers, vaulted the barrier and skid across the guardrail for several hundred feet before landing upside down. Depallier died due to severe head injuries.

1981 to 2000

Gilles Villeneuve was a Canadian driver who won six races during his six-year World Championship racing career with Ferrari. On 8 May 1982, Villeneuve was trying to improve upon his qualifying time on his last set of qualifying tyres for the Belgian Grand Prix at Zolder.

Villeneuve’s Ferrari hit the back of a slower Jochen Mass’ car and was launched into the air. The car landed more than a hundred meters ahead and Villeneuve was thrown a further 50 meters into the catch fencing.

Villeneuve was unconscious when extracted from the car but still breathing. He was kept on life support at a hospital until his wife arrived and breathed his last at 21:12 that night.

Riccardo Paletti died on the start grid in only his second World Championship Formula 1 race on Circuit Gilles Villeneuve at the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix on June 13, only 36 days after fellow Canadian F1 driver, Gilles Villeneuve died in a crash. The Canadian circuit was renamed in Villeneuve’s honour just days before the race.

Paletti’s Osella slammed into Didier Pironi’s stalled Ferrari at 180 km/hr. Due to the impact; Paletti was wedged against the steering wheel with severe chest injuries. It took 25 minutes to cut him out of the car and he succumbed to his injuries soon after being airlifted to a Hospital.

Elio de Angelis was an Italian driver who contested in Formula 1 races between 1979 and 1986. He had won 2 World Championship Formula 1 Grands Prix before he died on 15 May 1986 in an accident while testing a Brabham BT55 at the Paul Ricard circuit, France.

The rear wing of Angelis’ Brabham detached at high speed causing the car to cartwheel over the side track barrier and catch fire. Although he was not killed by the crash itself, the delay in rescuing him led to excessive smoke inhalation. He died later at a hospital in Marseille.

Roland Ratzenberger, an Austrian driver, lost his life on 30th April 1994 when he crashed during qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix at Imola. Having failed to qualify at the Brazilian Grand Prix, it was his first World Championship Formula 1 Grand Prix.

Ratzenberger had damaged the front wing of the Simtek S941 during the previous lap but continued. The high downforce created tore the front wing off and sent it under the car. The car hit the outside wall at 314 km/h ramming the steering wheel inside the cockpit.

Ratzenberger was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital in Bologna to which he was airlifted.

Ayrton Senna, a Brazilian racing driver who had won three World Driver’s Championships in his eleven-year Formula 1 racing career. He is widely considered the greatest driver ever to grace Formula 1. Senna died on 1 May at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix, just a day after Roland Ratzenberger had died in qualifying.

Senna was leading the field on lap 7 when his car after rounding the high-speed Tamburello corner continued in a straight line and hit the concrete retaining wall at more than 200 km/h. Senna was extracted from the car within two minutes and rushed to a hospital in Bologna.

At the hospital, the doctor in charge announced that Senna had died upon impact with the concrete wall.

John Dawson-Damer was a British Formula 1 driver who died on 24 June 2000 while contesting in the Goodwood Festival of Speed. He was driving a Lotus 63, once driven by Mario Andretti, from among his collection of Lotus F1 cars.

Dawson-Damer suffered a cardiac arrest causing him to veer onto the grass verge, hit two marshals at full speed before going through the Gantry and finishing among some trees. One of the marshals died on the spot while the other lost a leg.

2001 Onwards

Fritz Glatz was an Austrian racing driver who began his career in the German Formula Three Championship.

In 2002 he was driving a 1996-vintage Arrows Footwork Formula 1 car in the Czech Super Prix EuroBOSS race at Most Autodromo when he hit a curb and his car became airborne. Glatz died of his injuries on July 14.

Denis Welch was a popular British driver in the historic Formula One car racing circles. He was killed while contesting in the second Jack Brabham Memorial Trophy for pre-1966 Grand Prix cars at Silverstone

Welch was driving a 1960 Formula 1 Lotus when he made contact with another car.  His car rolled over and Welch died of injuries at the hospital.

Jules Bianchi was a French motor racing driver who made his debut at the Austarlian Grand Prix in 2013 driving for Marussia. In 2014 he collected his first two points at the Monaco Grand Prix.

Bianchi lost control of his Marussia on 5 October 2014 at the Japanese Grand Prix on a very wet Suzuka circuit. He suffered an extensive brain injury and was placed in an induced coma in a hospital. He was comatose until his death on 17 July 2015.

Davi Ferrer was a French racing driver who used to compete in historic grand prix racing. He had won two races prior to his death on 2 September 2017 while racing in the Zandvoort Historic Grand Prix.  

He crashed his March 701 on the fast Arie-Luyendijk corner of the Zandvoort circuit. He was resuscitated at the scene of the accident and airlifted to the hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

Deaths in Formula 1