Catastrophe
Las Vegas has experienced one of the worst and largest disasters in the history of motorsport. During the final round of the IndyCar series championship, a total of 15 cars were damaged, some very seriously. And the famous pilot Dan Weldon, whose car crashed into the obstacle at full speed, was killed.
The accident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which occurred on the night of Sunday to Monday Moscow time, was the central story of many American television channels yesterday. There is nothing surprising. A disaster like Las Vegas in last years no one had a chance to observe.
The pilot Ryan Briscoe who took part in this race, speaking about his feelings, said that he seemed to be in a scene from the movie "The Terminator": "All around are pieces of metal, some debris, fire ..." And Danica Patrick, a woman who has been performing for a long time in the IndyCar championship, on a par with men, she admitted that she was never so scared as at the moment when the tragic events occurred.
They happened when 11 laps of this race were left behind, that is, just a few minutes after the start. However, many had premonitions that it might end badly long before him. The fact is that during free races, cars on the oval in Las Vegas developed some monstrous speeds - more than 350 km / h. And fears that such a fast route could pose a threat to safety have been expressed.
But, of course, no one would cancel it - too much of the race was at stake for IndyCar. Once upon a time this American series rivaled in status and popularity with Formula-1 - its essentially analogue. However, in recent times IndyCar ratings dropped. The executive director of the series, Randy Bernard, did not even rule out that he could resign: the board of directors made serious complaints against him.
The final stage of the season was supposed to correct the situation. At least he promised a spectacular fight: the track is super-fast, two pilots are fighting for the title - Dario Franchitti and Will Power. And additional intrigue was supposed to provide a bonus of $ 5 million. The organizers appointed such a reward to a rider who, not having a permanent place in any team during the season, would risk participating in the race and winning it.
Actually because of the bonus Dan Weldon found himself on the track. V this season he could not find a job in any team. "Stable" Andretti Autosport planned to conclude a full-fledged contract with him immediately after the end of the stage, and on Sunday was counting on good performance pilot in Las Vegas.
There were indeed grounds to count on him. Dan Weldon, a 33-year-old Briton, who has lived in America for more than ten years, was considered a star. In 2005, he won the championship title, won 16 stages of the series in his career. Two of them are the legendary "Indianapolis 500 Miles", a cult race in motorsport. He won it for the first time in 2005, the second time - this spring ... Before the race, he himself claimed that he hoped to come first: if only, starting behind the leaders of the championship, to get to them and grab the tail.
He was almost there when the car in front of him, driven by Wade Cunningham, touched the wheel of JR Hildebrand's car. "Indikar" races, in principle, differ from "formula" races by the rigidity and density of the struggle. But the consequences of this contact were somehow unique in their destructiveness.
Hildebrand's car overturned, Cunningham's car crashed into a bump stop. And those who were driving behind could no longer dodge. The next five seconds turned into seconds of real hell. Power miraculously survived, crashing into the fence: he could well have been killed by his own wheel, which, falling off, almost knocked the cockpit apart. Pippa Mann was also by a hair's breadth from death, but got off easily: together with Hildebrand, he was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Only Dan Weldon was unlucky. He ran over rear wheel Paul Tracy's car. The Briton's car was thrown as if on a springboard, and it hit the fence with all its might, turning in an instant into a pile of debris blazing with fire.
An ambulance appeared on the track promptly. Weldon was evacuated to the hospital by helicopter. The race was canceled, but no one left the arena. Two hours later, the pilots and spectators were told the tragic news: Weldon had not survived.
American experts do not exclude that his death will entail changes in the IndyCar regulations - similar to those caused by the tragedy of 1994 in Formula 1: then, during one racing weekend in San Marino, Roland Ratzenberger and the great Ayrton Senna crashed to death. The number of victims of "Formula 1" after that reached 43 people, and the teams went to tighten security measures to the detriment of entertainment. As a result, no fatal accidents have occurred since then.
IndyCar, despite its seemingly harsher format, has long been considered a relatively safe series. The list of pilots who died in it now has four people. However, all these tragedies have been kept within the past 15 years. In 1996, Scott Brighton crashed to death, in 2003 - Tony Renna, and in 2006 - Paul Dana.
Alexey Dospekhov
“, The site brings to your attention 10 of the worst accidents that have occurred in the world of motorsport.
1. Formula 1. 1994 year. San Marino Grand Prix. Ayrton Senna
The stage in Imola was perhaps the saddest for all Formula 1 fans. In 1994, during a racing weekend, two drivers died at once, one of whom was the three-time world champion Ayrton Senna. There are many rumors and versions of the reasons for the tragic death of the "Brazilian Wizard" to this day, and a section of the track called "Tamburello" has long been synonymous with danger and fear for all pilots. The history of the tragedy caused a reassessment of the safety standards of the "royal races" and ended the excellent career of one of the best drivers in the history of motorsport.
2. "24 Hours of Le Mans". 1955 year. Pierre Levegh
The accident that resulted in the death of the Mercedes pilot Pierre Levegh and 82 spectators of the competition took place in 1955 at the 24 Hours of Le Mans series. The German car, having taken off into the gravel fence, took off into the air and flew straight to the spectators' stands, where a hail of car debris fell on the spectators. After this accident, the German concern left motorsport for almost 40 years.
3. Formula 1. year 2001. Australian Grand Prix. Jacques Villeneuve and Ralph Schumacher
The accident in 2001 at the Australian Grand Prix was overshadowed not even by the collision of the 1997 world champion and the brother of the “great and terrible” Schumacher, but by the subsequent tragedy caused by ... a wheel from a Canadian racing car. As a result of the collision of two racers, a wheel flew off Villeneuve's car, which flew off at breakneck speed and hit the track marshal, who was responsible for the safety of the race. As a result strong blow an employee of the autodrome has died.
4. "Indy-500". 1964 year. Dave McDonald
The debut race for Ford driver Dave MacDonald will be remembered for a long time. As a result of brake failure, the rider's car great speed crashed into the concrete fence of the highway, which resulted in a car fire. Huge clouds of smoke filled the entire track, blocking the view of the rest of the race. Having lost their visual reference, many riders found themselves in a massive blockage. The organizers of the competition had to stop and postpone the race for three and a half hours.
5. "NHRA". 2005 year. Scott Kalit
In addition to the main racing series, and very unusual racing disciplines are rich in incidents. In 2005, during the qualifying races, Toyota pilot Scott Kalit, traveling at a speed of 450 km / h, did not notice the spontaneous combustion of his own car. The resulting flame destroyed the brake parachutes and the racer's car flew into a gravel trap at the end of the track. As a result of his injuries, Kalit died in the hospital.
6. Formula 1. 2010 year. European Grand Prix. Mark Webber.
The European Grand Prix, held in Valencia, Spain, clearly demonstrated the latest safety achievements in the "royal races". The pilot of "Red Bull" Mark Webber, bypassing his opponent from "Lotus" (now "Caterham") Heikki Kovalainen, hooked the rear axle of the Finn's car, and soared into the sunny Spanish sky. Learned from the bitter experience of the past, the automobile association responsible for the safety of racers proved that it is not in vain that it functions - within two hours after the accident, Webber posed for photographers.
7. Formula 1. 1976 year. Nurburgring. Niki Lauda.
Three-time world champion Niki Lauda, as well as his colleagues from other automotive and sports disciplines, "noted" a burning car during the race. Having lost control, the racer's car at high speed hit the side fence of the track, as a result of which the car was quickly engulfed in flames, making a fireball out of the Ferrari in a matter of seconds. It is worth noting the courage of the Austrian - after the accident, the racer personally went out on the track and warned his rivals about the debris on this section of the track.
8. Rally. 2011. Italy. Robert Kubica
Polish racer Robert Kubica, who competed in Formula 1 for Renault, fell victim to his own hobby. One of the favorite hobbies of the athlete is performing in the rally, to which the pilot devotes almost all his free time from performing in "big prizes". Taking part in the Italian stage of the rally, the Pole's car was torn off when entering a turn, as a result of which the car hit the track fence. The pilot received severe hand injuries, which practically put an end to Kubica's "formula" career. At the moment, almost two years later, the rider continues the rehabilitation process and still, from time to time, returns to the wheel of a rally car.
9. "IndyCar". 2011. Dan Weldon
One of the worst and most massive accidents occurred in 2011 during the legendary "Indianapolis 500 Miles". One pilot's mistake in the peloton caused a massive blockage on the track and ended the life of two-time champion Dan Weldon.
10. Formula 1. 1978 year. Italian Grand Prix. Ronnie Petersen.
The crash at the Italian Grand Prix in 1978 was a record for the number of cars involved in a blockage, resulting in the death of one of the riders. Chaos and confusion in the peloton at the start of the race led to the fact that 11 riders were involved in a grand accident. Ronnie Petersen's car, as a result of collisions, flew into the road fence and caught fire. The pilot was pulled out of the burning car, but the next day the athlete died in the hospital.
Motorsport is one of the most dangerous species sports in the world. And, although recently the organizers have been paying increased attention to the safety of races, even to the detriment of entertainment, athletes continue to die on the tracks.
Often the participants in the tragedy are not only racers who participate in the competition at their own peril and risk and are well aware of the price they will have to pay for a mistake, but also ordinary spectators who came to the stands to enjoy the races. And despite all the horrors that thanks to modern technology in YouTube are gaining hundreds of thousands and millions of views, neither racers nor those who want to "live" to listen to the roar of multipower motors are not getting smaller.
Some viewers, for example, fans of the popular NASCAR series in the United States, are teased, believing that they come to the stands to see more accidents, fire, human casualties - just like the ancient Romans who visited the Colosseum. Well, in every joke there is a grain of a joke ...
10. The accident near Tomyu
On the day of Russia, on June 12, a 46-year-old British participant of the Peking-Paris vintage car rally, which takes place in 15 Russian regions, took part in it. A woman driving a Chevrolet 6 Tourer died in a collision with an ordinary car that did not participate in the rally and was moving in the opposite direction - the Volkswagen Polo.
The accident was caused by a "civilian" car. The Volkswagen driver jumped into the oncoming lane and could not avoid a collision. The driver and the baby were killed in the accident. The child's mother, who was also in the car, was taken to the intensive care unit. Due to the incident, the rally participants will drive at minimum speed and without overtaking until the next checkpoint. The race will resume on Friday June 14th.
9. The accident of Maria de Villotte
One of the most high-profile accidents for Russia in recent times occurred at the Duxford air range. The only casualty was the reserve pilot. Russian team Formula 1 Marussia Maria de Villota.
The girl's car, which took part in aerodynamic tests, was heading at low speed towards the service zone when a collision with a platform of a truck parked nearby occurred. According to witnesses, the car suddenly accelerated and crashed into a stationary car.
For half an hour, while the girl was taken out of the cockpit, she showed no signs of life. Maria regained consciousness only in the hospital and was even able to make a phone call, but then her condition worsened and the doctors were forced to enter her into a state of artificial coma and perform surgical intervention. As a result of the accident, the girl lost her eye. She could no longer continue her career as a F1 pilot and was forced to become a commentator on Spanish television.
8. Jochen Rindt
In early September 1970, one of the best Austrian racers, a 28-year-old, died in a fatal accident. Jochen Rindt... A couple of months after the tragedy, Rindt was posthumously declared the champion of Formula 1 - before his death, Jochen managed to score so many points that anyone could not get ahead of the Austrian. Rindt is the only holder of the title posthumously.
During Saturday's training session at the Italian Grand Prix, Rindt's Lotus was thrown off the trajectory and thrown into the bump stop while braking to a high-speed and difficult turn. The car hit the barriers and crashed straight into the barrier post - the most rigid part of the structure.
The reason for the death of the athlete was the seat belt - from the impact, the buckle slid from its position and squeezed the rider's throat. Rindt has long refused to use a seat belt, claiming that it constrains his movements and reactions during performances.
7. Greg Moore
In October 1999, the death of a 24-year-old Greg Moore on final stage The CART series, the American equivalent of Formula 1, in Fontana shocked the entire US motorsport community - Moore was a rising superstar of local racing and a favorite of the public, and the tragedy raised the debate about the safety of motorsport with renewed vigor.
At one of the early restarts, Moore's car was turned around at the exit from the turn, after which the uncontrolled car at a speed of over 320 km / h flew to the side of the road and rolled over. The car made several revolutions around its axis and at great speed crashed into the fence of the inner part of the track. Racer got severe injuries head and neck, and countless internal injuries. A few hours later, doctors diagnosed the death of the pilot.
Moore was considered one of the brightest and most fearless pilots of his generation. He started winning races in his second season at CART. In 1999, a few weeks before his death, Greg's contract with the team was announced. Penske, one of the grandees of the championship, and it seemed that the pilot's career would reach a fundamentally new level.
6. Dan Weldon
Death Dan Weldon October 2011 was another shock for the world of motorsport - during the IndyCar stage on the Las Vegas circuit, one of the best racers on the planet, who won championship titles and the most prestigious races, crashed in an accident.
The incident occurred on the 11th lap of the race on the oval track. Due to the small difference in the speed of the cars, two and a half dozen racers walked in a tight group. Contact between the two cars at a speed of about 330-340 km / h led to a blockage with the participation of 15 cars, many of which simply did not have time to change direction. After a collision with one of the rivals, Weldon's car took off about a hundred meters above the track and, turning over in the air, crashed into the fence net. From the force of the impact, the protective structures of the machine were destroyed, and the damaged safety arc could not prevent the pilot's head from hitting the bump stop.
Dan Weldon became the IndyCar champion in 2005, after which he changed teams, in which his results began to decline. Later, Dan had to spend two years in the middle peasant team, but in 2011 the Englishman reminded of himself again, winning the most prestigious American race Indianapolis 500 for the second time in his career. After this triumph, he signed a contract for 2012 with Weldon. Michael Andretti, as part of the team of which Dan had previously become the champion.
5. Dale Earnhardt Sr.
The news of the accident spreads all over the world and goes down in the history of motorsport for two reasons: either many people died as a result of the collision, or one, but legendary, died.
The latter happened on February 18, 2001, during one of the most prestigious and popular races in the United States - the Daytona 500. On this day, at the age of 49, perhaps the most legendary American racer passed away Dale Earnhardt Sr.... The entire article is not enough to list all his titles. There could have been more if not for the unfortunate collision on the last of the five hundred laps of the race.
After contact with the rival's car, Dale's car lost control and crashed into a concrete bumper at full speed. From the outside, the collision did not seem so serious, but by the end of the day the doctors of the hospital, to which the legendary racer was urgently taken, declared his death.
4. Wolfgang von Trips
The worst accident in the history of Formula 1 happened on September 10, 1961 on the second lap of the legendary track in Monza, Italy.
The victim of the accident was the driver who was leading at that time in the championship. Ferrari graph Wolfgang von Trips... Together with him, the pilot of the red car took the lives of 14 spectators to the next world. His car flew to the stands at the very beginning of the race after a collision with the car of the British "stable" Lotus.
3. Gilles Villeneuve
Not the bloodiest, but one of the most memorable for the audience, the accident happened with a Canadian Formula 1 driver Gilles Villeneuve.
The tragedy occurred on May 8, 1982 during the qualification of the Belgian Grand Prix at the Solder circuit. After contact with the opponent's car, Villeneuve's car turned over in the air several times and crashed onto the track. The pilot himself, for unknown reasons, flew out of the car. Doctors found his body at the bump stop, where they tried to provide emergency assistance. Gilles was urgently taken to the hospital, but the doctors diagnosed a spinal fracture that was incompatible with life.
To the son of Gilles, Jacques Villeneuve at that moment was 11 years old. And only seven years later, he began his professional career driver in the Italian Formula-3, seven years later, Jacques became the second in the overall standings of Formula-1, and in 1997 won the world championship in "royal" motor racing, dedicating the victory to his father.
2. Pierre Levegh
Accident involving a French driver Pierre Levegh considered the bloodiest in the history of all motor sports. The tragedy struck in 1955 during the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, in which Levegh had been trying to win since 1938.
And now, being already a veteran, he received an invitation from one of strongest teams that time - Mercedes... As a result, tragedy happened instead of triumph. Levegh's car, moving at full speed, bumped into a car that had braked in front and, due to the special structure of the body, took off into the air. Everything would be all right, the cars landed on the track or on the side of the road. But the flat car flew to the stands too close to the track.
Having fallen on the spectators, the car, the body of which contained a large amount of magnesium, ignited. As a result, together with the driver himself, another 86 spectators died, and the Mercedes factory team stopped participating in the legendary race for a long 32 years, returning to the Le Mans track only in 1987.
1. Ayrton Senna
The most famous accident in the history of motorsport claimed the life of only one person, but which one. May 1, 1994, on the seventh lap of the Formula 1 Grand Prix in San Marino, a three-time world champion Brazilian died Ayrton Senna.
The day before the race, another pilot, an Austrian, died in qualifying Roland Ratzenberger... But it was decided to hold the race anyway. Already on the second lap, as a result of a collision of other pilots, it became necessary to release a safety car onto the track, which reduced the speed of the pilots in order to enable the track services to remove the wreckage of cars scattered along the roadbed.
The race was continued on the sixth lap, and already on the seventh, Ayrton Sena's car flew off the track at full speed, ramming the fences. The race was suspended, and Senna's body, showing no signs of life, was transported by helicopter to the hospital. In the hospital, it turned out that Senna's brain was already dead and there was no chance of getting out of the coma. It was decided to disconnect his body from the means that artificially supported life in him.
The most famous of this accident is also because until now there is too much unknown in the whole history. The main mystery is the cause of the accident. According to one version, the overheated tires could not stand, according to the other, the control systems of the car failed, according to the third, the pilot could not withstand the loads and fainted.
It is not known when Senna's death occurred, on the highway, on the way to the hospital, or already in the hospital. All agree on only one thing - in the cause of death, which was entailed by a blow to the head with a wheel with torn out fasteners to the body. It was they who pierced Senna's helmet and caused death.
, Motorsport
Finish or life?
In the 20th century, due to low safety standards racing tracks often turned into the Colosseum, and the pilots - into gladiators who fought for their lives. Innocent spectators who came to watch the spectacular race of their idols also fell under the blow.
Today we are going to tell you about five of the most bloodthirsty accidents in motorsport.
RALLY PARIS - MADRID. MAY 24, 1903.
115 years ago, there was the first major incident in the world of motorsport. For the first time in France and Spain, it was decided to hold a full-fledged rally on public roads.
As a result of several accidents, in which the fans were killed, who crowded on the side of the track and from time to time ran across it, the authorities decided to prematurely suspend the race.
The fact is that for the audience at that time there were no protective barriers. Racing cars could zip past just inches from the crowd. After the victims had been counted, the race was simply canceled.
It is also worth noting that one of the founders of Renault, Marcel Renault, died in that fateful race.
ITALIAN GRAND PRIX. "FORMULA 1". 1928 YEAR
That race was won by Bugatti driver Louis Chiron, but this is not the most memorable event of the 1928 Italian Grand Prix. The race was marked by the first high-profile incident in Formula 1. On lap 17, at a speed of over 200 km / h, Emilio Materassi flew off the track, after which he rolled over several times and got into the crowd of spectators.
The incident killed 27 people and Emilio himself. After the stage in Monza, the organizers decided to change the configuration of the track, but, unfortunately, this did not help to avoid another terrible incident in 1961.
"24 HOURS OF LE-MAN". FRANCE. 1955 YEAR
The truly eerie footage was taped during a 24-hour marathon on the Sarthe Circuit in 1955.
Because of a sharp braking Jaguar car, another driver in an Austin Healey car took a sharp left and blocked the way for the driver of the Mercedes team Pierre Levegh. As a result of the collision, Austin acted as a springboard for Levegh, and his Mercedes flew into the crowd. The engine, gearbox, front suspension, hood and other parts flew into the crowd of spectators. 86 people died, including Pierre Levegh.
After the worst disaster in the history of motorsport at Le Mans, racing as such was banned in Switzerland, and the Mercedes team returned to the Sart track only in the second half of the 1980s.
The ban on any manifestation of motorsport competitions in the territory of this country is still in effect and is unlikely to ever be lifted.
RACE "MILLE MILES". ITALY. 1957 YEAR
A worn rubber tire killed 13 people during a 1000-mile race in Italy.
The Ferrari car, driven by the racer Alfonso de Portago, went into an uncontrollable skid after a missed pit stop and a broken wheel, and flew into the crowd of spectators. 11 people from the crowd were killed and dozens were injured. Alfonso and his navigator also died on the spot.
ITALIAN GRAND PRIX. "FORMULA 1". 1961 YEAR
The aforementioned accident on the Monza track after a change of configuration occurred in 1961.
The pilot of the "Reds" Wolfgang von Trips collided with another car driven by the driver Jimi Clark.
Thrips' car flew into the crowd of fans, and the pilot himself was thrown out of the car during the flight. 12 people were killed, including Wolfgang von Trips. Jimi Clarke was not badly hurt in that incident.
Accident with Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR: 83 casualties
On June 11, 1955, at 6.26 pm, the worst tragedy in the history of motorsport occurred. At the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race, at the end of lap 35, he crashed into the grandstand of a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR at full speed, driven by the French driver Pierre Levegh. The car was blown apart, its engine and other parts flew right into the fans, and as a result of this accident 82 people and the racer were killed.
The Le Mans race was founded by 82-year-old Charles Faro, who was the chief judge on that ill-fated day. How unpleasant the person felt when he saw such a picture, especially at the end of his life, two years later he was gone. It was hard to come to terms with the fact that it was on the races created by him that this terrible disaster took place.
Restoration of events
The cameras recorded the moment when Mike Hawthorne, who was driving the Jaguar D-Type, suddenly decided to go to the pit lane and left no room for Lance McLean's car. Then McLean tried to bypass Hawthorne, but unsuccessfully shifted to the left, and cut off Mercedes Levega. I would like to note that seat belts were not used at that time, they began to be used in the 60s, but not only this fact could cause the death of the racer. After that, the Mercedes took off over the track, flew over the fence and flew straight into the stands with the audience. It was scary to look at this picture, the wreckage of the car fell on people, then the fuel tank exploded, there was a serious fire. The flame intensified due to the fact that they began to extinguish the magnesium body of the Mercedes. The fire continued for several hours and many spectators did not even understand what had happened, the competition did not stop so as not to raise panic. By that time, it was necessary to provide access roads for ambulances.
The incident was also witnessed by one of the riders Juan Manuel Fangio, who was at that moment behind Levegh, Hawthorne and McLean. He said that Levegh understood everything that was happening, but he could not do anything, so he waved his hand at him. Fangio managed to slow down, which served as his salvation. The chief of the racing team, Alfred Neubauer, who invited Levegh to participate in these competitions, upon hearing the first data on the death toll, immediately removed the cars from his team. At this time, Fangio was in the lead, but that was no longer important. As a result, Mike Hawthorne became the winner of the 1955 Le Mans race.
After this ridiculous and horrible story other competitions were canceled, including four Formula 1 races. Switzerland passed a law banning motorized competitions. And the Mercedes-Benz team left motorsport for a long time, until 1987. Only on June 7, 2007 the ban was partially lifted, but racing at the Grand Prix in Switzerland is still prohibited. What caused such an accident for us remains a mystery, according to one version it was a conspiracy, according to another, just an accident.