Everything started when Hawthorn in his Jaguar cut in for the pits.
It ended with the usual champagne, as well.
All he did was turn in abruptly. Switzerland's motorsports ban still stands today.That said, many contemporary race reports treat the crash unbelievably mildly. The importance of the crash is not how two cars crashed into each other.It's important to look at why so many people died — that medical attention was so poor, that the Mercedes so easily split into multiple parts and sprayed out its fuel, that the crowd was so poorly protected.It's easy to find reports of the crash today that talk about how desensitized the public was to the crash.
De vierentwintig uren van Le Mans verliepen in 1955 helemaal niet volgens plan. Le Mans 1955 falls prey to this weakness somewhat—the film is undeniably gripping, but alternates a bit between bluntness and narrative muddle.
From the pits, they couldn't get across to the wreck, and it was hard to tell how bad everything was.
Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other.
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.When he finally made it into the pits again, past what was then the scene of the crash, tears were streaming down his face.Just behind Hawthorn was a much slower Austin-Healey, actually a lap down on Hawthorn. Its sloping back acted like a ramp for Levegh's Mercedes, however, which flew into the air.The Mercedes crashed into the embankment that bordered the track, killing Levegh instantly. In the middle as many as 130 died in the most horrific disaster in motorsports history. Here he is, still in his car after crossing the finish line, reaching up for a kiss from a local girl.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 Many other drivers tried to describe the whole crash as a blameless 'racing incident,' but Hawthorn blamed Lance Macklin, the driver of the Austin-Healey. Here you can see the damage it took and how it could've acted like a ramp.Newsreels show the crash itself, and police rushing to tear down advertising banners by the wreck.
You can see a man here, his arms outstretched in shock.Here is a full view of the crash site from the nearby stands. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. Le Mans 1955 – Deadly Competition is an animated short film by Q. Baillieux and his team. Site Powered by Gasoline and Caffeine.Thank you, your message has been sent successfully.
Fitch said that in light of "recent unpleasantness," Mercedes "should not win this race over the bodies of ...however many.. French people."
So many good drivers have been lost in this sport. La Mans 24h Le Mans Sports Car Racing Race Cars Auto Racing 1955 Le Mans Disaster Nascar Wrecks Malaysian Grand Prix Nico Rosberg YouTube Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube. The Jaguar boss didn't have to report back to the factory, and when Mercedes came up to him to say they weren't going to finish the race, they asked if he would too.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.Jaguar went on to win the race. The Austin-Healey spun into the wall, killing one spectator but leaving its driver unharmed.
I am including all of his pictures preserved by the But you quickly start to see people running towards the smoldering wreck, hoping to rescue anyone still alive.The healthy carry bodies away from the wreckage. It was Hawthorn's Jaguar that started the whole incident, after all. The film cuts short as the recorder dives for cover.The pieces of the Mercedes ripped through the crowd, crushing and decapitating.
In the background of the picture below, you can see people on the other side of the track, standing on top of teams' pit garages, trying to see how bad things were.Even at the scene, it doesn't look like anyone knows what's going on.At a gathering for his 92nd birthday, Mercedes driver John Fitch explained just how little the drivers knew. Deze 15 minuten durende animatiefilm over het drama maakt kans om een Oscar te winnen. One marshal tried to douse the burning wreckage with water and sent huge bursts of white hot fire into the crowd, killing more as 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. France and Switzerland both banned motor racing after Le Mans. As the Austin-Healey moved across the road, Levegh raised his hand. This was only a few hours after the crash.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. Below is that interview in full.When Mercedes pulled out, they approached the Jaguar team. One spectator actually recorded the crash head-on. Behind them were two Mercedes: Levegh ahead of Fangio.The Austin-Healey driver had to swerve out of the way as Hawthorn darted into the pits. Mar 27, 2017 - Le Mans 1955 Disaster: How it happened - YouTube. I should say that the 'pits' were completely undivided from the racetrack back then. Earlier this week That being said, while the Audi successfully protected its driver, it hit an unprotected, hard wall. The car split into three pieces. Look at how dense the crowd was.Modern race cars have fuel cells which keep fuel from spreading as it did here, and they don't use magnesium like they did then, either. In its silence, you sense the horror of what's being recorded.The crash was right in front of a densely packed crowd and grandstands, protected by nothing more than a few hay bales. It ended with the usual champagne, as well. Fitch explained that he only got an idea of how bad things were when he overheard a journalist friend of his reporting news that some 65 people were reported dead.