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Formula One (F1) is the highest class of open-wheeled auto racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), motorsport's world governing body.[1] The "formula" in the name refers to a set of rules to which all participants and vehicles must conform.[2] The F1 World Championship season consists of a series of races, known as Grands Prix, held usually on purpose-built circuits, and in a few cases on closed city streets.[3] The results of each race are combined to determine two annual Championships, one for drivers and one for constructors.[4]

Safety standards have improved since the first World Championship Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1950, where there was no medical back-up nor safety measures in case of an accident.[5] Helmets were not made mandatory until 1952, though these were simple cork-lined helmets with no visors.[6] It was not until the 1960s that robust full-visor helmets were made mandatory, along with fireproof overalls, and the FIA assumed responsibility for safety at the circuits.[5] Steps were taken to improve the safety of the Formula One car in the 1970s; the cockpit opening was enlarged allowing the driver to escape more quickly in the event of an accident and outside mirrors became mandatory.[7] The 1980s saw further improvement in the structure of the Formula One car, with the monocoque being made out of carbon fibre instead of aluminium, increasing protection upon impact.[8] Following the death of Ayrton Senna in 1994, a number of measures were introduced in an attempt to slow the cars down, including bodywork aerodynamic limitations, a pit lane speed limit and temporary circuit modifications such as extra chicanes. Grooved tyres were introduced in 1998 instead of racing slick tyres to reduce cornering speed.[9] Safety measures continued to be introduced into the 21st century, with a number of circuits having their configuration changed to improve driver safety.[10]

This list includes drivers who have died during a FIA World Championship event (including practice, qualifying and the race), and those who have died while driving modern or vintage Formula One cars outside the World Championship. Track marshals and other race attendees who have died as a result of these accidents are not included in the list. Fifty-two drivers have died from incidents that occurred at a FIA World Championship event or while driving a Formula One car at another event, with Cameron Earl being the first in 1952. Thirty-two of the drivers died from incidents during Grand Prix race weekends which formed part of the World Championship, seven died during test sessions, and twelve driving Formula One cars during non-championship Formula One weekends or vintage/historic events. The Indianapolis Motor Speedway has seen the most fatalities; seven drivers have died there during the time that the Indianapolis 500 formed part of the world championship, though the Indianapolis 500 was held to AAA regulations rather than Formula One regulations. Fifteen drivers died in the 1950s; fourteen in the 1960s; twelve in the 1970s; four in the 1980s and two in the 1990s. Following the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger and Ayrton Senna at Imola on consecutive days in 1994, no driver died during world championship events for more than 20 years until Jules Bianchi's death in 2015, from injuries sustained during the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix.[11] Three drivers died in the intervening years while driving former Formula One cars (two from the 1960s, one from the 1990s) in vintage racing and other events not associated with World Championship Grands Prix.[12][13][14] Two Formula One Champions have died while racing or practising in Formula One, Jochen Rindt in 1970, and Senna in 1994. Rindt was not a champion at the time of his death, but won the 1970 championship posthumously, the only driver to have done so.[15]

Fatalities

Detail by driver

† Indicates event was not part of the Formula One World Championship, such as official non-championship Formula One events[note 2] and unassociated events using vintage Formula One cars.
‡ Indicates test drive of a Formula One car that was not part of any competitive event.[note 3]
Fatalities by Name
Driver Date of accident Age Event Circuit Car Session Ref.
 Cameron Earl (UK) June 18, 1952 29 Test‡ MIRA ERA Test [16]
 Chet Miller (USA) May 15, 1953 50 Indianapolis 500[note 1] Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kurtis Kraft Practice [18]
 Charles de Tornaco (BEL) September 18, 1953 26 Modena Grand Prix† Autodromo di Modena Ferrari Tipo 500 Practice [19]
 Onofre Marimón (ARG) July 31, 1954 30 German Grand Prix Nürburgring Maserati 250F Practice [18]
 Mario Alborghetti (ITA) April 11, 1955 26 Pau Grand Prix† Circuit de Pau-Ville Maserati 4CLT Race [20]
 Manny Ayulo (USA)[note 4] May 16, 1955 33 Indianapolis 500[note 1] Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kurtis Kraft Practice [18]
 Bill Vukovich (USA) May 30, 1955 36 Race
 Eugenio Castellotti (ITA) March 14, 1957 26 Test‡ Autodromo di Modena Ferrari 801 Test [22]
 Keith Andrews (USA) May 15, 1957 36 Indianapolis 500[note 1] Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kurtis Kraft Practice [18]
 Pat O'Connor (USA) May 30, 1958 29 Indianapolis 500[note 1] Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kurtis Kraft Race [18]
 Luigi Musso (ITA) July 6, 1958 33 French Grand Prix Circuit de Reims-Gueux Ferrari 246 F1 Race [18]
 Peter Collins (UK) August 3, 1958 26 German Grand Prix Nürburgring Ferrari 246 F1 Race [23]
 Stuart Lewis-Evans (UK)[note 5] October 19, 1958 28 Moroccan Grand Prix Circuit d'Ain-Diab Vanwall Race [18]
 Jerry Unser Jr. (USA)[note 6] May 2, 1959 26 Indianapolis 500[note 1] Indianapolis Motor Speedway Kuzma Practice [18]
 Bob Cortner (USA) May 19, 1959 32 Cornis
 Harry Schell (USA) May 13, 1960 38 BRDC International Trophy† Silverstone Circuit Cooper T51 Practice [18]
 Chris Bristow (UK) June 19, 1960 22 Belgian Grand Prix[note 7] Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps Cooper T51 Race [18]
 Alan Stacey (UK) June 19, 1960 26 Lotus 18
 Shane Summers (UK) June 1, 1961 24 Silver City Trophy† Brands Hatch Cooper Practice [24]
 Giulio Cabianca (ITA)[note 8] June 15, 1961 38 Test‡ Autodromo di Modena Cooper T51 Test [25]
 Wolfgang von Trips (FRG)[note 9] September 10, 1961 33 Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Ferrari 156 F1 Race [27]
 Ricardo Rodríguez (MEX) November 1, 1962 20 Mexican Grand Prix† Autódromo Magdalena Mixiuhca Lotus 24 Practice [28]
 Gary Hocking (FRN) December 21, 1962 25 Natal Grand Prix† Westmead Circuit Lotus 24 Practice [18]
 Carel Godin de Beaufort (NED)[note 10] August 1, 1964 30 German Grand Prix Nürburgring Porsche 718 Practice [18]
 John Taylor (UK)[note 11] August 7, 1966 33 German Grand Prix Nürburgring Brabham BT11 Race [30]
 Lorenzo Bandini (ITA)[note 12] May 7, 1967 31 Monaco Grand Prix Circuit de Monaco Ferrari 312 Race [31]
 Bob Anderson (UK) August 14, 1967 36 Test‡ Silverstone Circuit Brabham BT11 Test [32]
 Jo Schlesser (FRA) July 7, 1968 40 French Grand Prix Circuit de Rouen-les-Essarts Honda RA302 Race [33]
 Gerhard Mitter (FRG) August 1, 1969 33 German Grand Prix Nürburgring BMW 269 Practice [18]
 Martin Brain (UK) May 25, 1970 37 Nottingham Sports Car Club meeting† Silverstone Circuit Cooper T86B Race [34][35]
 Piers Courage (UK) June 21, 1970 28 Dutch Grand Prix Circuit Park Zandvoort De Tomaso 505/38 Race [36]
 Jochen Rindt (AUT) September 5, 1970 28 Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Lotus 72 Qualifying [15]
 Jo Siffert (SUI) October 24, 1971 35 World Championship Victory Race† Brands Hatch BRM P160 Race [37]
 Roger Williamson (UK) July 29, 1973 25 Dutch Grand Prix Circuit Park Zandvoort March 731 Race [18]
 François Cevert (FRA) October 6, 1973 29 United States Grand Prix Watkins Glen International Tyrrell 006 Qualifying [38]
 Peter Revson (USA) March 22, 1974 35 Test‡ Kyalami Racing Circuit Shadow DN3 Test [39]
 Helmuth Koinigg (AUT) October 6, 1974 25 United States Grand Prix Watkins Glen International Surtees TS16 Race [40]
 Mark Donohue (USA)[note 13] August 17, 1975 38 Austrian Grand Prix Österreichring March 751 Practice [18]
 Tom Pryce (UK)[note 14] March 5, 1977 27 South African Grand Prix Kyalami Racing Circuit Shadow DN8 Race [42]
 Brian McGuire (AUS)[note 15] August 29, 1977 31 Shellsport International Series Round 11† Brands Hatch McGuire BM1 Practice [43]
 Ronnie Peterson (SWE)[note 16] September 10, 1978 34 Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza Lotus 78 Race [45]
 Patrick Depailler (FRA) August 1, 1980 35 Test‡ Hockenheimring Alfa Romeo 179 Test [46]
 Gilles Villeneuve (CAN) May 8, 1982 32 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit Zolder Ferrari 126C Qualifying [47]
 Riccardo Paletti (ITA) June 13, 1982 23 Canadian Grand Prix Circuit Gilles Villeneuve Osella FA1C Race [18]
 Elio de Angelis (ITA)[note 17] May 14, 1986 28 Test‡ Circuit Paul Ricard Brabham BT55 Test [49]
 Roland Ratzenberger (AUT) April 30, 1994 33 San Marino Grand Prix Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari Simtek S941 Qualifying [50]
 Ayrton Senna (BRA)[note 18] May 1, 1994 34 Williams FW16 Race
 John Dawson-Damer (UK)[note 19] June 24, 2000 59 Goodwood Festival of Speed† Goodwood Hillclimb Lotus 63 Run [12]
 Fritz Glatz (AUT) July 14, 2002 58 Czech Superprix† Autodrom Most Footwork FA17 Race [13][52]
 Denis Welch (UK) July 27, 2014 69 Jack Brabham Memorial Trophy† Silverstone Circuit Lotus 18 Race [14]
 Jules Bianchi (FRA)[note 20] October 5, 2014 25 Japanese Grand Prix Suzuka International Racing Course Marussia MR03 Race [11]
 David Ferrer (FRA)[note 21] September 2, 2017 62 Historic Grand Prix† Circuit Park Zandvoort March 701 Race [53]

By type of event

Fatalities by type of event
Event Fatalities First Last
World Championship[note 22] 32 1953 2014
Testing[note 3] 7 1952 1986
Non-Championship & other[note 23] 13 1955 2017
Total 52 1952 2017

By nationality

Fatalities by Nationality
Nationality Total First Last
 United Kingdom 14 1952 2014
 United States 10 1953 1975
 Italy 7 1955 1986
 France 5 1968 2017
 Austria 4 1970 2002
 Germany 2 1961 1969
 Argentina 1 1954
 Australia 1977
 Belgium 1953
 Brazil 1994
 Canada 1982
 Mexico 1962
 Netherlands 1964
 Rhodesia and Nyasaland 1962
 Sweden 1978
  Switzerland 1971
Total for 16 nationalities 52 1952 2017

By circuit

Fatalities by Circuit
Circuit Total First Last
United States Indianapolis Motor Speedway 7 1953 1959
Germany Nürburgring 5 1954 1969
United Kingdom Silverstone Circuit 4 1960 2014
Italy Autodromo di Modena 3 1953 1961
United Kingdom Brands Hatch 1961 1977
Italy Autodromo Nazionale di Monza 1961 1978
Netherlands Circuit Park Zandvoort 1970 2017
Belgium Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps 2 1960
United States Watkins Glen International 1973 1974
South Africa Kyalami Racing Circuit 1974 1977
Italy Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari 1994
United Kingdom MIRA 1 1952
France Circuit de Pau-Ville 1955
France Circuit de Reims-Gueux 1958
Morocco Circuit d'Ain-Diab 1958
Mexico Autódromo Magdalena Mixiuhca 1962
South Africa Westmead Circuit 1962
Monaco Circuit de Monaco 1967
France Circuit de Rouen-les-Essarts 1968
Austria Österreichring 1975
Germany Hockenheimring 1980
Belgium Circuit Zolder 1982
Canada Circuit Gilles Villeneuve 1982
France Circuit Paul Ricard 1986
United Kingdom Goodwood Hillclimb 2000
Czech Republic Autodrom Most 2002
Japan Suzuka International Racing Course 2014
Total for 27 circuits 52 1952 2017

By decade

Fatalities by Decade
Decade Total First Last
1950s 15 1952 1959
1960s 14 1960 1969
1970s 12 1970 1978
1980s 4 1980 1986
1990s 2 1994 1994
2000s 2 2000 2002
2010s 3 2014 2017
Total 52 1952 2017

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f From 1950 to 1960, the Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Drivers' Championship, though the Indianapolis 500 was held to AAA regulations rather than Formula One regulations. During those 11 years, only once did a regular Formula One driver enter an Indianapolis 500 race, when eventual 1952 Formula One World Drivers' Champion Alberto Ascari competed in the 1952 race, retiring on lap 40 of 200.[17]
  2. ^ Non-championship events, organized by Formula One as officially-sanctioned events during a regular season, were discontinued after the 1983 Race of Champions
  3. ^ a b Fatalities during a test drive of a Formula One car that was not part of any competitive event. The first such fatality was an automotive engineer testing a team car during a Formula One season, while all others were then-current Formula One drivers testing their team car during a Formula One season.
  4. ^ Ayulo died on May 17, 1955, the day after his accident.[21]
  5. ^ Lewis-Evans died of burns on October 25, 1958, six days after his accident.[18]
  6. ^ Unser Jr. died of burns on May 17, 1959, fifteen days after his accident.[18]
  7. ^ Bristow and Stacey died in separate accidents.[18]
  8. ^ Unable to slow down his car because of technical failure, Cabianca drove through an open gate onto an adjoining public road where he hit several vehicles. Cabianca was killed along with three other people.[25]
  9. ^ Having collided with Clark, von Trips's car shot up the bank lining the track, hit a wire fence and struck several people gathered behind it while spinning in the air. Von Trips, who was ejected from the car, and fifteen spectators died.[26]
  10. ^ Godin de Beaufort died on August 2, 1964, the day after his accident.[29]
  11. ^ Taylor died of fifty per cent burns on September 8, 1966, thirty-two days after his accident.[30]
  12. ^ Bandini died on May 10, 1967, three days after his accident.[31]
  13. ^ After a tire had blown out, Donohue careened through a number of catch fences and billboards, a support post of which may have struck his helmet. He and Manfred Schaller, a track marshal who had been hit by debris, died on August 19, 1975, two days after the accident.[41]
  14. ^ Pryce and Frederick Jansen van Vuuren, a teenage volunteer safety marshal, were killed after colliding at high speed when Jansen van Vuuren was crossing the track to put out a fire.[42]
  15. ^ Experiencing a mechanical failure on his car, McGuire lost control and crashed into a marshals' post. He was killed along with track marshal John Thorpe.[43]
  16. ^ Peterson died in hospital on September 11, 1978, the day after his accident, as a result of fat embolism.[44]
  17. ^ De Angelis died on May 15, 1986, the day after his accident.[48]
  18. ^ Death of Ayrton Senna
  19. ^ Dawson-Damer crashed into a wooden gantry at the finish line, also killing Andrew Carpenter, a marshal, and seriously wounding another. The 59-year-old driver may have suffered a fatal heart attack before losing control of his car.[51]
  20. ^ Bianchi remained comatose in hospital until he succumbed to his injuries on July 17, 2015, more than nine months after his accident.[11]
  21. ^ Ferrer died on September 7, 2017, five days after his accident.[53]
  22. ^ Fatalities during practice, qualifying, or race at a Formula One World Championship event.
  23. ^ Fatalities during non-championship Formula One events organized as part of the official Formula One racing season (once common, such as the 14 non-championship races in 1963, these were discontinued after the single 1983 non-championship race), and other unassociated competitions using vintage Formula One cars.

References

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  31. ^ a b "Lorenzo Bandini". ESPN UK. Archived from the original on May 2, 2016.
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  43. ^ a b "News in brief: Brands Hatch crash kills 2". The Times. London. August 30, 1977. p. 1.
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