After his victory, Hawthorn celebrated with champagne. It was only ten years after the end of WWII, and dead bodies in the French countryside was fresh in everyone's memory. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images It was the most catastrophic crash in motorsport history, and it prompted Mercedes-Benz to withdraw from motor racing until 1989. Filmmaker Quentin Baillieux paints a picture of sport and tragedy at Circuit de la Sarthe. The car, lying on the track, was then hit by the Ferrari of, As the car was thrown off balance over the hump on the. The grandstand was demolished and rebuilt with new spectator terraces and a wide ditch between them and the racetrack. And the car's magnesium body burst into flames like a torch, burning others to death.. My instant reaction when he did it was, 'Bloody Mike Hawthorn, he must be out of his mind!' Other observers estimated the toll to be much higher. The accident happened at 6:26 pm, at the end of lap 35, when the first pit stops for the leading cars were starting. Levegh was thrown from the car and killed, while burning pieces of the car were flung into the crowd and caught fire, killing 83 others. 2023 Getty Images. 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. Now it's recorded that Mercedes pulled out of the race following the crash. Leveghs car skipped over a protective earthen berm at 200 km/h (125 mph) and made at least two impacts within the spectator area, the last of which caused it to disintegrate, throwing him onto the track where he was instantly killed, and sending large pieces of debris into the packed spectator area in front of the grandstand, including the engine block, front suspension, and hood. This put him into the path of Levegh's Mercedes, closing in at over 200km/h (120mph), intent on doing another lap and in front of Fangio, who was patiently waiting to pass. [34] The ban was lifted in May 2022.[35]. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images CREATIVE EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. A special Mass was held in the morning in the Le Mans Cathedral for the first funerals of the victims. Race car at Le Mans crashes into spectators, killing 82 In the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) dissolved their Contest Board that had been the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the U.S. (including the Indianapolis 500) since 1904. France kept the ban until they they made safety improvements to the tracks, such as breaking down the grandstands at the crash site. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. At the 24 Hueres Du Mans in July 1955, the inevitable finally happened. Search instead in Creative? Millions of high-quality images, video, and music options are waiting for you. It commemorates the deadliest accident in motorsport history, which took place at the 24 Hours of Le Mans race on June 11, 1955. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. Macklin swerved out from behind the slowing Jaguar into the path of Levegh, who was passing on the left in his much faster Elektron magnesium-alloy bodied Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. [14] The bonnet lid scythed through the air, "decapitating tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine. The AP reports that they were trying to beat out the flames on Levegh. Life reported that it was days before drivers put together exactly what happened and the public at large learned the gravity of the crash. Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images There was the inevitable finger-pointing as to whose fault this event was, but everyone was absolved of blame after a thorough investigation. Its sloping back acted like a ramp for Levegh's Mercedes, however, which flew into the air. Here you can see the damage it took and how it could've acted like a ramp. Show more. Neubauer got the French authorities to test residual fuel left in the wreck's fuel injection and the result vindicated the company. [36], The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a major crash that occurred on 11 June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. A major crash caused large fragments of debris to fly into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Bouillin (who raced under the name Pierre Levegh) and injuring nearly 180 more. The weather had closed in on Sunday morning and there was no victory celebration. Le Mans Motor Racing Disaster (1955) | British Path Watch on At least 83 spectators were killed and over a hundred more injured in the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. 'The hood decapitated tightly jammed spectators like a guillotine': Le 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. I am including all of his pictures preserved by the AP, as well as all of the photographs taken by the AP itself. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. On the 11th of June 1955, about 300,000 spectators gathered at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France for another endurance car race event. This became the semi-official pronouncement of the Mercedes team and Macklin's story. World Sports Car Championship.During the race, Pierre Levegh crashed into a crowd of spectators, killing 84 (including himself) and injuring 120 in the deadliest accident in motor racing history. Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. Collect, curate and comment on your files. Hawthorn and Bueb won the race by an easy margin of five laps from Aston Martin. The car overturned and exploded in flames following impact, killing Enjolras instantly. A reporter for Life magazine recounted that: the Mercedes took off like a rocket, struck the embankment beside the track, hurtled end over end and then disintegrated over the crowd. Entering the straight, his Matra veered off the inside of the track and exploded into flames. At 125 miles an hour, "he had no chance to do so himself.". Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. . Large pieces of debris, including the Mercedes' engine block, radiator, front suspension, and bonnet (hood), were sent flying into the packed spectator area in front of the grandstand. Also, there is the small matter of unconventional circuits, which unlike other competition which is held on private roads (which are consistently maintained), the Le Mans were held on long stretches of a public highway. By clicking on 'Sign Up' you will be the first to know about our latest and best sporting content on this browser. "But by overtaking me and braking sharply he forced me to overtake him again, which meant I had to pull out in front of Levegh and Fangio. Fourteen people were decapitated with the death toll in the crowd recorded at 83 - though more were believed to have succumbed to their injuries in the weeks and months afterward. Thirty-five laps in the worst disaster in motorsports history unfolded. 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. He wrote a book saying so, and Macklin then sued Hawthorn for libel. The French police files have never been opened, and one long time Le Mans racing chief later estimated the death toll at 130. 2023 Getty Images. Mercedes team manager Alfred Neubauer assembled a multinational team for the race: pairing his two best drivers Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss in the lead car, 1952 race-winner Karl Kling with Frenchman Andr Simon (both also in the current F1 team) and American John Fitch with one of the elder statesmen of French motor-racing, Pierre Levegh. Going into the second hour, Castellotti started dropping back, but Hawthorn and Fangio continued the duel, swapping the lead and dropping the lap record further and further, lapping most of the field.[4][5]. Select from premium Le Mans Disaster of the highest quality. The behemoths of sports racing all featured their sports cars with their respective drivers for another car racing festival. As the Austin-Healey moved across the road, Levegh raised his hand. Rassembler, slectionner et commenter vos fichiers. Neubauer limited himself to suggesting improvements to the pit straight and making pit-stops safer. In 1957, D-Types were placed 1-2-3-4-6, with only a solitary Ferrari in 5th spoiling the parade. Everything started when Hawthorn in his Jaguar cut in for the pits. Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. The wreckage was examined and tested and, finally, returned to Mercedes-Benz nearly twelve months after the catastrophe. Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. Vintage Everyday Footage of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. : r/WTF - reddit Large. In the current world of social distancing, it is hard to imagine the crowd of spectators who had squeezed into Le Mans on the afternoon of June 11, 1955. The first media accounts were wildly inaccurate, as shown by subsequent analysis of photographic evidence conducted by Road & Track editor (and 1955 second-place finisher) Paul Frre in 1975. Jaguar team manager "Lofty" England declined. (AP Photo/Jacques Marqueton), Spectators flee the searing flames of a smashed Mercedes racing car after an accident at Le Mans, France, endurance race which killed more than 80 persons, June 11, 1955. In 1969, it was bought for 155 (equivalent to 2,714 in 2021). Life in Harlem in 1970 Photographed by Jack Garofalo, The Burning Monk: The Story Behind the Shocking and Iconic Image of Thich Quang Duc Immolating Himself on a Saigon Street, 1963. In the United States, the American Automobile Association (AAA) dissolved their Contest Board that had been the primary sanctioning body for motorsport in the US (including the Indianapolis 500) since 1904. [25], Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. Bueb in particular was very reluctant, but given Hawthorn's condition had no choice, as Dewis firmly pointed out to him.[3]. 0. Le Mans 11th June 1955. [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. It had been Levegh's unprecedented solo drive in the 1952 race that failed in the last hour, which allowed Mercedes-Benz their first Le Mans victory. Levegh died in the 1955 Le Mans disaster which also killed 83 spectators during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans automobile race. On lap 35, Hawthorn and Fangio were racing as hard as ever. [2] Marius Mestivier was the first race fatality, occurring only a few hours after Guilbert's death. The Lola was completely destroyed, debris from the car were all around the forest, Bonnier had been killed upon impact. Five days after his accident, Hansgen died in the American military hospital of Orlans, France, where he had been admitted. I should say that the 'pits' were completely undivided from the racetrack back then. [32][33] In 2015, the ban was relaxed for electric vehicles only, such as cars involved in Formula E electric racing. Macklin, on reading Hawthorns 1958 autobiography, Challenge Me the Race, was embittered when he found that Hawthorn now disclaimed all responsibility for the crash without identifying who had caused it. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. Levegh would die before sunset. 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. [14][3][18], Hawthorn had overshot his pits and stopped. But after Hawthorne makes the move, he suddenly decides to cut right and breaks very hard to enter his pit area. Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies . The significant chunk of the car slammed into a concrete structure and disintegrated, causing the fuel tank to explode. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . Le Mans, France: The wreckage of the death car and bodies of some of the victims felled by the explosion on Saturday. A photographer captured Hawthorn slugging from the customary bottle of champagne presented to the victory - just over 20 hours after the tragedy. Bianchi decided to start early as organisers were speculating a wet session later in the day. 312 Le Mans 1955 Photos and Premium High Res Pictures - Getty Images EDITORIAL All Sports Entertainment News Archival Browse 312 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. That said, many contemporary race reports treat the crash unbelievably mildly. He recalled: "The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. 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. The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. In the history of racing disasters, the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans tragedy still exists in a category of . If you would like to manage your push notification preferences, you can do so here. 63 1955 LE MANS DISASTER Premium High Res Photos [15][8] The Jaguar team in turn questioned the fitness and competence of Macklin and Levegh as drivers. It smacked the barrier and the road shoulder rolling at hurtling speeds through 85 yards and over a further 100 yards, the engine, radiator, and suspension already ablaze were flung through a cluster of spectators destroying everything and anything in its part. Browse 311 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. 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. In the days after the disaster, several explanations were offered by Faroux for this course of action. This race report shows the crash, though the video is curiously backwards. Leveghs car, which was estimated to be travelling at over 150mph (240khm), flipped over and flew on before slamming into the bank by the spectator enclosure. Racing fuel exploded. 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. The 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans was the 23rd 24 Hours of Le Mans and took place on 11 and 12 June 1955 on Circuit de la Sarthe.It was also the fourth round of the F.I.A. Only two cars were involved in the disaster. Search instead in Creative? What stands out in these pictures is the confusion. The 1955 Le Mans disaster was a major crash that occurred on 11 June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Here, a man holds the body of a child. Catastrophe aux 24 heures du Mans en 1955 (France 3 Ouest, 2008), Apokalypse in Le Mans Das Rennen in den Tod (2010), Deadliest Crash: the Le Mans 1955 Disaster (Programme Website), "Crash and carnage at 150 mph This is how the worst racing accident happened", "1955 24 Hours of Le Mans - History, Profile, Information and Photos", "Mike Hawthorn & the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans: The Cause and the Effect", "BBC Four - The Deadliest Crash: the Le Mans 1955 Disaster", "1956 Sebring 12 Hours Grand Prix - Race Photos, History, Profile", "Switzerland Officially Lifts 67-Year Ban On Circuit Racing", "Sir Jackie Stewart and Halo: No stranger to F1 safety ridicule", "Historic Austin-Healey car in Le Mans disaster to fetch '1m at auction", "1953 Austin-Healey has been restored to its former glory", Le Mans 1955 from The Mike Hawthorn Tribute Site, Newsreel footage of the 1955 race and crash, Life Magazine report of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster, 1955 Le Mans Disaster depicted and analyzed in depth by a witness (currently available only in French), Deadliest Crash: The Le Mans 1955 Disaster, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=1955_Le_Mans_disaster&oldid=1142738568, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2017, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Wikipedia articles needing clarification from March 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, that if the huge crowd of spectators had tried to leave, that firms participating in the race could have sued the race organizers for huge sums of money, that "the rough law of sport dictates that the race shall go on"; Faroux specifically pointing to the, that he did not, in fact, have the authority to stop the race at all, and that, This page was last edited on 4 March 2023, at 02:57. Just How Horrifying Was The Worst Crash In Motorsports, Le Mans '55? The action was still unresolved when Hawthorn was killed in a non-racing crash on the Guildford bypass in 1959, coincidentally while overtaking a Mercedes-Benz in his Jaguar. Sign in The Worst Accident in. RELATED: These Le Mans Racers Dominated The Worlds Most Famous Race. These were the days of patriots racing Red, Blue, Green, White and Silver cars for the national glory of their country. June 11, 2020 The Jaguar team in turn questioned the fitness and competence of Macklin and Levegh as drivers. In picture, shown on Finishing Straight, car numbered '25' (Jaguar Works, XKD 605, 'long-nose') was 6th at Le Mans in 1956. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. The wreckage was examined and tested and, finally, returned to Mercedes-Benz nearly 12 months after the catastrophe. In the end the enquiry ruled that no specific driver was responsible for the crash, and that it was merely a terrible racing incident. They argued that if the accident was announced, panic might sweep through the spectators and flood the streets, and that will make crowd control extreme and might have made rescue efforts very difficult. 1950s, accident & disaster, event & history, footage & video, france, Le Mans, sports, vehicles The greatest carmakers in the world were competing, as were the best drivers. This forced Swiss racing promoters to organize circuit events in foreign countries including France, Italy, and West Germany. In picture, car numbered '17' (Equipe Los Amigos, XKD 513, 'short-nose') was third at Le Mans in 1957. The accident caused, Just ten minutes into the race, Simonsen spun off the kerbs and into the Armco barrier on the exit of Tertre Rouge where it joined RD 338 (, This page was last edited on 19 February 2023, at 23:30. 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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. Footage of the 1955 Le Mans Disaster. Extricating the Dead and Dying. [3] Levegh was thrown out of his tumbling car and hit the ground, crushing his skull upon impact and killing him instantly. - '"[6][7] The lap before, Hawthorn's pit crew had signalled for him to come in the next lap. ". The 1955 Le Mans disaster occurred during the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race, when a crash caused large parts of racing car debris to fly into the crowd. [14][9] As a result, the car burned for several hours. The main aim of the competition is basically to test the endurance of sports cars. 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Pierre Levegh, aged 49, had been hired by Mercedes-Benz . The 24 Hours of Le Mans is safer, much safer, than it was in 1955, but it is still a deadly track. His Mercedes Benz clipped the edge of the Austin Healey and was launched skywards. It was Hawthorn's Jaguar that started the whole incident, after all. Paul Frere - It is completely clear from these photographs that Hawthorn did not make a sudden-brake-and-pull-sharp-right manoeuvre only a short distance from the pits Tony Bailey No use without acknowledgement Plagiarism of this site will NOT be tolerated Home Home It is one part of the Triple Crown of Motorsport, including the Indianapolis 500 and the Monaco Grand Prix. The investigation zeroed in on Hawthorns attempt to overtake British driver Lance Macklins Austin Healey and a sudden catastrophic decision to pit. The fuel fire raised the temperature of the remaining Elektron bodywork past its ignition temperature, which was lower than that of other metal alloys due to its high magnesium content. [40], Macklin's Austin-Healey 100 was sold to several private buyers before appearing on the public auction block. Documentary about the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race in which Pierre Levegh's Mercedes went into the crowd killing 83 and injuring 120, the worst disaster in motor racing history. The doctor laid the boy in his car. 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. With the Mercedes-Benz team withdrawn and the Ferraris all broken, Jaguars main competition had gone. Tap into Getty Images global-scale, data-driven insights and network of over 340,000creators to create content exclusively for your brand. [36] Tertre Rouge was moved about 200m and new tyre barriers were installed at the exit in 2014. Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . The discussion focused on traffic policy and environmental questions rather than on safety.