Browse 305 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. Innocence - along with a tragic human toll - was lost forever. The pits and grandstands had been reconstructed, but there were no barriers between the pit lane and the racing line, and only a 4ft (1.2m) earthen bank between the track and the spectators. The media also speculated on the violent fire that engulfed the wreck, which intensified when fire marshals poured their water-based extinguishers on the flames. One spectator actually recorded the crash head-on. Neubauer limited himself to suggesting improvements to the pit straight and making pit-stops safer. I stood as if in a dream, too horrified to even think., Mike Hawthorn and the Jaguar team kept racing. [25][26] Their retirement was briefly announced over the public address system. The announcer claims that the sand trap has "claimed another victim." A photographer captured Hawthorn slugging from the customary bottle of champagne presented to the victory - just over 20 hours after the tragedy. [42] The car retained the original engine SPL 261-BN,[41] but was reported to be in 'barn find' condition. When he pit stopped during the next lap, he staggered out of the car completely distraught, adamant that he had caused the catastrophe. [14] Half an hour after the crash Fitch realised that news was probably being broadcast on the radio, and he needed to telephone his family to reassure them that he was not the driver of the crashed car. During the closing period of the preliminary practice session, Weber took an unscheduled lap of the circuit. This newsreel without sound shows the crash as it actually happened. Bueb in particular was very reluctant, but given Hawthorn's condition had no choice, as Dewis firmly pointed out to him.[3]. When the rest of Levegh's car landed on the embankment, the rear-mounted fuel tank exploded. During a downpour of rain at dusk, Brussin entered the Dunlop Curve too fast and rolled after hitting an earth bank. 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. Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, watching from the pit wall, recalled, The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. The crash happened only a few hours into the race, just as the leaders started making their first pit stops. It was a sort of victory for motorsports somehow, a pyrrhic victory, albeit. 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. There had been claims that when Lafosse attempted to make up for lost time, either suspension or tyre failure caused the car to veer off suddenly into the barrier.[2][30][31]. Maybe that's what makes these pictures still so very chilling. Aside from two layout changes to make the circuit shorter, the Circuit de la Sarthe was largely unaltered since the inception of the race in 1923, when top speeds of cars were typically in the region of 100km/h (60mph). Le Mans, France: Rescue workers pursue the grim task of extricating . As a result, Macklin's car veered across to the centre of the track, apparently briefly out of control. That said, the circuit had been resurfaced and widened after the Second World War. With his eyes shut, Fangio with his own quick reflexes squeezed through the carnage and brushed Hawthorn's then-stationary Jaguar in the pits, allowing him to pass unscathed. Even at the scene, it doesn't look like anyone knows what's going on. In the background are the pit stalls for the racers. Bianchi decided to start early as organisers were speculating a wet session later in the day. Search instead in Creative? The film cuts short as the recorder dives for cover. A single accident that caused death and destruction on an unprecedented scale. John Fitch, Levegh's American co-driver, had suited up and was ready to take over the car at the upcoming pit stop, and was standing with Levegh's wife Denise Bouillin. 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. Fifty-nine years ago, the 1955 Le Mans 24-hour race started like any other. Three drivers were involved in the incident: Mike Hawthorne (Jaguar D Type), Lance Macklin (Austin Healey 100s), and Pierre Levegh (Mercedes 300SLR). Le design Getty Images est une marque de Getty Images. [8][9] What caught Macklin out though was that Hawthorn, using the Jaguar's advanced disc brakes, braked hard enough to slow his Jaguar from such a speed in time.[10][11][12][13]. The investigations and reviews of the accident continued for a year and a half afterwards. Much recrimination was directed at Hawthorn, saying that he had suddenly cut in front of Macklin and slammed on the brakes near the entrance to the pits, forcing Macklin to take desperate evasive action into the path of Levegh. Police managed to drag the Austin-Healey to the other side of the track. With the Mercedes team withdrawn and the Ferraris all out of commission, Jaguar's main competition had gone. [36] Tertre Rouge was moved about 200m and new tyre barriers were installed at the exit in 2014. One newsreel, minutes after describing the crash, goes on to talk about a car getting stuck in a sandy embankment. Levegh would die before sunset. During late night practice, a week before the race, Michelot went out to test one of the cars during the night following a meal at the Hunaudires restaurant. Boards are the best place to save images and video clips. 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. The 1955 Le Mans disaster of 11th June 1955 during the 24 Hours of Le Mans motor race at Circuit de la Sarthe in Le Mans, Sarthe, France. Look at how dense the crowd was. 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. In 1969, it was bought for 155 (equivalent to 2,714 in 2021). While all of this unfolded, the race continued. On that date, the Ministry of the Interior released new regulations for racing events and codified the approval process that future racing events would need to follow. Accounts put the death toll at 80 to 84 (spectators plus Levegh), either by flying debris or from the fire, with a further 120 to 178 injured. During trials the veteran. At the time, it took over six hours for the team to withdraw its cars. Here he is, still in his car after crossing the finish line, reaching up for a kiss from a local girl. Its sloping back acted like a ramp for Levegh's Mercedes, however, which flew into the air. The Le Mans endurance race is organized by France's Automobile Club de L'Ouest and has been held . . Years later Fitch claimed, based on his own recollection and from what he heard from others, that Hawthorn had caused it. 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. Eighty-three spectators and driver Pierre Levegh perished at the scene with 120 more injured in the most catastrophic accident in motorsport history The Getty Images design is a trademark of Getty Images. The scene in the aftermath was hellish. "I believe he wanted to turn the car over at his stop, still in the lead. June 11, 2020 That was the exact number of spectators killed during the Le Mans disaster. The accident happened at 6:26 pm, at the end of lap 35, when the first pit stops for the leading cars were starting. He had just lapped Levegh (running sixth) after Arnage (one of the corners of the race track) and was determined to keep Fangio at bay as long as possible. [14] When Fitch returned to his pit, he urged the Mercedes team to withdraw from the race, as continuing to compete would be a public relations disaster for Mercedes-Benz regardless of whether they won or lost. At Arnage during the final hours of the race, Marchal's Aston Martin spun while attempting to pass another competitor. Last year, Aston Martin GT driver Allan Simonsen died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree. 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. Registered in Ireland: 523712. died when he crashed into an insufficiently protected tree, crashed and nearly careened over a low wall into a large row of photographers. [3], Both Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz issued official statements, mainly in self-defense against the accusations leveled against them and their drivers. An initial news report claims 82 spectators killed, some decapitated by a flying hood "like a guillotine." NOJ393 after its restoration by Steve Pike and before its sale at auction by Bonhams. All of this was from one car cutting through the crowd alone. Having achieved that, Mercedes withdrew from motorsport. Fast forward two hours and 26 minutes later, and disaster struck. Putting another lap on Macklin coming up to the main straight, Hawthorn then raised his hand to indicate he was pitting and pulled across to the right (from Hawthorn's testimony). [3], Jaguar driver Duncan Hamilton, watching from the pit wall, recalled, "The scene on the other side of the road was indescribable. With the Mercedes-Benz team withdrawn and the Ferraris all broken, Jaguars main competition had gone. Macklin also decided to retire after being involved in another fatal crash, during the 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy race at Dundrod Circuit. Just behind Hawthorn was a much slower Austin-Healey, actually a lap down on Hawthorn. 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 What stands out in these pictures is the confusion. Both Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz issued official statements, mainly in self-defense against the accusations leveled against them and their drivers. Norman Dewis ventured the opinions that Macklins move around Hawthorn was careless and that Levegh was not competent to meet the demands of driving at the speeds the 300SLR was capable of. Streamline your workflow with our best-in-class digital asset management system. 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. 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. Hawthorn!")[28][3]. Showing Editorial results for le mans 1955. It does not include track marshals and spectators other race attendees, including the 1955 disaster which claimed the lives of 83 spectators. "He pulled across in front of me, and then I remember being surprised to see his brake lights come on. . The car landed on the earthen embankment between the spectators and the track, bounced, then slammed into a concrete stairwell structure and disintegrated. Search instead in Creative? In total, two drivers died in the 1920s, another two in the 1930s, one in the 1940s, five in the 1950s, six in the 1960s, two in the 1970s, two in the 1980s, one in the 1990s, none in the 2000s, and one in the 2010s. Levegh's wife was inconsolable and Fitch stayed with her until she could be comforted. Neubauer got the French authorities to test residual fuel left in the wreck's fuel injection and the result vindicated the company. The Austin-Healey driver had to swerve out of the way as Hawthorn darted into the pits. In other racing events where a car's ability is based on how fast it moves and in record time, this is a test of car reliability. One marshal tried to douse the burning wreckage with water and sent huge bursts of white hot fire into the crowd, killing more as this recent history explains. As callous as that might sound, there was a justifiable reason. Browse 265 le mans 1955 stock photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more stock photos and images. The dead and dying were everywhere; the cries of pain, anguish, and despair screamed catastrophe. Drivers run to their cars for the start of the Le Mans 24 hour race in Le Mans, France on June 11, 1955. Vintage Everyday The horror of the crash caused some drivers present, including Americans Fitch (after completing the season with Mercedes), Phil Walters (who had been offered a drive with Ferrari for the rest of the season[2]), and Sherwood Johnston, to retire from racing. Opinions differed widely amongst the other drivers as to who was directly to blame for the crash, and such differences remain even today. In its silence, you sense the horror of what's being recorded. Filmmaker Quentin Baillieux paints a picture of sport and tragedy at Circuit de la Sarthe. Access the best of Getty Images with our simple subscription plan. In all, a total of 22 drivers have died in and around the Circuit de la Sarthe,[1] with more than half occurring along the circuit's Mulsanne Straight. 77 deaths at Le Mans Mon 13 Jun 1955 04.33 EDT Le Mans, June 12 Le Mans is in mourning today for the 77 people killed when the blazing wreckage of a Mercedes sports car crashed through. The doctor laid the boy in his car. Tap into Getty Images' global scale, data-driven insights, and network of more than 340,000 creators to create content exclusively for your brand. [31] In contrast, Switzerland's ban, which also extended to the running of timed motorsports such as hillclimbs, was not quickly lifted. 24 Hours du Mans (in French), held at the Circuit de la Sarthe in Northern France, is a 24 hours' endurance-focused sports car race that started in 1923. Mike-Hawthorn.org.uk hosts right here a 1993 report on the race, and includes a comment from 'Lofty' England, the Jaguar team boss. 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. Tirez parti du rseau mondial GettyImages, avec plus de 340 000 crateurs, pour dvelopper un contenu exclusif, cr spcialement pour votre marque. D-Type Jaguars won the Le Mans 24hr endurance race in 1955, 1956 and 1957. An explosion followed, sending metal into the crowd of spectators. As his, Woolfe had purchased one of the new and high-powered Porsche 917s, and Porsche's own, RD140 (between Mulsanne and Indianapolis). The other team cars were being kept on tighter leashes to conserve the cars, but still racing in the top ten. 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. The disaster at Le Mans heralded a new era for motorsports with more technological innovations to improve sports cars and driver's safety. [36], The official government inquiry into the accident called officials, drivers, and team personnel to be questioned and give evidence. Most spectators at the race were still oblivious to the accident that just happened. Behind these fleeing spectators is the scene where many were killed when hit by flying pieces of the racer which exploded after crashing into a retaining wall. In the history of racing disasters, the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans tragedy still exists in a category of . Organisez, contrlez, distribuez et mesurez tous vos contenus digitaux. [25] In the end the enquiry ruled that no specific driver was responsible for the crash, and that it was merely a terrible racing incident. Flying metal following the explosion killed some 80 and injured many spectators. The images may be black and white but even the faded frames of a tragedy 65 years ago still pack a powerful punch. Here you can see the damage it took and how it could've acted like a ramp. "There was a doctor who was carrying his young son on his shoulders," Raymonde Galisson, a Le Mans resident who was among the spectators that day, told Sports Illustrated. Behind them were two Mercedes: Levegh ahead of Fangio. Large pieces of debris flew into the crowd, killing 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh, and injuring nearly 180 more. So what are we, in 2014, left with? The driver (Pierre Levegh) was killed, as were 83 spectators. [3][25][27], Hawthorn and the Jaguar team kept racing. On 10 June 2009, the Stnderat (upper house of the Swiss parliament) defeated a proposal to lift the ban for the second time. This is another in the series made by US soldier Jimmy Prickett of Electra, Texas. A police officer helps carry out an injured man, dazed. [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. . 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. 1955 - the Le Mans Crash in 90+ pictures from the Mike Hawthorn Tribute Site. On Sunday morning, Bonnier approached the Indianapolis bend before Arnage and tried to avoid the slowly driven Ferrari 365GTB4 #35 of Florian Vetsch. 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]. The Mercedes' body was partially made of a magnesium alloy. Simplifiez votre flux de travail avec notre systme de gestion des fichiers numriques. (AP Photo/Jimmy Prickett). Cole was killed when his Ferrari left the road, impacting one of several farm houses lining the road at Maison Blanche. At 125 miles an hour, "he had no chance to do so himself.". The circuit at Le Mans is incredibly long, and information was even more sparse away from the immediate vicinity of the crash. A further 120 people were injured. It ended with the usual champagne, as well. As the Austin-Healey moved across the road, Levegh raised his hand.