List of Formula One fatal accidents
This is a list of Formula One fatal accidents, which consists of all the drivers who have died during a FIA World Championship race weekend, or elsewhere while driving a Formula One car. It does not include track marshals and other race attendees, or F1 races held before the inauguration of the World Championship in 1950. Forty-five drivers have died in this fashion, 24 during a World Championship Grand Prix race weekend, 8 during Indianapolis 500 World Championship events, 9 during a test session and 4 during a non-championship Formula One event.
Fifteen drivers died in the 1950s; twelve in the 1960s; ten in the 1970s; four in the 1980s and two in the 1990s. No drivers have been involved in a fatal accident since 1994. Drivers from the United States of America have had the most fatal accidents with eleven drivers from that country having died, although eight of these were while participating in the Indy 500 during the 1950s when it was part of the Formula One World Championship.
Driver | Date of accident | Race | Circuit | Car | During |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Chet Miller | 15 May 1953 | 1953 Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Championship from 1950 until 1960. In this context, an Indianapolis 500 "event" includes both the race itself and all the testing, practice and qualifying sessions in the so-called "month of May" leading up to the race. | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Practice |
Charles de Tornaco | Sep 18, 1953 | Test | Modena Autodrome | Ferrari | Test |
Onofre Marimón | Jul 31, 1954 | 1954 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Maserati | Practice |
Manny Ayulo | 16 May 1955 | 1955 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kuzma | Practice |
Bill Vukovich | 30 May 1955 | 1955 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Race |
Eugenio Castellotti | Mar 14, 1957 | Test | Modena Autodrome | Ferrari | Test |
Keith Andrews | 15 May 1957 | 1957 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Practice |
Pat O'Connor | 30 May 1958 | 1958 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Race |
Luigi Musso | Jul 6, 1958 | 1958 French Grand Prix | Reims-Gueux | Ferrari | Race |
Peter Collins | Aug 3, 1958 | 1958 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Ferrari | Race |
Stuart Lewis-Evans | Sep 19, 1958 | 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix | Ain-Diab Circuit | Vanwall | Race |
Jerry Unser | 17 May 1959 | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Pre-race test |
Bob Cortner | 19 May 1959 | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Cornis | Pre-race test |
Harry Schell | 13 May 1960 | International Trophy International Trophy was not a part of the 1960 world championship. | Silverstone | Cooper | Qualifying |
Chris Bristow | Jun 19, 1960 | 1960 Belgian Grand PrixAlthough both drivers died at the same Grand Prix, Alan Stacey and Chris Bristow were not involved in the same accident. Bristow died on the 19th lap after being thrown out of his car, a result of losing control of his car at Malmedy, while Stacey died on the 24th lap after a bird flew into his face and he lost control of his car. | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | Cooper | Race |
Alan Stacey | Jun 19, 1960 | 1960 Belgian Grand Prix | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | Lotus | Race |
Giulio Cabianca | Jun 15, 1961 | Test | Modena Autodrome | Cooper | Test |
Wolfgang von Trips Fifteen spectators were also killed in Von Trips' fatal accident. | Sep 10, 1961 | 1961 Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Ferrari | Race |
Ricardo Rodríguez At the age of 20 years, 8 months and 18 days, Ricardo Rodríguez is the youngest person to have suffered a fatal accident in Formula One. | Nov 1, 1962 | 1962 Mexican Grand Prix | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez | Lotus | Practice |
Gary Hocking | Dec 21, 1962 Hocking was killed in a Formula One practice Session. He was killed one week prior to his first Formula One Grand Prix. | 1962 Natal Grand Prix | Westmead Circuit | Lotus | Practice |
Carel Godin de Beaufort | Aug 2, 1964 | 1964 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Porsche | Practice |
John Taylor | Aug 7, 1966 John Taylor died of serious burns a few weeks after the accident on 8 September 1966 in Koblenz, Germany. | 1966 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Brabham | Race |
Lorenzo Bandini | 7 May 1967 Lorenzo Bandini died of serious burns three days after his accident . | 1967 Monaco Grand Prix | Circuit de Monaco | Ferrari | Race |
Bob Anderson | Aug 14, 1967 | Test | Silverstone | Brabham | Test |
Jo Schlesser | Jul 7, 1968 | 1968 French Grand Prix | Rouen-Les-Essarts | Honda | Race |
Gerhard Mitter | Aug 2, 1969 | 1969 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | BMW Mitter was driving a Formula Two car. F2 cars were allowed to take part in the F1 race as part of a separate contest. | Practice |
Piers Courage | Jun 7, 1970 | 1970 Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort | De Tomaso | Race |
Jochen Rindt After his death, Jochen Rindt was declared champion after his rivals failed to overhaul his points tally four Grands Prix later. | Sep 5, 1970 | 1970 Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Lotus | Qualifying |
Jo Siffert | Oct 24, 1971 | 1971 World Championship Victory Race The World Championship Victory Race was not a part of the 1971 world championship. | Brands Hatch | BRM | Race |
Roger Williamson | Jul 29, 1973 | 1973 Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort | March | Race |
François Cevert | Oct 6, 1973 | 1973 United States Grand Prix | Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course | Tyrrell | Qualifying |
Peter Revson | Mar 30, 1974 | 1974 South African Grand Prix | Kyalami | Shadow | Pre-race test |
Helmut Koinigg | Oct 6, 1974 | 1974 United States Grand Prix | Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course | Surtees | Race |
Mark Donohue | Aug 19, 1975 | 1975 Austrian Grand Prix | Österreichring | Penske | Practice |
Tom Pryce As well as Tom Pryce, Jansen Van Vuuren, a teenage volunteer safety marshal, died in the accident after Pryce collided with him at high speed. | Mar 5, 1977 | 1977 South African Grand Prix | Kyalami | Shadow | Race |
Brian McGuire | Aug 29, 1977 McGuire was killed in a Shellsport Formula One Race at Brands Hatch, which was not part of the Formula One Championship. | 1977 Shellsport Championship Round 11 Shellsport Championship Round 11 was not a part of the 1977 World Championship. | Brands Hatch | Williams | Practice |
Ronnie Peterson | Sep 11, 1978 Peterson died in hospital the following day. | 1978 Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Lotus | Race |
Patrick Depailler | Aug 1, 1980 | Test | Hockenheimring | Alfa Romeo | Test |
Gilles Villeneuve | 8 May 1982 Villeneuve died in hospital later that day. | 1982 Belgian Grand Prix | Zolder | Ferrari | Qualifying |
Riccardo Paletti | Jun 13, 1982 | 1982 Canadian Grand Prix | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | Osella | Race |
Elio de Angelis | 15 May 1986 | Test | Circuit Paul Ricard | Brabham | Test |
Roland Ratzenberger | Apr 30, 1994 | 1994 San Marino Grand Prix | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | Simtek | Qualifying |
Ayrton Senna | 1 May 1994 | 1994 San Marino Grand Prix | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | Williams | Race |
By circuit
Rank | Circuit | Fatal accidents | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | First | Last | ||
1 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | 8 | 1953 | 1959 |
2 | Nürburgring | 5 | 1954 | 1969 |
3 | Modena Autodrome | 3 | 1953 | 1961 |
Autodromo Nazionale Monza | 1961 | 1978 | ||
6 | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | 2 | 1960 | 1960 |
Silverstone Circuit | 1960 | 1967 | ||
Circuit Zandvoort | 1970 | 1973 | ||
Watkins Glen International | 1973 | 1974 | ||
Brands Hatch | 1971 | 1977 | ||
Kyalami | 1974 | 1977 | ||
Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | 1994 | 1994 | ||
11 | Reims-Gueux | 1 | 1958 | |
Ain-Diab Circuit | 1958 | |||
Charade Circuit | 1959 | |||
Westmead Circuit | 1962 | |||
Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez | 1962 | |||
Circuit de Monaco | 1967 | |||
Rouen-Les-Essarts | 1968 | |||
Österreichring | 1975 | |||
Hockenheimring | 1980 | |||
Zolder | 1982 | |||
Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | 1982 | |||
Circuit Paul Ricard | 1986 |