List of Fatal Accidents in F1

Over the years, a total of 50 Formula One drivers have tragically lost their lives while participating in the sport. Thanks to significant advancements in safety, the frequency of fatal accidents has decreased substantially. Marussia driver Jules Bianchi is the most recent Formula One driver to die as a result of an accident.

Since its inception in 1950, Formula One has witnessed 32 driver fatalities during Grand Prix weekends, 7 during test sessions, and 12 in non-championship events. The list below honours all drivers who lost their lives in accidents involving Formula One car during race weekends, training sessions, and other related events.

Fatal Accidents in F1. A Complete List.

Fifteen drivers lost their lives in the 1950s, followed by 14 in the 1960s, 13 in the 1970s, 4 in the 1980s, 2 in the 1990s, and 2 more in the 21st century. The United Kingdom has the highest number of fatalities, with 12 British Drivers losing their lives in Formula One cars.

The Indianapolis Motor Speedway stands out as the track with the most accidents, claiming the lives of seven drivers during the Indianapolis 500, which was part of the World Championship in the 1950s.

Austrian and Lotus driver Jochen Rindt is the only driver to be crowned world champion posthumously following his death during a qualifying session in 1970. Williams driver Ayrton Senna, a former world champion, tragically died during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix.

The following table displays a list of F1 drivers who were killed while driving a Formula One car, including those killed during a:

• Grand Prix
• Qualifying
• Practice
• Pre-race test
• Private test session
• Non-championship event
• Historic event

No.	Country	Driver	Age	Date Of Accident	Event	Car	Session
1	United Kingdom	Cameron Earl	29	18 June, 1952	N/A	ERA	Test
2	United States	Chet Miller	50	15 May, 1953	1953 Indianapolis 500	Kurtis Kraft	Practice
3	Belgium	Charles de Tornaco	26	18 September, 1953	1953 Modena Grand Prix	Ferrari	Practice
4	Argentina	Onofre Marimón	30	31 July, 1954	1954 German Grand Prix	Maserati	Practice
5	Italy	Mario Alborghetti	26	11 April, 1955	1955 Pau Grand Prix	Maserati	Race
6	United States	Manny Ayulo	33	16 May, 1955	1955 Indianapolis 500	Kuzma	Practice
7	United States	Bill Vukovich	36	30 May, 1955	1955 Indianapolis 500	Kurtis Kraft	Race
8	Italy	Eugenio Castellotti	26	14 March, 1957	N/A	Ferrari	Test
9	United States	Keith Andrews	36	15 May, 1957	1957 Indianapolis 500	Kurtis Kraft	Practice
10	United States	Pat O’Connor	29	30 May, 1958	1958 Indianapolis 500	Kurtis Kraft	Race
11	Italy	Luigi Musso	33	6 July, 1958	1958 French Grand Prix	Ferrari	Race
12	United Kingdom	Peter Collins	26	3 August, 1958	1958 German Grand Prix	Ferrari	Race
13	United Kingdom	Stuart Lewis-Evans	28	19 September, 1958	1958 Moroccan Grand Prix	Vanwall	Race
14	United States	Jerry Unser Jr.	26	17 May, 1959	1959 Indianapolis 500	Kurtis Kraft	Pre-race test
15	United States	Harry Schell	38	13 May, 1960	1960 BRDC International Trophy	Cooper	Practice
16	United States	Bob Cortner	32	19 May, 1959	1959 Indianapolis 500	Cornis	Pre-race test
17	United Kingdom	Chris Bristow	22	19 June, 1960	1960 Belgian Grand Prix	Cooper	Race
18	United Kingdom	Alan Stacey	26	19 June, 1960	1960 Belgian Grand Prix	Lotus	Race
19	United Kingdom	Shane Summers	24	1 June, 1961	1961 Silver City Trophy	Cooper	Practice
20	Italy	Giulio Cabianca	38	15 June, 1961	N/A	Cooper	Test
21	Germany	Wolfgang von Trips	33	10 September, 1961	1961 Italian Grand Prix	Ferrari	Race
22	Mexico	Ricardo Rodríguez	20	1 November, 1962	1962 Mexican Grand Prix	Lotus	Practice
23	Rhodesia	Gary Hocking	25	21 December, 1962	1962 Natal Grand Prix	Lotus	Practice
24	Netherlands	Carel Godin de Beaufort	30	2 August, 1964	1964 German Grand Prix	Porsche	Practice
25	United Kingdom	John Taylor	33	7 August, 1966	1966 German Grand Prix	Brabham	Race
26	Italy	Lorenzo Bandini	31	7 May, 1967	1967 Monaco Grand Prix	Ferrari	Race
27	United Kingdom	Bob Anderson	36	14 August, 1967	N/A	Brabham	Test
28	France	Jo Schlesser	40	7 July, 1968	1968 French Grand Prix	Honda	Race
29	Germany	Gerhard Mitter	33	2 August, 1969	1969 German Grand Prix	BMW	Practice
30	United Kingdom	Martin Brain	37	25 May, 1970	Nottingham Sportscar Club Meeting	Cooper	Race
31	United Kingdom	Piers Courage	28	7 June, 1970	1970 Dutch Grand Prix	De Tomaso	Race
32	Austria	Jochen Rindt	28	5 September, 1970	1970 Italian Grand Prix	Lotus	Qualifying
33	Switzerland	Jo Siffert	35	24 October, 1971	1971 World Championship Victory Race	BRM	Race
34	United Kingdom	Roger Williamson	25	29 July, 1973	1973 Dutch Grand Prix	March	Race
35	France	François Cevert	29	6 October, 1973	1973 United States Grand Prix	Tyrrell	Qualifying
36	United States	Peter Revson	35	22 March, 1974	1974 South African Grand Prix	Shadow	Pre-race test
37	Austria	Helmuth Koinigg	25	6 October, 1974	1974 United States Grand Prix	Surtees	Race
38	United States	Mark Donohue	38	19 August, 1975	1975 Austrian Grand Prix	Penske	Practice
39	United Kingdom	Tom Pryce	27	5 March, 1977	1977 South African Grand Prix	Shadow	Race
40	Australia	Brian McGuire	31	29 August, 1977	1977 Shellsport Championship	McGuire	Practice
41	Sweden	Ronnie Peterson	34	10 September, 1978	1978 Italian Grand Prix	Lotus	Race
42	France	Patrick Depailler	35	1 August, 1980	N/A	Alfa Romeo	Test
43	Canada	Gilles Villeneuve	32	8 May, 1982	1982 Belgian Grand Prix	Ferrari	Qualifying
44	Italy	Riccardo Paletti	23	13 June, 1982	1982 Canadian Grand Prix	Osella	Race
45	Italy	Elio de Angelis	28	15 May, 1986	N/A	Brabham	Test
46	Austria	Roland Ratzenberger	33	30 April, 1994	1994 San Marino Grand Prix	Simtek	Qualifying
47	Brazil	Ayrton Senna	34	1 May, 1994	1994 San Marino Grand Prix	Williams	Race
48	United Kingdom	John Dawson-Damer	59	24 June, 2000	2000 Goodwood Festival of Speed	Lotus	Demonstration
49	Austria	Fritz Glatz	58	14 July, 2002	2002 EuroBOSS Series Season	Footwork	Race
50	France	Jules Bianchi	25	5 October, 2014	2014 Japanese Grand Prix	Marussia	Race

Deaths in Formula One

Drivers have always lived on the edge, pushing the limits of speed and endurance. Over time, significant improvements in safety have drastically reduced the number of serious injuries and fatalities in the sport, however, the early years of the championship were marked by a grim toll.

Cameron Earl

18 June, 1952

The first recorded driver fatality in F1 was Cameron Earl. He tragically lost his life during a private test session for English Racing Automobiles at the Motor Industry Research Association’s test circuit in England. Earl was just 29 years old when he succumbed to skull fractures sustained after his ERA R14B car overturned.

Chet Miller

15 May, 1953

Chet Miller holds the distinction of being the oldest driver to die in a Formula One car, tragically losing his life at the age of 50 during practice for the 1953 Indianapolis 500, which was part of the Formula One World Championship at the time. Driving his Novi Special, Miller lost control and crashed into a concrete wall at over 100 mph. Adding to the sombre events of the race, Carl Scarborough, another driver, later collapsed and died from heat exhaustion after the race’s conclusion.

Wolfgang von Trips

10 September, 1961

Wolfgang von Trips arrived at Monza needing a third-place finish to secure the 1961 Drivers’ Championship. However, during the race, his car collided with Jim Clark‘s Lotus, became airborne, and struck a barrier. von Trips was thrown from the cockpit and tragically killed. The accident also claimed the lives of 14 spectators who had been standing behind a trackside fence, making it one of the darkest days in Formula One history.

Ricardo Rodriguez

1 November, 1962

Ricardo Rodríguez, the youngest driver in history to race for Scuderia Ferrari, tragically became the youngest driver to die in Formula One at the age of 20. When Ferrari chose to skip the inaugural non-championship Mexican Grand Prix in 1962, Rodríguez, eager to compete in his hometown of Mexico City, secured a drive in a Lotus 24. During an unofficial practice session at the Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, a suspension failure caused him to misjudge a corner. Witnesses reported he was travelling too fast when his car spun, crashed, and caught fire. He succumbed to his injuries while being transported to the hospital.

Jochen Rindt

5 September, 1970

Jochen Rindt remains Formula One’s only posthumous World Champion, securing the 1970 title despite missing the season’s final three races. Rindt tragically lost his life during final practice for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix at Monza while driving a Lotus 72C. Under heavy braking, he lost control of the car, which crashed into the perimeter fencing and disintegrated. The accident occurred in the same location where Wolfgang von Trips had died nine years earlier.

Rindt, who had recently begun wearing a seat belt, sustained severe injuries, and it is believed the belt caused a fatal throat injury as he slid down inside the cockpit during the crash. Despite his death, Rindt’s dominant performance earlier in the season earned him the championship by five points over Jacky Ickx, cementing his legacy in Formula One history.

Jo Siffert

24 October, 1971

A veteran of 100 Formula One starts, Jo Siffert tragically lost his life during a non-championship race at Brands Hatch, the 1971 World Championship Victory Race. The suspension on his BRM failed, causing him to crash. Trapped in the car as it caught fire, Siffert died of smoke inhalation. A subsequent investigation revealed that the trackside fire extinguishers were non-functional. This tragedy led to significant safety reforms, including mandatory in-car fire extinguishers and piped air systems to provide breathable air directly into drivers’ helmets.

Gilles Villeneuve

8 May, 1982

During the final moments of qualifying for the 1982 Belgian Grand Prix, Ferrari driver Gilles Villeneuve collided with the slower-moving car of Jochen Mass. The impact launched Villeneuve’s car into the air at approximately 140 mph before it slammed into the ground and disintegrated as it spun to a halt. Villeneuve was discovered in the catch fencing, still strapped to his seat but without his helmet. He sustained a fatal neck fracture in the crash.

Riccardo Paletti

13 June, 1982

In just his second Formula One race, Riccardo Paletti suffered a tragic accident at the start of the 1982 Canadian Grand Prix. Travelling at approximately 100 mph, he crashed into the back of Didier Pironi‘s car, which had stalled on the grid, sustaining severe chest injuries. Although medical aid arrived within seconds, his car’s full fuel tank ignited shortly after, engulfing the vehicle in flames. Thanks to his fire-retardant overalls, Paletti escaped without burns. However, it took 25 minutes to extract him from the wreckage, and he succumbed to his injuries shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital.

Roland Ratzenberger

30 April, 1994

The 1994 San Marino Grand Prix is often remembered as one of the darkest weekends in F1 history, marked by multiple tragic incidents. On Friday, Rubens Barrichello miraculously survived a terrifying airborne crash during practice, hitting the wall at over 225 km/h and being left unconscious. The sombre tone of the weekend escalated on Saturday when Roland Ratzenberger tragically lost his life during qualifying. His Simtek S941 suffered a front wing failure at the high-speed Villeneuve Kink, causing him to crash into the wall at over 300 km/h. Ratzenberger, who had damaged the wing on the previous lap but continued to fight for a grid spot, succumbed to a basal skull fracture.

Ayrton Senna

1 May, 1994

Tragedy struck again on Sunday when three-time World Champion Ayrton Senna was fatally injured during the race. A steering failure on his Williams FW16 caused him to crash into the concrete wall at Tamburello at approximately 135 mph. He died from severe head injuries after being struck by a steering arm. In the wreckage of Senna’s car, officials discovered an Austrian flag, which he had planned to raise in honour of Ratzenberger had he won the race.

These back-to-back fatal accidents prompted a major overhaul of safety regulations in Formula One, fundamentally transforming the sport. Senna remains the only World Champion to have been fatally injured during a race weekend, apart from Jochen Rindt, who won his championship posthumously.

Jules Bianchi

5 October, 2014

At the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Marussia driver Jules Bianchi suffered a diffuse axonal injury after crashing into a recovery vehicle during severe wet conditions. The vehicle was on track to remove Adrian Sutil‘s car, which had crashed a few laps earlier. The incident bore an unsettling resemblance to María de Villota’s 2012 testing crash with the same team.

Bianchi was immediately transported to the hospital, where he remained in a coma for nine months before succumbing to his injuries on 17 July 2015. The tragedy prompted a thorough FIA investigation, leading to the introduction of the Virtual Safety Car system and the HALO cockpit protection device, both aimed at preventing similar accidents and improving driver safety.

Track Marshall Deaths in F1. A Complete List.

Track marshals are often the unsung heroes of Formula One, working tirelessly to ensure the safety and smooth running of the season’s race weekends and sessions. Positioned perilously close to the action, these individuals are often volunteers passionate about the sport and willingly risk their lives to protect drivers and maintain order during races. Tragically, some have paid the ultimate price for their commitment. Among them are Günther Schneider, Jansen van Vuuren, Paolo Gislimberti, Graham Beveridge, and Mark Robinson, whose deaths serve as a sobering reminder of the dangers involved in motorsport and the selflessness of those who support it from the sidelines. Their sacrifices underscore the vital role of marshals in F1, making them true heroes of Formula One.

Name	Age	Date Of Accident	Event
Günther Schneider	19	4 August 1963	1963 German Grand Prix
Jansen van Vuuren	19	5 March 1977	1977 South African Grand Prix
Paolo Gislimberti	33	10 September 2000	2000 Italian Grand Prix
Graham Beveridge	52	4 March 2001	2001 Australian Grand Prix
Mark Robinson	38	9 June 2013	2013 Canadian Grand Prix

The Evolution of F1 Safety

Since its inception in the mid-20th century, Formula 1 has made significant strides in safety, resulting in a dramatic decrease in fatal accidents within the sport. One of the most notable advancements is the introduction of the HALO cockpit protection system, which was developed after Jules Bianchi’s tragic accident in 2014.

The HALO has demonstrated its effectiveness multiple times, most notably during the 2020 Bahrain Grand Prix, where it played a crucial role in saving the life of Haas driver Romain Grosjean. The race was red-flagged for eighty minutes after his car split in two and burst into flames. He clipped the AlphaTauri of Daniil Kvyat on the straight after Turn 3, causing Grosjean’s car to veer into the trackside crash barrier. The impact happened at 192 km/h (119 mph) with an estimated force of 67 g.

The collision force caused the crash barrier to split, allowing the front half of the car to penetrate through and causing the driver’s compartment to collide with the upper section of the split barrier. The HALO device, part of the driver’s safety system, was credited with saving Grosjean from more severe injuries or potential death by protecting his head and body from the impact with the barrier. Grosjean described the HALO from his hospital bed as “the greatest thing that we brought to Formula One, and without it, I wouldn’t be able to speak to you today.”

Despite the severity of the crash, Grosjean escaped with second-degree burns on his hands. Due to his injuries, he could not compete in the season’s final two races. At the end of the season, Grosjean moved to the IndyCar Series, making this race his final appearance in Formula One.

This most recent innovative safety solution, the HALO, highlights the sport’s ongoing commitment to prioritising driver safety. The FIA’s report on the accident recommended further improvements to the construction specifications for fuel cells, survival cells, and steering columns. It also called for evaluations of power unit mounting, fire suppression systems, and the effectiveness of drivers’ gloves and helmet visors.