The Worst Disaster in Motorsport History | The 1955 Le Mans Incident

Uncover the chilling story behind the worst disaster in motorsport history: The 1955 Le Mans Incident. This gripping account delves into the tragic events that unfolded during the 24-hour race, leaving over 80 people dead and hundreds injured. Witness the fateful moments involving racing icons like Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss as they navigate the treacherous Le Mans circuit. Discover how this catastrophic accident forever changed safety regulations and practices in Formula 1 and endurance racing. Explore the history of the legendary Grand Prix event and learn about the unforgettable heroes and moments that have shaped the world of motor racing.
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📺 Video Summary: 📺
The 1955 Le Mans race was a highly anticipated clash between Ferrari, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz, featuring top drivers such as Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Mike Hawthorn.
The Circuit de la Sarthe was ill-equipped for the high speeds of modern race cars, and safety measures for both drivers and spectators were lacking.
During the 35th lap, a tragic crash occurred involving Levegh, Macklin, and Hawthorn, resulting in Levegh's death and over 80 spectator fatalities.
The race was not immediately stopped, causing further controversy and criticism.
No drivers were found responsible for the accident; instead, the track's unpreparedness was cited as the primary cause.
In the aftermath, many countries banned motor racing until better safety standards were implemented, and several drivers retired from the sport.
The tragedy led to significant improvements in safety measures and regulations in motorsports.
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[@GregBrownsWorldORacing]

Pretty good synopsis, but based on my reading - Leveigh was thrown into the crowd of spectators behind the fence and was the last dead person identified due to him being so out of context to the other bodies found there. Many believed he was simply incinerated in his 300 SLR. Yours is the first account where I've heard he was thrown back onto the speedway. Many people died simply from the shock wave of the explosion, completely emptying their lungs and they never recovered from this massive percussion - but were never hit by debris.

[@cartillect]

There were some conflicting accounts based on my research but the main consensus was that he flew from the car and died on impact. Multiple articles and documentaries mention this account but it’s definitely hard to know for sure considering the artistic liberties media’s outlets took at the time. Appreciate the comment :)

[@GregBrownsWorldORacing]

Once I get my time machine fixed, we'll go back and see what really happened, actually no. I've also read it was over 100 who died, but the pressure was on the news to print the names of the fatalities, so 84 is probably low... any number may have succumbed to pneumonia or infections a week or three later. I believe it was 100% Hawthorne's fault. I think he Intentionally brake checked Macklin, hoping he would move left and act as a pick for Leveigh & therefore Fangio.

[@danielhoffman48]

@@GregBrownsWorldORacing From what I read and spoke with individuals familar with the investigations over the last fifty years, Hawthorne was not familar with the speed of the Healey 100S (a limited bulid of 50 Healeys to compete with the likes of Mercedes, Jaguar and Aston "production" cars). The 100S was a lot faster than the preceeding 100-4 Healeys that raced at Le Mans and Hawthorne did not think Macklin was moving as fast as he was when he cut in front to enter the pits. The incident happened on lap 35 of a 24 hour race so it was very early in the race. Too early to be fighting for position.

[@danw2112]

There are videos showing a police officer dragging Leveigh's body across the track to pit lane while cars were driving by at full speed.

[@mamavswild]

@@GregBrownsWorldORacing. I also think it’s 100% Hawthorne’s fault

[@erichheyde5953]

Well done and very informative video

[@cartillect]

Appreciate the support 😄

[@mattjacomos2795]

So Hawthorn basically passed and then brake checked Macklin, the causal chain of the crash.... YTA Mike...

[@mamavswild]

This was absolutely Hawthorne’s fault

[@PhotosOfBuildings]

It was absolutely the layout of the pits...... No separate pit lane so Hawthorn had to brake on the race track.

[@johngeren1053]

Both correct. Also, if the Healey's rear end wasn't such a perfectly shaped ramp...

[@johngeren1053]

The Ferrari 6 cylinder was completely new, not derived from an F1 engine. They did set fastest lap in practice as well as the race. Enzo was flexing - trying to show that his team could develop a totally new 6 cylinder car in a few months to beat the British and Germans sixes - not to mention his ex chief engineer Columbo, at Maserati.
If Ferrari had continued to develop the 375 Plus/412S model they probably would have extended their domination at Le Mans. Ferrari's F1 cars at the time were 4 cylinders which were not as effective in the 2.5 formula as they had been in the 2.0.