Formula 1: There have been numerous deaths in Formula 1, and we are listing down the five most fatal crashes.
Formula 1 is a ultra-fast premier racing event, and as such, the risks associated with it are extremely high. These deaths have made Formula 1 develop safety plans and regulations, and as a result we have only witness a single F1 death this century, in 2014. We list down the most-talked about fatalities in Formula 1.
Jules Bianchi – Japan, 2014
The last death in Formula 1 was of the ever-smiling Frenchman Jules Bianchi. He died on 17 July 2015, nine months after crashing into a track-side vehicle at Suzuka, Japan in 2014. He was in a coma for nine months before he breathed his last. Bianchi was impressive for his team Marussia, getting their first-ever F1 points in the Monaco GP. He was also a test driver for the likes of Ferrari and Force India.
Aryton Senna – Imola 1994
This will go down in history as the most talked about F1 fatality in its history. The legendary Brazilian died when his car crashed into a concrete wall, causing head injuries. His death was the second that weekend, after Roland Ratzenberg had a fatal crash in qualify. These two deaths prompted calls for major safety overhaul, which led to no death recorded for two decades, before Bianchi’s crash.
Roland Ratzenberger Imola 1994
The hugely popular Austrian died due to a front wing failure during qualifying at Imola. He crashed straight into into the Villeneuve corner with a speed of over 300 kms/hr. He died of a skull fracture, but his death was largely overshadowed by the death of Senna.
Gilles Villeneuve Belgium 1982
Gilles Villeneuve, like Roland, also suffered his fatal crash in a qualifying session. He went too fast on the slower Jochen Mass, which led him to fly off in the air before he came crashing down. His car was in several pieces by the end of it. He died from a neck fracture, strapped into his car by the seat-belt.
Ronnie Peterson Italy 1978
This was go down as the most tragic death in F1 history, considering it could have been avoided. At Monza, a mass collision of cars ensued which caused severe injuries to a few drivers, including Peterson. He was pulled out of his blazing car by three fellow drivers, with severe leg injuries. The ambulance took longer than expected to arrive, and then he was then rushed to the hospital. The operation on his leg went horribly wrong though, and he past away the next morning.
