Le Mans Disasters: Le Mans isn’t your average car race with regular street cars, but a race that lasts a whole day and night for 24 hours! Just imagine zooming around a track for a full day and night, battling unpredictable weather in France without any breaks. It’s no wonder Le Mans is considered one of the most dangerous races in the world, known for its deadliest crashes (disaster) in motor racing history. But if you’re not familiar with the 24 Hours of Le Mans race, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Le Mans is more than just a city in France; it’s the heart and soul of one of the oldest and most legendary endurance races held annually in June. This race pushes drivers and machines to their limits, especially in the hot and humid weather, making it even more challenging for drivers inside enclosed cars.
Le Mans Disasters
Unlike fixed-distance races where the winner is determined by minimum time, the 24 Hours of Le Mans features approximately 60 competitors, with each car rotating three drivers. The winner is the car that covers the greatest distance in 24 hours.
So put your seat belts on, because you’re about to witness the five most horrific crashes in the world that sent cars flying through the air. And stick around until the end, because the terrifying crash of the Nissan GT-R, which you’ll swear is fake, awaits you. I guarantee that this exclusive article, unavailable on any other websites, will leave you speechless.
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Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR – 1955
A car crashed into the crowd, instantly killing 84 people just two hours after the start of the 24-hour endurance race. This is the deadly story of the disaster that changed motorsport forever. The Le Mans 24-Hour race had an impressive lineup, featuring top drivers like Juan Manuel Fangio, Stirling Moss, and Mike Hawthorn. Ferrari, Jaguar, and Mercedes-Benz were at the peak of their power. While Ferrari held the reigning championship title and Jaguar sought to reclaim its past glory, there was great hope for Mercedes-Benz, which gained attention with the introduction of their new 300 SLR featuring an ultra-lightweight magnesium alloy body, with Fangio and Moss driving. But who knew that fate would take a turn?
The crash started when Jaguar driver Mike Hawthorn moved to the right side of the track to make a fuel stop. At the same time, Austin-Healey driver Lance Macklin, who was right behind Hawthorn, turned out to avoid a collision. It was when the Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR, driven by Pierre Levegh, suddenly tried to pass the slow-moving vehicles. Levegh couldn’t stop in time and crashed into the back of the Austin-Healey car at a high speed of 150 miles per hour, sending both cars flying in the air. Levegh was thrown back onto the track and tragically lost his life instantly. Pieces of debris, like the engine block from his car, flew into the crowd, leading to 84 deaths and over 120 people with injuries. The hood of his car went through the spectators, covering a distance of 100 meters, causing horrific injuries like a dreadful car-shaped guillotine. The back of the car caught fire, with the magnesium alloy making the flames even fiercer. The blazing Mercedes turned into an unstoppable fireball, burning until it was reduced to ashes, impossible to put out, causing mass bloodshed. The public and media reaction to the disaster was significant, sending shockwaves through the motorsport world and had lasting impacts on motorsport safety regulations.
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Toyota TS030 LMP1 and Ferrari 458 Italia
This incident marks one of the most exciting track actions between the two leading hybrids, Toyota and Ferrari. In the 2012, 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race, the Toyota TS030 LMP1, driven by Britain’s Anthony Davidson, suffered a major crash just before the five-hour mark. As the video shows, the Toyota hybrid came into contact with a Ferrari 458 Italia competing in the GTE class, driven by Piergiuseppe Perrazini. The Ferrari turned sharply to the left towards the Toyota, causing Davidson’s car to spin and flip upside down in the air above the Ferrari. Within seconds, both cars crashed into the barrier, leaving everyone speechless. In an interview, Davidson mentioned, “At that point, I felt like I was in an airplane out of control.” Apart from the shock and psychological impact, he suffered from two broken vertebrae. Perrazini was very lucky, managing to walk away from the crash with only a few bruises.
Interestingly, history repeated itself 12 years later in 2023, when another crash occurred between a Toyota and Ferrari P2 car, sending the Toyota airborne. Feel free to update us in the comments if you’d like a separate detailed video on it, as Ferrari may be late but will never be absent, isn’t it?
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The Porsche GT1- 1998
Everything was going normally until an unforgettable scene unfolded at Le Mans in 1998. The Porsche GT1, driven by Yannick Dalmas, seemed to defy gravity as it flew into the sky like an airplane. It rotated backwards through the air, scattering debris everywhere.
Fortunately, Dalmas was lucky enough to survive the trauma. Just imagine how legendary it would have been if he had managed to land it, being this close! Remarkably, Dalmas bounced back from the incident and went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans for a fourth time in 1999, driving for BMW alongside Joachim Winkelhock and Pierluigi Martini. However, the crash likely left a significant impact on his mental health. The exact reason for the crash remains unclear, but it may have been related to the aerodynamic design of the car, a factor that has contributed to similar crashes in the past.
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Mercedes-Benz CLR- 1999
On 12th June 1999, during the 67th running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, yet another unexpected incident occurred. It happened when the Mercedes-Benz CLR was chasing a Toyota TS020 driven by Thierry Boutsen, whose lights were ablaze to warn smaller cars. Suddenly, the Mercedes went airborne and began to backflip wildly multiple times, reaching a height of almost 50 feet. It then flew over the barrier and crashed into the trees at the side of the track, not far from a marshal post and a billboard. Despite the violent nature of the accident, Dumbreck escaped unharmed.
The root of the CLR’s issues can be traced to its dimensional architecture, leading to aerodynamic design flaws, lack of stability, lack of total downforce, and ultimately, some very bad luck. The team immediately withdrew all of its CLRs, and motorsport safety became highly questionable and a topic of debate.
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Nissan GT-R – 2015
The tragic fate of this incident will make you believe that racing or driving, in general, can be incredibly dangerous. This is about a crash that happened in the year 2015 at the Nürburgring race. Have you all seen the 2023 film Gran Turismo? If yes, then what if I tell you that the portrayal of the terrible incident I’m going to discuss now provides altered information about it?
At the Nürburgring race, a Nissan car driven by Jann Mardenborough veered off track, crashing into the crowd, resulting in the death of a spectator and injuries to several others who were hospitalized. It was a shocking and devastating moment for everyone involved. The car lifted into the air at a high point on the track, crashing into a tire wall before flying over a security fence, making the spectators believe it was out of a video game. The race was immediately stopped and not restarted. Despite investigations, the cause of the accident remains unclear. The incident left everyone in disbelief. It’s a reminder of the dangers associated with motorsport, where even the best precautions sometimes can’t prevent tragic accidents. Interestingly, this event inspired a dramatized version in the Gran Turismo movie, focusing on Mardenborough’s crash. However, some critics questioned the decision to change the year of the crash for dramatic effect, highlighting concerns about authenticity and sensitivity. What are your views on it? Do let me know in the comments below.
These incidents have left a shocking and indelible mark on the racing industry. The cars are moving at such immense speeds that aerodynamic design and structure have a major influence on these fatal crashes. In a field like this, such incidents are bound to happen, but they can be mitigated in some way or another. While we’re saddened to see cars like these get damaged, we’d be even more saddened if they weren’t driven at all. What do you think about this, and which crash blew your mind? Let us know in the comments below.
