On this day, ten years ago, the Formula 1 paddock received a harsh and brutal reality check. A stark reminder of the ever-present dangers inherent with racing the quickest cars on the planet. Advert | Become a Supporter & go ad-free As a result of these efforts, an entire generation of fans grew up with the luxury of never knowing how it felt to watch one of their heroes die behind the wheel of a Formula 1 car.
Yes, there had been injuries. There had also been deaths – marshals Paolo Ghislimberti and Graham Beveridge had lost their lives volunteering for the sport they loved. But drivers were different.
No matter how horrific or violent the crashes, they would either be rushed to hospital and stabilised – such as Mika Hakkinen in Adelaide 1995 – or simply climb out of their wrecked cars under their own power. Jules Bianchi (FRA) Marussia F1 Team. Jules Bianchi raced his last grand prix 10 years ago In that time, only two people could have been considered as dying from Formula 1-related accidents as drivers.
In 2000, driver John Dawson-Damer was killed driving a 1969 Lotus 63 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, also resulting in the death of marshal Andrew Carpenter. Then, in 2013, Marussia test driver Maria de Villota, who suffered life-threatening head injuries from a testing crash the previous year, died from suspected complications from that accident. But October 5th 2014 was the last day that 25-year-old Marussia driver Jules Bianchi was able to do what he loved – .
