RIP Allan Simonsen (5 July 1978 – 22 June 2013)

Today (22 June) Danish racing driver Allan Simonsen was killed in a tragic accident at the 90th anniversary running the 24 Heures du Mans.

His Aston Martin Vantage GTE car, in many's eyes favourite to win it's class (GTE-Am), but unfortunately suffered a heavy impact on the exit of Tertre Rouge corner, from which Simonsen sustained unsurvivable injuries.

This is the first fatal accident to occur at the Circuit de la Sarthe since 1997, when Sebastien Enjolras crashed in the pre-qualifying test, and the first death during race week since Jo Gartner was killed in the 1986 race.

Motor racing has of course become much safer over the years, from the initial installation of Armco at the circuit in the late 1960s to the swathe of changes bought on by the deaths of Roland Ratzenberger Ayrton Senna at the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix. Fatal accidents and serious injuries have become increasingly rare, with drivers returning to racing after accidents which not long ago would have been completely unsurvivable, such as Felipe Massa, who was the victim of a direct blow to the head from a spring which had fallen off of another car.

My condolences of course go to his family, and my support to the rest of the Aston Martin GTE teams, whom I now most certainly hope are able to win their two respective classes come 3 o' clock on Sunday afternoon.

Autosport's obituary for Allan Simonsen

Thank you for posting this.

I have learnt that he was a V8 Supercars driver. It somehow makes it more sad when you realise that this isn't just a tragedy for Le Mans, but also for Australian touring car racing...

For Motorsport in general — it's a small world where most people know each other. I'm sure there will be a minutes' silence at Silverstone this weekend.

Do anyone else go to the Aston Martin site a few days afterwards?

I was on it pretty much as soon as they blacked it out.

It's scary, I've seen replays of Ayrton Senna's crash countless times in race build ups and documentaries, and other such like, but I honestly can't remember another time when there's been one in a race I was watching. Sure, I have been aware of accidents, such as Dan Wheldon's in 2011, Henry Surtees in 2009, or Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s in 2001, but I've never particularly followed Indy Car (although I did follow CART/Champ Car at one point), Formula 2, or NASCAR, so this is kind of a shock to me.

Perhaps though, the fact I have never witnessed such a crash before suggests the truth, which is that motor sport, and in fact motoring in general, has never been safer than it is today, and for that, we can only be glad.

I can't really remember it, but I'm certain I watched Senna in 1994.

And for an illustration of how small a Community Formula One is, see here.

edited 27th Jun '13 2:17:21 PM by Greenmantle

Another driver, Andrea Mame, was killed at Paul Ricard competing in a Lamborghini Super Trofeo race today. These past few weeks have to be some of the worst Motorsport has seen in a very long time. :(

Autosport's report on the accident

edited 30th Jun '13 4:38:15 PM by porschelemans

...and that's not adding in the tyre problems at the British Grand Prix. The incidents were so many that Charlie Whiting almost put out the Red Flag.

Honestly, considering recent circumstances, the tyre farce that has driven me away from Formula One seems inconsequential...

Still, one can only take such times as a lesson for a future, as dwelling on tragedy only leaves one feeling overly morbid and miserable.