Formula one was launched in 1950 when the first championship race took place in Silverstone circuit England. Since then 50 drivers have died driving a formula one car. Majority of these deaths-15 happened in the 1950s with the number decreasing with each decade. The decrease has been attributed to the increased safety precaution and development of technology.
With the high speeds of formula one cars reaching up to 220mph, however, it gets hard to prevent accidents completely. This is because; with such high speeds even the slightest mistakes can cause cars to crash, and thereby cause tragic deaths. Here are the 15 Most Tragic Deaths of Formula One Drivers;
15. Cameron Earl (1952)
The first ever fatality to be recorded in a Formula One car was of Cameron Earl. The accident occurred when Earl was working as a technical team consultant for the English racing automobiles. He was conducting a test drive in 1952 when his car R14B overturned and fractured his skull.
Cameron later died in hospital as a result of the fracture. Earl was widely known for his contribution in designing the British Car engines. He had been sent to Germany by the British committee where he met and interviewed engineers from top designers from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union. He wrote a report which included secrets and blueprints used by German designs. The report played a significant part in creating subsequent British designs.
