List of Formula One fatal accidents
![]() Five drivers have died while driving a Formula One car at the Nürburgring; only the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has had more casualties. |
This is a list of Formula One fatal accidents, which consists of all the drivers who have died during a FIA World Championship race weekend, or elsewhere while driving a Formula One car. It does not include track marshals and other race attendees, or F1 races held before the inauguration of the World Championship in 1950. Forty-five drivers have died in this fashion, 24 during a World Championship Grand Prix race weekend, 8 during Indianapolis 500 World Championship events, 9 during a test session and 4 during a non-championship Formula One event.
Fifteen drivers died in the 1950s; twelve in the 1960s; ten in the 1970s; four in the 1980s and two in the 1990s. No drivers have been involved in a fatal accident since 1994. Drivers from the United States of America have had the most fatal accidents with eleven drivers from that country having died, although eight of these were while participating in the Indy 500 during the 1950s when it was part of the Formula One World Championship.
Driver | Date of accident | Race | Circuit | Car | During |
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15 May 1953 | 1953 Indianapolis 500 The Indianapolis 500 was part of the World Championship from 1950 until 1960. In this context, an Indianapolis 500 "event" includes both the race itself and all the testing, practice and qualifying sessions in the so-called "month of May" leading up to the race. |
Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Practice |
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Sep 18, 1953 | Test | Modena Autodrome | Ferrari | Test |
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Jul 31, 1954 | 1954 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Maserati | Practice |
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16 May 1955 | 1955 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kuzma | Practice |
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30 May 1955 | 1955 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Race |
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Mar 14, 1957 | Test | Modena Autodrome | Ferrari | Test |
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15 May 1957 | 1957 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Practice |
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30 May 1958 | 1958 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Race |
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Jul 6, 1958 | 1958 French Grand Prix | Reims-Gueux | Ferrari | Race |
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Aug 3, 1958 | 1958 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Ferrari | Race |
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Sep 19, 1958 | 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix | Ain-Diab Circuit | Vanwall | Race |
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17 May 1959 | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Kurtis Kraft | Pre-race test |
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19 May 1959 | 1959 Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway | Cornis | Pre-race test |
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13 May 1960 | International Trophy International Trophy was not a part of the 1960 world championship. | Silverstone | Cooper | Qualifying |
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Jun 19, 1960 | 1960 Belgian Grand PrixAlthough both drivers died at the same Grand Prix, Alan Stacey and Chris Bristow were not involved in the same accident. Bristow died on the 19th lap after being thrown out of his car, a result of losing control of his car at Malmedy, while Stacey died on the 24th lap after a bird flew into his face and he lost control of his car. | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | Cooper | Race |
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Jun 19, 1960 | 1960 Belgian Grand Prix | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | Lotus | Race |
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Jun 15, 1961 | Test | Modena Autodrome | Cooper | Test |
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Sep 10, 1961 | 1961 Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Ferrari | Race |
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Nov 1, 1962 | 1962 Mexican Grand Prix | Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez | Lotus | Practice |
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Dec 21, 1962 Hocking was killed in a Formula One practice Session. He was killed one week prior to his first Formula One Grand Prix. | 1962 Natal Grand Prix | Westmead Circuit | Lotus | Practice |
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Aug 2, 1964 | 1964 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Porsche | Practice |
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Aug 7, 1966 John Taylor died of serious burns a few weeks after the accident on 8 September 1966 in Koblenz, Germany. | 1966 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | Brabham | Race |
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7 May 1967 Lorenzo Bandini died of serious burns three days after his accident . | 1967 Monaco Grand Prix | Circuit de Monaco | Ferrari | Race |
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Aug 14, 1967 | Test | Silverstone | Brabham | Test |
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Jul 7, 1968 | 1968 French Grand Prix | Rouen-Les-Essarts | Honda | Race |
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Aug 2, 1969 | 1969 German Grand Prix | Nürburgring | BMW Mitter was driving a Formula Two car. F2 cars were allowed to take part in the F1 race as part of a separate contest. | Practice |
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Jun 7, 1970 | 1970 Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort | De Tomaso | Race |
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Sep 5, 1970 | 1970 Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Lotus | Qualifying |
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Oct 24, 1971 | 1971 World Championship Victory Race The World Championship Victory Race was not a part of the 1971 world championship. | Brands Hatch | BRM | Race |
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Jul 29, 1973 | 1973 Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort | March | Race |
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Oct 6, 1973 | 1973 United States Grand Prix | Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course | Tyrrell | Qualifying |
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Mar 30, 1974 | 1974 South African Grand Prix | Kyalami | Shadow | Pre-race test |
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Oct 6, 1974 | 1974 United States Grand Prix | Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course | Surtees | Race |
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Aug 19, 1975 | 1975 Austrian Grand Prix | Österreichring | Penske | Practice |
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Mar 5, 1977 | 1977 South African Grand Prix | Kyalami | Shadow | Race |
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Aug 29, 1977 McGuire was killed in a Shellsport Formula One Race at Brands Hatch, which was not part of the Formula One Championship. | 1977 Shellsport Championship Round 11 Shellsport Championship Round 11 was not a part of the 1977 World Championship. | Brands Hatch | Williams | Practice |
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Sep 11, 1978 Peterson died in hospital the following day. | 1978 Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale Monza | Lotus | Race |
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Aug 1, 1980 | Test | Hockenheimring | Alfa Romeo | Test |
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8 May 1982 Villeneuve died in hospital later that day. | 1982 Belgian Grand Prix | Zolder | Ferrari | Qualifying |
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Jun 13, 1982 | 1982 Canadian Grand Prix | Circuit Gilles Villeneuve | Osella | Race |
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15 May 1986 | Test | Circuit Paul Ricard | Brabham | Test |
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Apr 30, 1994 | 1994 San Marino Grand Prix | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | Simtek | Qualifying |
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1 May 1994 | 1994 San Marino Grand Prix | Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari | Williams | Race |
By circuit
Rank | Circuit | Fatal accidents | ||
---|---|---|---|---|
Total | First | Last | ||
1 | ![]() |
8 | 1953 | 1959 |
2 | ![]() |
5 | 1954 | 1969 |
3 | ![]() |
3 | 1953 | 1961 |
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1961 | 1978 | ||
6 | ![]() |
2 | 1960 | 1960 |
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1960 | 1967 | ||
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1970 | 1973 | ||
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1973 | 1974 | ||
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1971 | 1977 | ||
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1974 | 1977 | ||
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1994 | 1994 | ||
11 | ![]() |
1 | 1958 | |
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1958 | |||
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1959 | |||
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1962 | |||
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1962 | |||
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1967 | |||
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1968 | |||
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1975 | |||
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1980 | |||
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1982 | |||
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1982 | |||
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1986 |