maryportfuncity 10,657 Posted June 15, 2009 Being a less delicate soul myself I thought I'd avail myself of said footage just before bedtime. Found myself in some agreement with the poster who commented thus: Stop taking issue with the car safety. That was first and foremost an unforgivably poor track design, that should have never been authorized for this race. An abuttmaent at the end of a long straightaway that close to the track? Horrific safety mistake by the sanctioning body and the track. And the driver who turned him into it there should retire from the sport this instant, because his action led to that death. Point Blank. That is as close to a homicide as it gets in racing. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
M.Lawrenson 11 Posted June 16, 2009 Don't want to steal OoO's thunder here, but it appears Peter Arundell has finally succumbed to his respiratory illness. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted June 16, 2009 Don't want to steal OoO's thunder here, but it appears Peter Arundell has finally succumbed to his respiratory illness. Pukka obit and that will be OoO catapulted back into the top ten! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,203 Posted June 17, 2009 Don't want to steal OoO's thunder here, but it appears Peter Arundell has finally succumbed to his respiratory illness. Pukka obit and that will be OoO catapulted back into the top ten! I'm working on the obituary chances whilst we speak..... A DDP & CPDP hit for me.. he did bloody well to get as far as he did... bizarrely, it's a year to the day that I first heard he was very ill. It's been a long year, but hopefully the points will eventually come to me. Might have to wait a week or two I fear, but he has just died before the British GP & that helps.... Shame though, damn good driver. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom 2,535 Posted June 18, 2009 Don't want to steal OoO's thunder here, but it appears Peter Arundell has finally succumbed to his respiratory illness. Pukka obit and that will be OoO catapulted back into the top ten! I'm working on the obituary chances whilst we speak..... A DDP & CPDP hit for me.. he did bloody well to get as far as he did... bizarrely, it's a year to the day that I first heard he was very ill. It's been a long year, but hopefully the points will eventually come to me. Might have to wait a week or two I fear, but he has just died before the British GP & that helps.... Shame though, damn good driver. It might not take that long, the news is already leaking through to some more F1 forums, probably by the weekend there will be a suitable obit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom 2,535 Posted June 18, 2009 Death notice from the BRDC (British Racing Drivers' Club) site Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Canadian Paul 97 Posted June 20, 2009 Don't want to steal OoO's thunder here, but it appears Peter Arundell has finally succumbed to his respiratory illness. Pukka obit and that will be OoO catapulted back into the top ten! I'm working on the obituary chances whilst we speak..... A DDP & CPDP hit for me.. he did bloody well to get as far as he did... bizarrely, it's a year to the day that I first heard he was very ill. It's been a long year, but hopefully the points will eventually come to me. Might have to wait a week or two I fear, but he has just died before the British GP & that helps.... Shame though, damn good driver. Oops, I missed this one while doing the CPDP update, but I can't see an appropriate obit for the ordinary team. Is there one? If so, that'll be a second update I need to do. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
harrymcnallysblueandwhitearmy 1,689 Posted July 19, 2009 Colombian ex-F1 driver Ricardo Londoño has been assassinated in his home country. No idea why, but maybe his birthplace of Medellin and his nickname of 'The Spoon' might provide a clue. From what I can gather, the chap never actually made it past the practice session to the starting grid, so perhaps "ex-F1 driver" is being a bit generous. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
time 8,620 Posted July 19, 2009 F2 driver Henry Surtees, son of former F1 champ John, has died following an accident today. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
themaninblack 2,112 Posted July 19, 2009 F2 driver Henry Surtees, son of former F1 champ John, has died following an accident today. That's terrible news. He was only 18 and had the potential to be a chip off the old block... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Ageless Immortal Giant 2 Posted July 19, 2009 That's awful. No one deserves to die that young. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lard Bazaar 3,800 Posted July 20, 2009 F2 driver Henry Surtees, son of former F1 champ John, has died following an accident today. That's terrible news. He was only 18 and had the potential to be a chip off the old block... I spent a lot of my childhood around motor racing, having a father who was both a fanatic and an amateur rally driver, so I always read this thread with interest, albeit with nothing intelligent to say. I was quite shocked and saddened at this one, a promising career cut short. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,657 Posted July 20, 2009 It was filmed by Eurosport and has already made its way to youtube, a real freak of an accident. It doesn't look that bad, Surtees' car remains intact as it scuttles along the barrier though he's bouncing around inside unconscious. I'm guessing the real damage was the impact of the loose wheel on his helmet. Absolutely tragic for someone so young to go like that. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,203 Posted July 20, 2009 Having been away from the internet yesterday, to read the untimely deaths of Londono & Surtees in one go is a double shock. Not sure which one surprises me more. Londono was targeted, of that there is no doubt. He was a marketing executive, which might be one reason, but he did also run a racing team. Could a pushy parent have objected to him not picking their hopeless but rich child? There's no need for anyone to die that way. Londono didn't actually attempt qualification for the Grand Prix he was entered in & many motorsport sites (including mine) don't include him in their lists, but he was a bit of cult hero figure for having such a spectacular second name & having such a bizarre F1 career, so very saddened to see him go. Surtees... what a tremendous shame. I've followed his career, on & off, for some while now - since at least 2000/2001. Poor "Big John" must be shattered at Henry's passing. A freak accident which the series, Jack Clarke (the racer who crashed.. hence the wheel going towars Henry) & the car manufacturers could do nothing about. Certainly looked like he had the talent to progress - probably F1, but certainly sportscars etc as well. RIP both. What a rotten motor racing year. Mind you, it might mean Arundell gets an obit, if broadsheets decide to do all three obits together... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lard Bazaar 3,800 Posted July 20, 2009 Perhaps one of you most knowledgable chaps can answer this - in other accidents in Formula 1, when wheels have come adrift they have appeared to be attached by something or other to avoid them becoming fully detached, they spring out on a tether or something, but in the footage of Surtees' accident it doesn't appear that they are attached - why is that? Apologies for crap non-racing terminology and missing something probably very simple, it's just something I noticed. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,657 Posted July 20, 2009 They are attached in a number of ways given that suspension and drive are concentrated in the area, however they can come adrift in a severe impact. Incidentally, as Ayrton Senna found to his cost, wheels don't have to come off to kill the driver of their own car. Wheels and other debris are lethal when loose, mind, in recentish years in F1 I think I'm right in saying an Italian marshall and a Canadian spectator have died by being hit by stray pieces of an F1 car. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Tuber Mirum 125 Posted July 20, 2009 It was a Fomula 2 race he died during. The rules for having a safety line on the wheels or not are probably different between the two series. Sadly. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Lard Bazaar 3,800 Posted July 20, 2009 Yes, I saw it was F2 rather than F1, I just assumed they would have the same safety measures. I suppose them's the risks you take and all that. Still, a real shame. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
One shot Paddy 1,206 Posted July 20, 2009 I think the rule about tethering wheels in F1 was brought in after Sennas' inquest. Pity it was not brought in for all open wheel cars! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,657 Posted July 20, 2009 If by any chance Henry Surtees gets a fleeting obit in a broadsheet I think the violent commotion of his final seconds will be as nothing to the reaction of OoO as he ponders the lack of obit action for his well chosen unique pick, Arundell, this year. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Octopus of Odstock 2,203 Posted July 21, 2009 If by any chance Henry Surtees gets a fleeting obit in a broadsheet I think the violent commotion of his final seconds will be as nothing to the reaction of OoO as he ponders the lack of obit action for his well chosen unique pick, Arundell, this year. Well Surtees already would've qualified for an obit anyway through all the press coverage. I think the problem is Peter was a very private, somewhat cranky man & this is perhaps why the press haven't really converged on the story - much to my surprise & dismay. I live in hope, but I don't expect a much needed 20 DDP points.... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Phantom 2,535 Posted July 21, 2009 If by any chance Henry Surtees gets a fleeting obit in a broadsheet I think the violent commotion of his final seconds will be as nothing to the reaction of OoO as he ponders the lack of obit action for his well chosen unique pick, Arundell, this year. Well Surtees already would've qualified for an obit anyway through all the press coverage. I think the problem is Peter was a very private, somewhat cranky man & this is perhaps why the press haven't really converged on the story - much to my surprise & dismay. I live in hope, but I don't expect a much needed 20 DDP points.... Arundell was mentioned a couple of times by the BBC in news articles covering other drivers even in the couple of weeks prior to his death. Then when he died, there was nothing. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,657 Posted July 21, 2009 Then when he died, there was nothing. I tell my religious friends the same thing, they tell me I'm misguided. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
TAFKAG 70 Posted July 25, 2009 They are attached in a number of ways given that suspension and drive are concentrated in the area, however they can come adrift in a severe impact. Incidentally, as Ayrton Senna found to his cost, wheels don't have to come off to kill the driver of their own car. Wheels and other debris are lethal when loose, mind, in recentish years in F1 I think I'm right in saying an Italian marshall and a Canadian spectator have died by being hit by stray pieces of an F1 car. Felipe Massa almost suffered the same fate in today's GP qualifying. And Renault seem to have been more careless than a Kwik Fit fitter. Inanimate objects are fighting back this month. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
maryportfuncity 10,657 Posted August 8, 2009 Fatal powerboat accident today at a regetta attended by a 'crowd of thousands,' surely the You Tube clip is soon to be upon us. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
