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August 26, 2015

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F1 mourns another death in family

THE Formula One community awoke with heavy hearts yesterday after British racer Justin Wilson, a friend to many in the grand prix paddock, died because of head injuries suffered in an IndyCar race in the United States.

The 37-year-old, who raced in F1 for Minardi and Jaguar in 2003, died in hospital after being hit by debris and crashing in the closing laps at Pocono Raceway oval in Pennsylvania. He was earlier in a coma.

F1 drivers and teams, former colleagues and rivals, remembered Wilson as a smiling giant out of the car and determined competitor in it.

“The motorsport world comes 2 a standstill once again,” 2009 world champion Jenson Button, who attended the funeral of French F1 driver Jules Bianchi a month ago, said of his compatriot on Twitter.

“I raced with Justin as far back as 1989 in karting and remember his smile was infectious, such a lovely guy,” added the McLaren driver.

The sentiment was echoed by Lotus’ Romain Grosjean, a pallbearer at Bianchi’s funeral. “So sad to hear that Justin Wilson passed away. What dreadful news and what a dramatic year for racing. Losing too many champions,” he said.

Button’s double world champion teammate Fernando Alonso, who like Wilson started his F1 career at Minardi, offered his condolences. “So sad, difficult to accept,” he added.

Wilson, who is survived by his wife and two daughters, was the first IndyCar driver to die following a race accident since fellow Briton, Dan Wheldon, was killed in a fiery crash in Las Vegas in October 2011.

Wheldon, who died at 33, was just one of two British drivers to win America’s most famous race, the Indy 500, on more than one occasion. He won it in 2005 and again in 2011, the 100th anniversary of the race.

Wilson’s car had careened out of control and into a wall after he was hit by a large piece of debris from the car of Sage Karam at Pocono Raceway in Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

Wilson’s accident was reminiscent of a 2009 incident when Brazil’s Felipe Massa was struck in the helmet by a spring from compatriot Rubens Barichello’s car during qualifying for the F1 Hungarian Grand Prix and had to undergo surgery.

However, Wilson’s death will once again raise questions about driver safety in IndyCar. Since 1966 there have been 18 deaths in IndyCar (which includes the series’ previous incarnations as Champ Car, CART and Indy Racing League).




 

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