When F1 Was Shamed into Change: Roger Williamson and the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix

[@AidanMillward]

George Medal is one stage below the George Cross. At some point in writing this the two merged into one. Fun fact: there’s two people involved with F1 who have got one. Purley and Mike Hailwood. Purley got a medal from the BARC as well. The next person to get one was Stephen Green, the marshal that intercepted the priest at Silverstone in 2003.

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

I didn't know about Hailwood's award. It's another of those which make you go WTAF?

[@arthuralford]

@@mikesummers-smith4091 1973 South African GP. Hailwood had collided with Clay Regazzoni, both cars caught fire. Hailwood got out, and pulled Regazzoni from his car, which was still burning

[@JumboSeventyNine]

Next below the George Medal is the Kings Gallantry Medal. In 1976 this was the Queens Gallantry Medal. Guy Edwards earned that for his part in rescuing Niki Lauda from his crash at the Nürburgring.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

​@@arthuralfordthank you. I'd forgotten about that.

[@allainangcao28]

​@@arthuralford Technically, he pulled Regazzoni from the car. He got the belts undone but caught fire himself before he could actually pull him out. This is not to discredit Hailwood because if he wasn't there at all, the extra time would have meant Regazzoni could have burned.

[@pajamachanic6828]

It’s depressing to think that his final moments were spent with his lungs filled with smoke and seeing people surrounding his car, not moving a muscle. Not how I would want anyone to go, even my worst enemies. Repose for both his soul and David Purley’s.

[@AidanMillward]

@@pajamachanic6828 I got my arm burned in a house fire and it wasn’t fun. But it all healed and you wouldn’t know unless I told you. But it burning down to the actual bone. Solid nope.

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

This is the reason that as a Dutchman i still hate Zandvoort.

[@DuvJones]

​@@AidanMillward Ok.... That is pain. Glad that you mended, but fuck that *sounds* painful... I can't imagine going through it.

[@stishy75]

I saw the BBC documentary, several years ago and they showed the footage. I couldn't help but break down and cry. David Purley was terrified and desperate to help his friend, but the flames were to much, he was also burnt and yet still he went back to try and help . He deserved that medal and more for being a fantastic human being. It's still upsetting. Bless him and rest in peace Roger Williamson.

[@AidanMillward]

@@stishy75 Might have been Grand Prix The Killer Years.

[@markalbert9011]

In 1973 I had just graduated High School and when Autoweek arrived in the mail on Thursday it was the highlight of my week . If there was an F1 race it was the cover story and I can still remember the horror at what I read that Thursday in August. The journalists at Autoweek were very good and the picture painted about Zandvoort was a nightmare . It was decades before I saw the video but whoever had written the story in Autoweek had painted such a vivid picture the video seemed familiar. On the flip side the description of the sound of the V-12 Matras at Lemans was equally vivid and remains some of the best automotive writing I have ever read. When I finally heard a Matra V-12 at full chat I thought "Well that's what they were going on about".

[@schanche1965]

On a cold wintery Sunday morning in 1987 during an inpromtu visit to the Donington Collection I 7:05 had an old fella burst into tears while he was telling me about Roger Williamson, the old chap's name was Tom Wheatcroft, then owner of Donington Park. Roger was a very talented but typically under-funded English driver, Tom had personally helped him to progress into F1. He told me it was his dream and life's ambition to bring an F1 race back to Donington and made me promise to come and bring a few mates if and when it did happen When it was announced that the 1993 European GP was going to be held there i was one of the first to buy tickets, the best GP of all time according to Murray Walker

[@Caddynars]

What’s also tragic about this is Stewart didn’t even know Williamson had died. When the race finished, Ken Tyrrell said to him, “Williamson’s dead, there’s no lap of honor, quiet presentation.”, and you could hear the pain in Jackie’s voice when all he could muster was, “Oh.”

[@WarriorRazor]

Such a horrible event, David Purley tried so hard to save Roger Williamson and nobody else helped, not even the marshalls could or would help. Absolutely ridiculous.

[@nicofolkersma2535]

I saw this race on TV and Adrian forgets to mention a few things. Ist only the drivers wore fireretardent overalls, not the marshalls and 2nd, Purley does get help from the policeman mentioned and a few spectators, but the car, made from an Aluminium/Magnesium compound, is burning extremely hot and these people had to stop. Also, the other drivers saw Purley waving, not seeing his car obscured by the smoke, and thought he was Williamson. The firetruck that eventually came had to get there on the circuit, there was no byroad, so it took about 10 minutes. Safety just wasn't important.

[@vince065us.2]

Got his efforts to try to rescue his friend, David Purely was awarded a medal for valor. For his efforts in rescuing Clay Reggazoni from a burning car, Mike Hailwood was awarded a medal for valor.

[@TheOldGord]

Unfortunately, I’m old enough to remember it!

[@clansome]

Ditto. Jim Clark was killed on my birthday and I know EXACTLY where I was when the news was broadcast. At my age my memory isn't what it was but THAT memory will live with me to the very end.

[@borassictime918]

I saw it live on TV (no, they didn’t cut away). It was truly sickening.

[@mikehipperson]

@@clansome I was at Brands Hatch that day watching the BOAC 6 hrs, it put a whole damper on the celebrations at the end. Ironically Jimmy was due to drive at Brands but Chapman insisted on the F2 race at Hockenhiem.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Me too, but fortunately for me, I was still young enough for my father to hide the details from me. Even as an adult, I wish I'd never heard about it. 😥

[@heliumtrophy]

@@borassictime918 Yeah you think the TV race execs just thought "drama" and not a catastrophe.

[@pilkycrc]

Videos like this are a giant “F you” to all those who, even today, complain about safety improvements. Nothing in racing is worth losing the life of a racer. Cars can be rebuilt or replaced, people can’t, and everyone who has fought for greater safety for drivers, mechanics, marshals, and spectators are the reason why we can still enjoy the sport today, rather than it being banned for being too dangerous

[@csababiro7851]

Very well done Aidan. A touch of class and respect at the ending.

[@Mlaargaar]

The video I was looking forward to the least. The footage we have of that is absolutely harrowing to watch. Poor David Purley, I can only imagine how dreadful this must have been for him. Thanks for covering, very well told as well.

[@gerarduspoppel2831]

That part of him walking away. And you see his shoulders drop. Will always give me chills.

[@mpainter22]

I think this is some of your best work, i know it would become unbearable to do these videos regularly but you somehow always manage to capture the right tone, it's a bloody good skill to have.

[@nickshaw3619]

I, for one, glad you didn't include the footage of the wreck. Alongside the '55 LeMans footage, it's the most devastating depiction of human suffering I've seen in motorsport. Senna's crash was terrible, but it was clearly over very quickly for him, and the same can be said of many other crashes. I've attended the funeral of a driver who suffered a basilar skull fracture, and their crash was a sad day for us, as was their funeral, but I take a great deal of comfort in knowing that my friend did not suffer. This was not that. This was torturous. The fact that it could have been mitigated, if not prevented outright, evem with the technology and knowledge of the time, is monstrous.

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

I remember reading about the Williamson incident in a book around 2000. I thought, as a naive 24 year old who'd only seen one death in F1 and numerous incidents that didn't turn out as bad as they looks. "No, surely that couldn't have happened. Nothing could be as bad as that and allowed to occur." Then, three years later, I found an Italian website that had video files to download of various "memorable" moments in F1. Williamson's accident was one of them. This was before KZbin, remember, and such things were mostly out of the public domain. I still have bad dreams about what I saw. As a result, ever since I've tried to find out everything I could about Williamson's death. That way the horrible doesn't become better, but it at least becomes explicable. I found that many bad things happened that day, some as a result of poor planning, some from hubris, and some from bad luck. I work testing electrical stuff at a charity shop, and whenever I get a LEC fridge (originally the Purley family company), I always think of David Purley and what he went through.

[@markalbert9011]

Thank you Aiden for regularly reminding us about how far safety has come. Those of us fans who regularly read about our hero's deaths in our youth are in some minor way also survivors of the killer years.......which probably explains my outburst of tears when Romain Groesian stumbled out of the inferno.

[@jeff119990]

Regulations are written in blood. I wish tit didn't take death or dismemberment to get common sense safety reform does. But like Aiden said it was the arrogance of the time.

[@jimiverson3085]

One of the things that pushed Stewart is that he knew it could be him. When Clark was killed, Stewart realized that no one was good enough to be exempt. He viewed Clark as the best, the smoothest and the safest, and that hadn't been enough. Stewart didn't see another way to make a living - his childhood experience with dyslexia had left him convinced that he has no prospects for any other occupation. So his only option was to try to make racing less dangerous. He was really somewhat hated at the time by organizers, racing teams and even fans, but all he was asking for were very basic steps not to make racing a near-certain date with death. The ultimate tragedy of his driving career was that in practice for what was to be his last race, his teammate and friend Francois Cevert was killed in practice at Watkins Glen, in part because poorly installed barriers failed and mutilated him. Stewart and Tyrell then withdrew from the race. 1973 really was a terribly tragic year.

[@_NoDrinkTheBleach]

When you see a replay of Romain Grosjean's accident at Bahrain, it never even crosses your mind that there was a time where not only would he not be rescued, but the race wouldn't even be stopped. There's something genuinely wrong with the show must go on mentality that permeated motorsport between the 1950s and 1980s.

[@kevingame3198]

Goes to show how far safely come with all the technology over the years and the halo was the final missing puzzle piece

[@josephbroom829]

I know this is probably not the best video to say this, but @AidanMillward, you are an amazing story teller! I always enjoy listening to these sort of videos where you really dig in to the full context of the stories to paint the picture. I love history and i really appreciate how you engage your audience. I even enjoy your videos on other motorsports even though I don’t watch them or are even a fan of them because of how well tell the story. The tragedy of Roger Williamson is horrible and it just shows how far Formula 1 has come since then. But it always will be dangerous. Like when Roman Grosjean crashed in Bahrain 2020, you could tell from the team radios of the other drivers that they know the danger is still there. We want to see real racing, but not drivers getting needlessly killed. So even though some may say that Formula 1 has been sterilised too much…well there are grave reasons why such changes have been made…

[@catmando7262]

A very dignified video. I remember seeing the incident on the news. Every sinew in my ten year old body was hoping Williamson would be saved. I'm sure my mum had tears in her eyes. I'm transported back to the living room and the black and white TV and the agony of watching someone's life being snatched away. It's a physical feeling. I felt the same when Grosjean had his crash except on that occasion there was the relief of a happy outcome.

[@y_fam_goeglyd]

Well presented, Aidan. This is one of the stories that always haunts me. Ditto with the others who either were "lucky" enough to survive, like Lauda, or those who died on the scene (or worse, a few days later, like Lorenzo Bandini. The thought of his inevitable death taking three days to happen still gives me the shivers.) I have a serious phobia about burning to death, though I haven't been through anything remotely as bad as you, Aidan. Fortunately, I've only had minor injuries due to burns, worst was getting a joint of beef out of the oven, my stupid back giving up on supporting me and I spilled the extremely hot fat all over my left arm - I'd turned the heat up to get the right temperature fat to make Yorkshire puddings. I was essentially a blister from my elbow to my wrist. As minor as that was in comparison to flame on skin, it hurt me enough for me to develop the phobia. I've only come to terms with dying by telling my kids not to cremate me. Not kidding.

[@stephenbrown4211]

This is probably the best video I’ve seen on Williamsons death. Most sensationalise it and put all the blame on the marshals. This leads to some truly abhorrent comments which include calling them murderers. Well done Aidan for being objective about this and well done to the people commenting for being respectful. What it did show was marshals were ill trained and ill equipped. None had any fire protection. Race control didnt want to send the nearest fire truck as it would mean going against the traffic, something that wouldn’t have been an issue if the race had been stopped. And yes, the FIA did start marshal training but we should give a nod to Louis Stanley who got that off the ground. He also introduced the first F1 mobile medical unit that followed the circus until circuits built their own medical facilities. Stewart may have been the one to fight for safety in F1 but this unsung hero, Louis Stanley was the man who got things done

[@Gois83]

It's still, to this day, the accident in F1 that (apart from Senna's which I watched live) I find more heartbreaking, not only because of thr awful way Williamson died but Purley's helplessness. It always brings a tear to my eyes when I see it or even when I find videos like this talking about it.

[@camerongreenwoodcrampakacgc.]

David Purley. How could anyone go wrong with a friend like that. What a beautiful soul he was. Especially at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix with Roger Williamson. God bless his beautiful soul. David Charles Purley.

[@JohnSmithShields]

A very respectful video, with the storytelling skill we have come to expect from you. F1 still has a long way to go. The JCB on track as Gasly sped past at Suzuka two years ago is a prime example. I dred to think what the list of names of drivers lost in action would be without Jackie Stewart and the others campaigning to protect all of the F1 grid, and in doing so, raising the standards in the feeder series too.

[@OoVECTORMANoO]

Thankyou for covering this. I saw the Williamson crash video in my teens and it had a profound affect on me. David Purley since then has always been kind of a role model or someone I looked upto, from what I understand he was a nice, interesting guy aswell. If you were to ask me who's my greatest F1 driver, it's Clark hands down but the driver who had the biggest impact on me growing up was Purley so he'll always be one of my greats in F1.....just not for the usual reasons.

[@ianmorris7485]

I have watched many many films and videos of Formula One over the years and there is no more harrowing one than that of David Williamson's crash. It is seared into the memory no matter how hard you try to forget about it. Watching David Purley... no words can describe it. Thank you Aidan for handling this so well.

[@camerongreenwoodcrampakacgc.]

David Purley is my definition of an absolute hero and, of course, the definition of a true hero. :)

[@Dashriprock4]

If you haven't done it perhaps you should do a video on the triple revolution of the late '60s and early '70s. The Advent of slick tire technology, the increasing levels of horsepower through turbocharging etc. and the advent of downforce enhancing aerodynamics. Just one of these things happening alone would have been revolutionary. The fact that they all three happened at once was absolutely earth-shaking

[@ben6993]

Is it true that slick tyres were an accidental discovery? I know the story behind it I just was never sure if it was true

[@KGmodels]

Well,this for sure did get me thinking,and I have seen that picture before,but I have seen so much in between I kind of forgot about it,and now you got me to search it up,and well,It does kind of make it even worse How everyone just drove by,and I will sure not forget it any time soon,it is actually kind of appalling How one person only reacted,Thanks for the video Aiden!

[@Scoobydcs]

leaving the end mute is a quality touch, well done

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Aidan: It was very fitting to finish on Jackie's words and not to have the bright, bouncy jazz. A good job and very well done.

[@christapp4877]

Fantastic video, all drive to survive fans need to know where f1 came from

[@FiDeano93]

The footage of Purley trying and failing to save Williamson is heartbreaking. You can just see the desperation and futility.

[@apparentlyretrograde]

Almost every driver in motorsport that has died racing would probably say that at least they died doing the thing they loved. But that said, most of them died in such terrible ways. It's depressing despite that.

[@pommunist]

"died doing the thing they loved" The problem with this phrase is, the more you think about it the more you realize what a filthy lie it truly is.

[@areasquirrel]

Another map showing where the Netherlands actually is. I get it and Belgium mixed up in that aspect. In the 1973 Brunswick Season Review, it's insane from a modern perspective to hear of Fittipaldi having driven with painkillers to set his time, with personnel warning him they'll make him feel relaxed, so he must *not* push, and then another asks "Does Colin know you've taken these tablets?" Unintentional grim humour. The review puts together the crash from photos, followed by the footage of Purley in his desperation, the right word for it. The grimmest thing for me there, is as the cars pull in at the end of the race, and we hear Ken Tyrrell simply tell Stewart: "Williamson's dead. There's no lap of honour. Quick presentation."

[@bowelrupture]

When Gijs van Lennep came back in the pits after scoring a 6th place, he said with a voice of relief: "Good that he got out of that one!" He was then told that Williamson died in that accident. Gijs answered: "But i saw him standing next to his car". Then they told him that that was Purley. That he tried to get him out of that car. It shows that not all drivers had a clue what actually was happening there. Main factor was that it happened right before Tunnel Oost which was back then still a haunting corner. Some slowed down, but many like Peterson when flat out.

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

At the podium ceremony, Stewart and Cevert look very grim indeed. James Hunt was clearly in tears.

[@Ricketik65]

I was 8 years old at the time. It was the first Dutch GP I watched live on tv, in colour as well. I will never forget those images of the burning, upside-down car and Purley standing there in desperation, but I still love motorsports and watch as many races as I can. Strange but true.

[@arthurguitar]

What a moving telling of these events Aidan. A lot or respect shown. Well done.

[@brooksobrien5290]

I met and I would say became friends with David Purley at the 1973 Monaco GP about 5 weeks before the infamous 1973 Dutch race. My, dad very much out of character, booked a Page and Moy trip to the Monaco and Purley was in our group. David was with his then new wife and people commented that they were a nice Brit couple on their honeymoon. In fact, Purley was there making his Grand Prix debut. Purley sat at our table for dinner and ordered wine for us, in French. When I discovered he was in fact a racer, as a 14 year old future racing champion, I was all over him. He never mentioned what he was doing but asked a lot of questions about my racing plans. David Purley was charm, class personified. With his life story and war heroics, the Dutch incident with Roger was reflex for David as he had pulled soldiers from burning tanks on at least three occasions. He was what you want your heros to be like, and my roll model.

[@pastorearl1]

Amazing one, Aidan. Yes, the images are haunting. Saw the crash on KZbin a few years ago. Difficult to watch, but necessary to get change to happen.

[@goodfes]

Difficult topic well covered Aiden. I was too young to recall this event but without doubt the sport owes so much to the drivers who banded together and stated clearly enough is enough. Quite rightly Jackie Stewart and many of his peers are recognised for the direction they steered motorsport into much safer times.

[@lynnebarkas6906]

Sobering video Aidan well presented.

[@RichardLeTessier]

Interesting video as always. You've treated this subject with great respect - emphasised by the ending of the video. Thank You.

[@philbro1829]

Thanks for the GREAT insight into the history and tragedy that is RACING...😮

[@dutchsailor6620]

I remember seeing the accident broadcast on dutch television, not knowing that 8 years later I would be racing there myself (motorcycles). Nowadays the track has grass around it, but in those days there were still a lot of patches with dune sand next to the track, especially the part between Scheivlak and Panorama corner. This sand could be blown on the track by the wind (its always windy at Zandvoort) and make you lose grip. Tunnel Oost was a very fast kink with the added difficulty that you would go into that bend without knowing how the situation a bit further at the track was, because the view was shielded by some small trees with the track bending to the right, so you had to rely on the marshals located at Tunnel Oost to warn you for any dangers laying ahead. Add to this the extreme high speed corner of Bos Uit and the "death fences" all around the track and you will understand that it was not one of my favorite tracks. I think that the remodeling of the track was long overdue. In those days, even the professionals were amateurs.

[@ruddgrandprix-speedrunraci8515]

11:04 I recognize that documentary. All those years ago. I seen it before.

[@minibus9]

great video about a truly terrible moment in motorsport hisotry, the change should have been more, David Purley is a true hero

[@Bennet2408]

I just watched your old video about this exact topic. What a timing

[@EuropaSman]

The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix always strikes a chord with me, as a motorsport fan and as of 2024 sprint racer, and as a resident of Ashby De La Zouch. Roger Williamson was born in Ashby and was sponsored by Tom Wheatcroft, the man who bought Donington Park and brought it back to life in the 1970s. Roger's story is very sad. Thank goodness for the likes of Stewart and Prof Sid Watkins that Formula 1 and motorsport in general is a lot safer than it was. RIP Roger.

[@charamia9402]

Once again you managed to convey the gravity without sensationalizing it and without showing the worst of the imagery available. The safety regulations of F1 are written in the blood of those who never came home, and we need to remember them.

[@moreheff]

I remember seeing this accident on tv at the time. To be honest as a young teenager (I would have been 13) the true horror of it really passed my. It is only as I got older that I understood how tragic and horrifying it really was and even though I have known this story and seen the video many times since, watching this fills me with immense sadness at the unnecessary loss. Incidentally, I just went and watched the Silverstone accident you talk of here Aidan. How nobody was killed in that accident I do not know. I don't even remember it. But watching it, something else struck me. Stewart, totally oblivious to the carnage was travelling full tilt into Woodcote where they were finally waving the red flag and he and Ronnie Peterson were standing on the brakes trying to stop in time. The commentator said they were only waving yellows just prior to that and the late appearance of the red flag almost caused another accident as everyone was trying desperately to stop. In fact you can hear the squealing tyres in the background of the commentary. My heart was in my mouth watching it. It was noted on the screen also that a driver named Andrea De Adamich broke his ankle in the accident.................................. and never raced again.

[@s11333]

I remember hearing the term tombstone engineering with regards to the airline industry. Where issues were only fixed after they had caused enough people to lose their lives. The same applied the F1 in the 60's and early 70's

[@georgethomas7814]

As always well done.... While there are many places that now that have archived races from this era televised F1 races were not that common in the early 1970's. Radio coverage from BBC World and the occasional Newspaper report was about all New Zealand had. We had two F1 drivers at the time and our own Grand Prix that included many F1 drivers who found time to participate.

[@andrewharris4268]

I find this still a very difficult subject to hear about. I’ve never been able to watch the full footage of the incident since seeing brief news reports at the time. It’s impossible not to empathise with the trapped driver, or indeed the frustration of his colleague.

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

The GM is a seriously good medal, but it's second behind the GC for civilian bravery. See e.g. Charles Howard GC, 20th Earl of Suffolk (yes, really). He defused 34 boobytrapped Luftwaffe bombs during the Blitz before getting unlucky. I'm glad you didn't include the accident footage, It's horrific.

[@AidanMillward]

@@mikesummers-smith4091 I got confused between the two. RIP me.

[@samuelgarrod8327]

A good medal? Are you implying that most others are bad?

[@pommunist]

I'm also glad Aiden didn't show the footage, I've seen Roger Williamson die too many times, it doesn't get any easier.

[@slowerthinker]

Thanks for highlighting this. Having seen the footage and not wanting to ever see it again, I am now able to watch this video.

[@kurtwest5306]

Powerfull video, makes think.

[@DjDolHaus86]

I'm not a person who gets easily affected by seeing images or footage of tragedy but the way the sheer desperation and hopelessness plays out in this one is heartbreaking. I don't blame the drivers for not stopping, they don't have enough time or information to know there's a man trapped under that wreckage , Purley was the only one who saw enough to know. I don't blame the marshals because they weren't equipped or trained well enough to make a difference, if you've ever thrown petrol on a bonfire you'll know of the impenetrable wall of heat it generates and how you just can't get close for more than a few seconds without beginning to burn. The blame lies fully with the organisers for not taking the necessary precautions, by the time the accident happened only a miracle could have saved Williamson because there was nothing anyone could have done to stop it.

[@williamross2579]

'Brave Dave' was the only person in that footage to come out with ANY integrity.

[@kevinprior3549]

I think u need to do a separate video about the 1966 Belgian GP.

[@slowerthinker]

Hot Fuzz? Watching the frantic despair of David Purley I was reminded of Stallone's monologue at the end of the film _First Blood_ when John Rambo is talking about the death of his best mate in Saigon and whilst crying with a breaking voice repeating "and nobody would help".

[@TomGorian]

Please do more 70s F1

[@djh29971]

Armco was criticised by many drivers at the time, but the real issue was that it often was not correctly fitted as was the case with Roger's death. It was not securely fitted and was in effect a launching pad. Had it been secured properly it would have just been another accident, but it was one of several acts of negligence by the organisers which unfortunately for Williamson all played against him. Another aspect of the case is that as both Purley and Williamson were driving March's, some drivers thought that it was Purley's car - not Roger's. Peterson was not slowing down at all which was one of the reasons given by the organisers that they didn't think things were as bad as they most obviously were. Roger was highly talented and his sponsor Tom Wheatcroft had bought 2 M23's from Pat McLaren to run for the 1974 season (there was interest from Tyrrell) as well as F2, but that sadly was not to be.

[@nascarwildcatfan7577]

I've heard this story several times. It is as Black Flags Matter put it, the most disgraceful moment in F1 History

[@stinemertens]

The Dutch documentary "De dood van Roger Williamson" basically shows everything that happened there on one of the darkest days of the sport.

[@AndrewGeierMelons]

A Ferrari 458 Challenge Evo race car I was driving (but not at the time it caught fire) caught fire last week. I have pictures. Terrifying. I'm glad everyone got out. One of my best friends was in the passenger seat, instructing around a race track and poof 🔥 no one was hurt. A cracked plastic fuel line fitting was all it took.

[@gofastandwynn]

Williamson was still in the car until it was turned upright. Fastlane had some pretty graphic pictures of Roger still in the car.

[@AidanMillward]

@@gofastandwynn seen them. It’s not pretty.

[@matthewlawrenson3628]

@@AidanMillward After the fire was put out and the car righted, the marshals just lobbed a sheet over Williamson and the car and the race proceeded with everyone driving past it for the following 40+ laps. The March was only retrieved and Williamson extracted well after the race's conclusion. Tom Wheatcroft (Williamson's benefactor) had to do it himself in the pits. Max Mosley, meanwhile, was on the plane back to London.

[@BarbaricAvatar]

It's the usual story in humanity: Nothing gets done until something goes majorly wrong in public and the issue can't be brushed under the carpet anymore.

[@Tobyscott2002]

I remember watching this as a kid and a replay I might add I’m not that old. But even as a kid I remember thinking why is no one helping him. One of the most distressing crashes I’ve ever seen. Roman grojeans crash was as distressing but he walked away.

[@kevingame3198]

This is even worse than 1994 san marino grand prix

[@MegaTimtheman]

The footage of the aftermath of that crash/incident has to be formula 1's most shameful moment

[@hugoagogo9435]

A point worth mentioning is the drivers carried on while Purely frantically waved for help. Those drivers thought it was Purely who crashed and because he was obviously alive and well they seen no reason to stop. If they had realised the situation many would have stopped to help. The drivers have had a lot of criticism over the years but that was why they carried on. It was common at the time to carry on racing especially when they could clearly see that the driver involved was ok. I’m sure Purely would have got a lot more assistance if they had only known what was actually happening

[@PescaraProductions]

6:47 Jackie Oliver and his life in the sport must be studied as he might be the luckiest man of the era, surviving both that fire, a blowover at Mont Tremblant in 1970 where he landed head first into the ground and flipped several times, and a horrific crash in the 1968 French GP where the only thing that remained was the tub he sat in. Supposedly the BBC followed Lotus and the F1 paddock around a lot in 1968 but most of the footage never got used as it portrayed the sport as a poorly organised death cult and less the heroic gladiator matches the public thought of it

[@orionexplorer]

I was born in 1960 and remember these dark days of auto racing. You might also add that the horrendous wreck at the start of the Indy 500 was also in 1973 and included the death of Swede Savage from an accident during the race and Art Pollard during Pole Day practice as well as a mechanic running to Swede Savages car who was hit by a safety vehicle going the wrong way down the pits. That's why you don't drive backwards on the track or in the pits.

[@chrisguardiano6143]

Then in NASCAR we had the first "Big One" at Talladega (which was largely attributed to the 60 car grid) where Wendell Scott was seriously injured & never raced again. Then in the second Talladega race that year Larry Smith was killed. This is also the same race where 1970 champion Bobby Issac quit the sport in the middle of the race after he heard voices in his head telling him to stop racing or else he too would die.

[@laurenmp7486]

And the sad thing with Savage is, he wasn't even knocked unconscious by his wreck, he was joking with the paramedics when they showed up. But the fire and who knows what else did him in eventually.

[@gordonwallin2368]

My daughters and I were at my girl friend's apartment when we were watching a 1999CART race Yep, we watched Greg Moore's death. We didn't know at the time, as it wasn't announced untilthe race was over, but watching it and the lack of movement from inside the cockpit, we all sort of knew. It's so fast and final.

[@Mishima505]

Williamson’s career was bankrolled by Tom Wheatcroft, the Derby builder who went on to buy Donington Park and reopen it in 1977.

[@soddof7972]

There's a whole section in his book on it, I remember it saying the death pretty much stopped his enthusiasm for running a team.

[@speedhunter7156]

This is another sad case to look at, as easy as it is to write it off as a casualty of "war" it really shouldn't be but rather something that should be focused on for improvement at least that much occurred sometimes things don't change and people get ignored and thats the saddest part that for some its cheaper to silence rather than change

[@imbok]

To this day, I still can't watch the footage of Purley trying to save his friend. It's absolutely horrifying to see.

[@shb8124]

One of the saddest and most horrific deaths in the sport's history and completely unnecessary, Purley's despair is palpable and just reinforced the horror. A tragic day.

[@DuvJones]

Damn. All That I can say to that.... just damn. It's something that is overlooked these days, because I guess we just love the spectacle and want more of it but.... I say this time and again when it comes to the rules on car/aviation safety, some of those rules were written in blood. People had to die before others saw the problem. That.... That is a cruel way to die. Aidan, great work as heavy as this is.

[@simontravers2715]

I can’t even imagine Williamson’s last moments of agony!

[@eamonahern7495]

I've seen the footage. It's horrible to see the drivers, especially Stewart after all his safety campaigning, just driving past and the clear desparation in Purley's body language.

[@insertgenericusernamehere2402]

Im sure the cars used to be made from magnesium back then a fire extinguisher wouldnt do anything to help in fact it would probably speed up the reaction. It's a grim situation all around.

[@polygonvvitch]

That was just that one Honda in particular.

[@insertgenericusernamehere2402]

@@polygonvvitch I see, such a tragic situation

[@AidanMillward]

It was banned after the Honda incident of 68.

[@bowelrupture]

@@AidanMillward In Formula 1 i think. The #22 Porsche 917 of dr. Helmut Marko and Gijs van Lennep was build with a magnesium body.

[@insertgenericusernamehere2402]

@@AidanMillward Ahh okay thanks for clearing that up for me.

[@tristandoran601]

I think the aftermath of Roger's tragic accident was probably the cause of Tom Pryce's tragic crash. The two marshals having a knee-jerk reaction to the flames coming from Renzo Zorzi's car prompting the two guys to come to his aid, although the flames were extinguished before they had even crossed the track.

[@kevinprior3549]

To me, it is the most harrowing moment in F1 history.

[@JumboSeventyNine]

It may have been mentioned in the comments but David Purley led an extraordinary life. He survived being a paratrooper. One one jump his parachute didn't open and he survived because he got caught up in someone else's. Then he went into F1. The most famous incident is in this video (Its good to see the marshals not vilified. The equivalent situation would be turning up at Grosjeans accident in your marshals' flip flops and T shirt and being asked to go into a fire). In 1977 his throttle stuck open at Silverstone. He hit the wall and went from 108mph to a full stop in 26 inches. A deceleration of 179.8g at the time a record for the greatest survived. This was a man not destined to breathe his last at old age. He never saw 41. In the end it wasn't a racing car that took his life. He had taken up competitive Aerobatics and was killed in a crash of his Pitts Special Biplane. Extraordinary is thrown around a lot but David Purley GM was extraordinary.

[@PamelaContiGlass]

I remember those days all too well. Living in Italy and with Ferrari being essentially a religion, F1 was always big news. I think I watched this race, I was a small child and I have a vivid memory of the accident, but I can’t remember if Italian TV showed it or my memory is confused from videos I watched in YT. People did think they were gladiators and there was a fatalistic attitude toward drivers and riders deaths. I remember buying a magazine that every month had a poster of a racer (moto or auto) and one month the poster was Pierpaolo Pasolini, who had just passed away at Monza a week before, too late for the magazine to change the poster. I never hanged it up.

[@BEATHROKZ]

How David Purley raced after that is beyond me, if it was me I'd be like "Nahh, screw this. I'm done." Also I've seen the images of Williamson still in the car, one image shows David Purley on the verge of throwing up as the marshals are dragging Williamson out of the car.

[@VonBlade]

I trust that you won't include footage or even stills, but I cannot watch this video. It's too distressing. Love to David Purley.

[@luciushilliard6352]

And the sad thing is people want the these kind of death races back because "Racing has gone soft." Racing is never has and never will be soft. It takes guts to get in these cars even with all the safety enhancements made over the years. All it takes is one thing going wrong to end a life.

[@mattnoyes6513]

That Hot Fuzz reference was fucking top notch.

[@ro3521]

I found the full race and watched it. No less pathetic than the way the accident was handled, the car was where it stood for the rest of the race. And the drivers were passing close to it as if it wasn't there.

[@robin_marriott]

Purley was a superhero.

[@hecksters423]

FIA has added a hotfix patch in 1974: *All track marshalls are no longer useless bollards when things are on fire.

[@Pablo668]

Yeah I've seen the vid and knew about the accident anyway, reading etc. This was a truly awful accident, and the fact that people just stood and watched is so frustrating. It must have been a nightmare for Purley. I say it all the time, but there should be a shrine to Jackie Stewart for his efforts in making safety a thing, a big thing in F1. Every current driver should got to it and offer thanks.

[@crystalracing4794]

Putting the sad events of Roger's death aside (RIP), Zandvoort is one of the worst "classic" tracks. Even slower, twistier and tighter than Hungaroring and Singapore.

[@theragingdolphinsmaniac4696]

As much as safety had improved, it’s still very dangerous. I have attended 2 races where drivers died and another where 2 more could have right in front of me. I was at Watkins Glen when JD Mcduffie died, in Toronto when Jeff Krosnoff died (I heard the crash but didnt see it) and at Watkins Glen when 2 Nissans crashed in the esses and 2 drivers could have easily been killed in that crash. It drives me insane when Nascar fans celebrate “the big one” or complain because the race was boring because there weren’t any crashes.

[@goodwood-rc4nx]

have seen the video of Bandini accident with him still in the car so can only imagine that pic with Roger in

[@haggismcmutton4702]

@13:01... I don't think that's Ralf's Williams...

[@aoife1122]

When Nika Lauda infamously replied to a reporter's question why he didn't stop to help, "I'm getting paid to drive, not to park." ("Ich werde fürs Fahren bezahlt, nicht fürs Parken.")

[@ReclusiveDuck]

Something I've always wondered.....Who, or what, was the main driving force behind safety improvements in F1? I know Stewart is credited with starting it (rightly so) but was he the MAIN reason? It seems to me that sponsors and TV coverage had at least as much, if not more, influence. Interested to hear what opinions other people have on this.

[@AidanMillward]

Stewart got the ball rolling, then Bernie took it further with Sid Watkins, then Max took it even further still. We have Euro NCAP safety tests because of Mosely. He might have had a questionable private life but he vowed to make F1 as safe as possible, and road deaths have tumbled thanks to FIA things that carried over into EU legislation

[@ReclusiveDuck]

@@AidanMillward Thanks, Mosely was one of the _"who"_ I had in mind when I asked that question but still it's a subject I know very little about. As for his private life.....errrr.....we can ignore that.

[@mikehipperson]

@@ReclusiveDuck He deserves a good spanking!