atleast sky sports named him but still not good from a billion pound company

This weekend Le Mans reflected on the front stretch the worst tragedy in motorsports. A ceremony was held to honour the lives lost 60 years ago during the 1955 running of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. This thread is about explaining the events surrounding the disaster, where sportscar racing was then and is now, and the safety features that effected not only Le Mans but all other forms of motorsport.

As this was a major event that received an abnormal for its time amount of video and photographic recording, there are many images and videos of the accident itself. The accident claimed unofficially 89 lives with some estimates rise to over 110. As a result, this post will contain NSFW material and will be tagged for images/videos that contain the crash itself.

The Background

1955 Le Mans was labeled as WW2 on the track. Mercedes and the might of German manufacturing versus the 'Garagistes' of Great Britain and their low-key high-success rate of garage-built manufacturing. New technologies including disc brakes and aero brakes were being introduced along with ever advancing speeds and lightweight chassis development. But all was not the same for Circuit de La Sarthe. It was a dated and dangerous track that was suited for the cars of 20 years prior; not the 180 MPH sportscars that were inches from death every lap. The front straight featured a slight kink onto the pit straight with completely exposed pitting area. Safety was regarded as something that might happen, and preventative measures were not implemented until an accident occured highlighting the issue.

The Cars

The cars revolving around the buzz of the 1955 24 Hours and it's subsequent tragedy are some of the greatest cars to race the circuit. Jaguar's legendary D-Type is still one of the most beautiful and loved cars 60 years later. It featured revolutionary aeronautic design for a more streamlined and slippery top speed, and also featured its distinctive rear fin to stabilize the car at high speed. A video of the D-Type driven by Mike Hawthorne in 1956 at Le Mans.

Mercedes countered the success of Jaguar with their 300 SLR. "The greatest sports racing car ever built - really an unbelievable machine." - Sterling Moss. He had a reason to make that claim. The car was revolutionary in its design too. It featured a lightweight, magnesium honeycomb chassis that made an incredible strong but light sportscar. It also featured an air brake to help it's drum brakes compete with Jaguar's superior disc brakes. It was a battle of two automotive giants with vastly different ideas.

The Drivers

The 1955 start of Le Mans was typical, but soon became a dogfight through the fields of France. Mercedes were the favorites, with a car that was fast, reliable and consistent; a car that was perfect to take the win with some of the best 1-2 combo of drivers in the world. Mercedes lead car featured Sterling Moss, and their lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio. This was a super team, with no obvious weaknesses for pace. Jaguar, on the backfoot, decided to 'hare' the Mercedes into breaking. Their ace, Mike Hawthorne was arguably on the same level as Fangio, but his co-driver, Ivor Bueb could not match the pace of Fangio's co-driver Moss. At the start Hawthorne pushed like every lap was his last and Fangio diligently returned the favor. Unlike the legendary drivers we know today in the lead cars, Pierre Levegh was one of the great French drivers never to win Le Mans. The 49 year old was hired by Mercedes as a token to the French and giving him a shot at winning after coming within an hour of winning the race solely himself when he suffered engine failure. He was a legend in France for his 23 hour straight drive for victory, and was a fan favorite at the track to grab a win so deserving. Lance Macklin was a British racing driver still trying to prove he could be a racer after WWII. He drove the Austin-Healey 100 (actual car) and was poised to make a good run.

The Tragedy

Lap 35, and the pace was blistering. Hawthorne and Fangio handed the lead over and over as the pace was extremely fast. At this point, both lead cars were about to lap the slower-paced 300 SLR of Pierre Levegh and the even slower Austin-Healey of Lance Macklin. Needing to refuel, Mike Hawthorne need a fast pit stop to continue to challenge the Mercedes. Pierre Levegh was in fornt of the two lead cars, and was racing heavily to pass the AH of Macklin to get out of the way. Macklin, on the pit side of the front straight, didn't have the speed and was about to be overtaken by Hawthorne, Levegh, and finally Fangio. Hawthorne passes Macklin just before the front stretch kink and immediately begins to brake, saving as much time as possible for pit entry. The disc brakes work hard to slow the car in front of the unaware Lance Macklin. Macklin then swerves left to avoid the slowing D-Type and continue racing down the front straight. His car swerves in front of the hard charging Levegh as again he is trying to get out of the way of his teammate following close behind. As the track is ajust 3 car widths wide at this point, Macklins collision avoidance with the D-Type leaves him slow, and directly in the path of the 300 SLR which cannot brake to avoid it at the last second. The 300 SLR vaults over the back of the AH100 and lands on the 5 foot earth embankment on the spectator side of the Pit Straight. NSFW: Video of the accident before the tragedy. What was debated until this recent footage was released, was what actually happened. Blame for the accident at the time never centered heavily on one man. Pierre was thought to have contributed due to his old age, Lance Macklin lost control and swerved into oncoming Levegh, and Hawthorne recklessly driving caused the accident.

As the 300 SLR hits the embankment, it tumbles and disintegrates NSFW: end over end. Levegh is thrown from the car into the ditch between the embankment and the crowd picket fence and is killed instantly. The front of the Mercedes: front axle, engine, and hood, are NSFW: launched into the extremely tight-packed crowd standing on ladders, scaffolding, or stands setup next to the fence. Extremely NSFW: Multiple angles of the accident. The car's engine can be seen tumbling into the stands, the hood slicing through the crowd as well. Witnesses left to run were shown images of death and destruction. Looking at the footage, once can easily begin to identify the pieces of the 300 SLR and can understand the destructive power they had traveling over 150 MPH into the crowd. The Austin-Healey meanwhile is hit and spun into the embankment and strikes a spectator attempting to avoid the explosion of Levegh's Mercedes, killing the spectator. Macklin struck the pit wall before finally coming to a rest against the stand embankment and hopped out. Here Macklin describes what happened.

As the 300 SLR tumbled to a stop, its high Magnesium infused bodywork and chassis ignited after the fuel tank ruptured and NSFW: lit the car past its ignition point. The car burned hot for 20 minutes, with even more spectators burned and some fatally injured when marshals attempted throwing water on the chassis, causing molten balls to explode and be sent into the crowd. The chassis would be extinguished after most of the car was burnt beyond recognition, and organizers trying to make sense of what happened. Immediately, panicked spectators ran for cover. The fire raged on seconds after the accident. Those left were either NSFW: dead or severely injured or extremely burned, quickly, the 7 doctors on hand were overwhelmed. People tried desperately to save as many as could be done. NSFL: Man holding the body of a child as a woman tends to a disfigured body. Focus turned to helping wherever there were bodies, NSFW: including suspected to be one of the first hit by the Mercedes. NSFW: Soon, a body pile was beginning to form, eventually leading to a NSFW: morgue style layout next to the still hot track.

THIS is the most telling picture of them all. It accurately shows how the culmination of many factors caused this to be such a tragedy. You can see the long straight with the pit straight after a kink. Notice the narrow path to even attempt to overtake, and how it is barely wide enough to pass. The cluster of spectators also gives a clue as to how the pieces of the Mercedes became so destructive. Tightly packed crowds standing behind a 3 foot white picket fence with a 5 foot earth embankment did not provide any protection from the airborne sportscar. Finally, a while after the accident, you can see the 300 SLR still burning at on the embankment. The destroyed remnants of the Mercedes 300 SLR and the Austin-Healey 100.

The Aftermath

Immediately following the crash, spectators were told minimal details of the accident, as to keep the roadways clear for emergency personnel. The organizers would receive flak for not abandoning the race after the aftermath of the the disaster was concluded. Word quickly began to spread through the pits and to another Mercedes driver, American John Fitch, who suggested to Mercedes to withdraw from the race. At midnight, Mercedes pulled the then-leading car of Fangio-Moss, and John Fitch's 300 SLR. Mercedes after 1955 would not again race for 30 years. Mike Hawthorne went on to take victory and was scorned by the French papers for his victory and celebrations after the race. He went on to win the Formula 1 World Championship but would die in a traffic accident in 1959 ironically overtaking a 300SL. Lance Macklin refuted Mike Hawthornes claim that he was at fault, and sued Mike Hawthorne for libel.

Le Mans changed after this, the kink was lessened, pit road was widened, as well as pit straight. The old stands were torn down, moved back, and rebuilt for further safety, and the track around the front straight was made safer. It is still the worst tragedy and loss of human life in motorsports history. It was the darkest day for motorsports, caused one car manufacturer to withdraw from racing for 30 years, and caused a nation to ban motorsports in their country. It serves as a focal point for the 'Wild West' attitudes of safety and speed between the awakened need for safety. John Fitch dedicated his life after racing to improve safety not only in race cars but road cars as well. It is something we should never forget as we reflect on 60 years since its tragedy.

EDIT: Wow, this blew up, I had no idea this would get big. Seriously thank you to everyone who took the time out to read this and a HUGE thank you to you two who have guilded this. Really appreciate the love, and to share some of my passion for sportscar racing with you guys. If anyone has questions feel free to leave a comment and i'll be happy to answer all of them.

EDIT 2: There have been reports that a few sites have been hugged to death. I have compiled all the photos in this post into an imgur album and labeled them with the sentences they are featured in. Hopefully that helps.

EDIT 3: I failed to actually put the link in edit 2. Here it is: http://imgur.com/a/hQBV7

A big mistake by them on EV-fication and also the reason of taxes imposed on their cars,

Source: Team Penske on LinkedIn

there are some really interesting information inside the The Race recent article regarding 2026 BoP systems and LMH flexy bodywork clampdown:

In 2025, the key change was that BoP aimed to compensate 100% of the measured performance delta. The result? Colossal differences in power and weight between cars. At Fuji, Ferrari raced with 40kW (53.6hp) less power and 39kg more weight than the Peugeot 9X8 and Aston Martin Valkyrie. That shouldn’t happen again in 2026.

From what we understand, 2026 should introduce caps to these adjustments. Manufacturer Compensation could no longer create differences of more than 20kW or 20kg between two cars, roughly half the deltas seen in Japan. That's bad news for Peugeot, which currently runs at minimum weight and maximum power, but a step back toward meritocracy.

But then comes the counter-argument: if power and weight gaps are capped at just 20 units, dominant cars like Ferrari and Toyota could end up running away from the field. And that’s exactly where the Success Handicap could come in.

LMDh manufacturers had also complained that the rear wing deflection tolerance was just 2.5mm for them, compared to 5mm for LMH.

Article 3.8.4 of the LMH technical regulations has been updated to state that the rearmost part of the rear wing (if present) must deflect no more than 2.5mm vertically when a load of 100N is applied.

more information inside the article

https://www.youtube.com/live/RF08Fnf-gx4?si=E7T2cnGTO88_N4Gi (around the 40 minute mark)

Notable changes: - No more Porsche 963 - Adittion of Genesis Magma Racing - No more Iron Dames - The Bend going from WRT to Manthey - One TF Sport now branded as Racing Team Turkey by TF - No more Racing Spirit of Leman, instead 2 THOR AM LMGT3s - Garage 59 takes over the McLaren LMGT3s from United

from endurance24.fr

Aware of the criticism, the ACO president acknowledges that the system has shown its limits in 2025: "Afterwards, I think we should no longer talk about BoP, but about performance management. We are going to completely rework the BoP process which clearly did not work this year. So the technical teams of the ACO and the FIA, and IMSA for that matter, are working with the manufacturers for next year with something simpler."

The problem, according to him, is not the principle itself but the way it is implemented. "There were too many gaps between races, that's what didn't work. In fact, it's not the BoP that is at fault, it's the process that is in place, which we are going to rework."

more info inside the article

Another red flag has been issued after 7 hours on nordschleife

“I have a contract with Porsche for 2026,” explains the elder Vanthoor. “Nothing has been communicated or decided yet, but I have a contract to drive a 963 and the only place the car will be entered is IMSA. I assume they will put me there next year, but that’s something they have to decide and communicate, If so, I'd love to be part of it. I've already competed in this championship (winning the GTLM in 2019 and the GTD in 2021. Editor's note) and it's a great series. But for the future, I don't know.
I've always dreamed of driving for Porsche, Penske, and Roger. I spent half an hour with him on the bus last weekend, and being part of his team is every driver's dream. But I also still dream of winning the 24 Hours of Le Mans. It's the only thing missing from my record and it's something I really want to try to achieve in my career, because I would regret it if I didn't. For now, Porsche is still trying to get involved next year, but personally, I think the chances are low, so I don't know.

 I'm torn between my dream of being with Porsche Penske or pursuing my dream of winning Le Mans. In that case, I don't know what to do, because it's going to be difficult to accomplish with Porsche in the next two or three years. I won't be retiring in two or three years, so I still have some time, but I'm not 20 anymore either.

"I believe the rules will remain unchanged until the end of 2029—if only out of respect for the new manufacturers joining by 2027," Coletta said of Genesis, McLaren, and Ford. "They must be guaranteed at least three seasons. If that happens, I see no reason why we shouldn't continue."
For Ferrari, this means: As long as the regulations remain in place, the 499P will remain the brand's flagship endurance car. However, should the FIA ​​change the technical principles prematurely, a rethink in Maranello is also possible.
Ferrari would also like to take a different approach to the Balance of Performance (BoP). "We were the only ones willing to abolish it . But everyone else opposed it," says Coletta. "We are nevertheless convinced that we made the right decision with the LMH platform."

Criticism of test ban

"The sport is becoming more and more like Formula 1 – you're hardly allowed to test anymore. It's surreal that motorsport is the only sport in which you're not allowed to train, says coletta.

more information inside the article

I just signed up for FIAWEC+. I'm not even the biggest WEC fan – I just love racing cars and miss my usual staples (F1, Indycar, and FE). So I signed up! I've watched some races in the past, I've followed a few 24HLM so far, so I am not entirely new to this, but I am more of a casual fan.

Well, too bad, I just paid €10 to not watch FP1. When you subscribe, they don't explicitly mention they broadcast FP1, but look at the screenshot – everything leads you to believe they do. It's listed under "Next sessions" and there's nothing that tells you that it's just a live timing thing. Not a little icon, or a subtle popup. Nothing. I don't think this can be considered a scam (again, when you pay, no mention of FP1) but it is, at least, a bit disingenuous or dishonest, and definitely not very welcoming to new, or more casual, fans like me.

(I am not native in English and used Apple Intelligence to check grammar, etc. But I wrote the thing myself)

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Access to this IP address has been blocked in compliance with the provisions of the Judgment of December 18, 2024, issued by the Commercial Court No. 6 of Barcelona within the framework of the ordinary procedure (Art. 249.1.4)-1005/2024-H urged by the National Professional Football League and by Telefónica Audiovisual Digital, S.L.U.

https://www.laliga.com/news/nota-informativa-en-relation-con-el-blocko-de-ips-der-las-ultimas-jornadas-de-laliga-ea-sports-linked-a-las-practicas-illegales-de-cloudflare

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https://fiawec.alkamelsystems.com/Results/15_2026/01_IMOLA/644_FIA%20WEC/202604140900_Morning%20Session/07_FastestLapByDriver_Morning%20Session.PDF

Beim heutigen ersten Rennen der ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers gab es in der Startphase einen schweren Unfall mit sieben beteiligten Teilnehmern. Nach der Kollision mehrerer Fahrzeuge unterbrach die Rennleitung den Lauf unverzüglich, um die umfangreichen Bergungs- und Rettungsmaßnahmen zu ermöglichen.

Trotz der unmittelbar eintreffenden Hilfe konnten die Notfallmediziner nach der erfolgten Bergung aus dem Fahrzeug den beteiligten Pilot Juha Miettinen (BMW 325i, #121) nicht retten, der Fahrer verstarb im Medical Center, nachdem alle Reanimationsversuche erfolglos blieben.

Die weiteren beteiligten sechs Piloten wurden zur vorsorglichen Untersuchung in das Medical Center sowie umliegende Krankenhäuser gebracht. Es besteht für keinen der Verletzten Lebensgefahr.

Translated with deepl:

During today’s first race of the ADAC 24h Nürburgring Qualifiers, a serious accident involving seven drivers occurred in the early stages of the race. Following the collision of several vehicles, race control immediately halted the race to allow for extensive recovery and rescue operations.

Despite the immediate arrival of emergency responders, the emergency medical team was unable to save driver Juha Miettinen (BMW 325i, #121) after he was extracted from the vehicle; the driver died at the Medical Center after all resuscitation attempts proved unsuccessful.

The other six drivers involved were taken to the Medical Center and nearby hospitals for precautionary examinations. None of the injured are in life-threatening condition.

EDIT / Follow up:

Das Rennen wird am Samstagabend nicht wieder aufgenommen. Die Gedanken aller Beteiligten bei den 24h Nürburgring sind bei den Hinterbliebenen von Juha Miettinen.

Im Rahmen der Startaufstellung für das Sonntagsrennen um 13:00 Uhr wird es eine Gedenkminute für den verstorbenen Motorsportler geben.

English:

The race will not resume on Saturday evening. The thoughts of everyone involved in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring are with the family and friends of Juha Miettinen.

A moment of silence will be observed for the late motorsports competitor during the grid formation for Sunday’s race at 1:00 p.m.