| Roger Williamson | |
|---|---|
Nationality  British |
|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Active years | 1973 |
| Teams | March |
| Races | 2 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podium finishes | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1973 British Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1973 Dutch Grand Prix |
Roger Williamson (b. The FIA Super Licence is a qualification allowing the Licence holder to take part in Formula One Grands Prix as a driver The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. The Formula One World Drivers' Championship (WDC is awarded by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile ( FIA) to the most successful Formula One The term " pole position " comes from the Horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole In motorsport, the fastest lap is the quickest lap run during a race The 1973 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on July 14, 1973. The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One held at Zandvoort on July 29, 1973. 2 February 1948, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire – d. Events 962 - Translatio imperii: Pope John XII crowns Otto I Holy Roman Emperor, the first Holy Roman Emperor Year 1948 ( MCMXLVIII) was a Leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the 1948 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Ashby de la Zouch (often shortened simply to Ashby) is a small Market town and Civil parish in north west Leicestershire, England Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics 29 July 1973, Zandvoort Circuit, Netherlands) was a racing driver from England, who was killed during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix. Events 1014 - Byzantine-Bulgarian Wars: Battle of Kleidion: Byzantine emperor Basil II inflicts a decisive defeat Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. Circuit Park Zandvoort is a Motorsport Race track located in the dunes near the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands Auto racing (also known as automobile racing, motor racing or car racing) is a Motorsport involving Racing Cars It England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One held at Zandvoort on July 29, 1973.
Contents |
Biography
Williamson won the 1971 and 1972 British Formula Three Championship titles. The British Formula Three Championship is a national motor racing championship that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland In 1973, Williamson was offered a drive in the March Engineering works Formula One team. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. For his second appearance in the car, F1 returned to Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix, following a year's absence for extensive safety upgrades to the race track including new asphalt, new barriers and a new race control tower. Circuit Park Zandvoort is a Motorsport Race track located in the dunes near the town of Zandvoort, in the Netherlands, near the North
During the race, Williamson suffered a sudden tyre deflation, which pitched his car into the barriers at high speed and catapulted it 300 yards (275 metres) across the track, eventually coming to rest upside down against the barriers on the other side, during which his petrol tank had ignited while being scraped along the track. A fire began to take hold and Williamson was unable to extricate himself. Fellow driver and friend David Purley, although not a teammate of Williamson's, abandoned his own race in a desperate and valiant attempt to rescue him. David Charles Purley GM ( January 26, 1945 - July 2, 1985) was a British Racing driver born in Bognor Regis, Williamson had not been seriously injured by the impact, and was heard shouting to Purley to get him out of the car as Purley tried in vain to turn the car upright. Initially the commentators on Dutch TV, race control and some of the other drivers participating in the race assumed that it was Purley's car that had crashed and that the driver had escaped unharmed. As a result the race continued at full pace while Purley desperately tried to save the life of his friend.
The fire marshals stationed at the corner where the accident occurred were both poorly trained and badly equipped, and it was left to Purley to snatch the sole fire extinguisher and attempt to put out the fire. The marshals, who were not wearing flame retardant overalls, stood by as the fire spread, awaiting the arrival of the fire truck, which had to navigate across the track while the race was still in progress. Flame retardants are materials that inhibit or resist the spread of Fire. There appeared to have been ample time to right the car and pull Williamson out, but as desperately as he tried, Purley was unable to do it by himself. In what was seen by many as the most shocking aspect of the incident, one of the marshals tried to pull Purley away from the wreck as the helpless Williamson remained trapped. Some spectators, appalled at the seeming indifference of the marshals to Williamson's plight, tried to breach the safety fences in order to help Purley, but were pushed back by track security staff with dogs. It was some eight minutes before the first fire truck arrived on the scene. By the time the car was eventually righted, and the fire extinguished, Williamson had died of asphyxiation.
A blanket was thrown over the burnt-out wreck with Williamson still inside, and the race carried on.
It was arguably one the saddest days in Grand Prix history. The loss of Williamson was representative of so many other deaths and serious injuries of drivers of that era, and it was the first time that such a dramatic and tragic event at a race was televised live to so many people. The accident publicly exposed the failings in Grand Prix safety at the time, and was further ammunition for those like Jackie Stewart to use in their campaign to make Grand Prix racing safer. For other people of this name see Jackie Stewart (disambiguation. Niki Lauda was reported after the race to have felt "sick with guilt" that nobody had been willing or able to give Purley help. Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda (born February 22, 1949 in Vienna) is an Austrian Aviator, Entrepreneur
Williamson participated in two Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973. Events 1223 - Louis VIII becomes King of France upon the death of his father Philip II of France. Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. He did not score any championship points.
Photographs taken by Cor Mooij of the reaction of David Purley were awarded the World Press Photo for sports in 1974. In 2003, on the 30th anniversary of his fatal crash, a bronze statue of Roger Williamson was unveiled at the Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire, England. Donington Park is a site near Castle Donington in North West Leicestershire, England, owned by Donington Ventures Leisure Ltd Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Then-owner Tom Wheatcroft had provided financial backing to Williamson, and described the day Williamson died as "the saddest day of my life".
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | STP March Racing Team | March 731 | Cosworth V8 | ARG |
BRA |
RSA |
ESP |
BEL |
MON |
SWE |
FRA |
GBR Ret |
NED Ret |
GER |
AUT |
ITA |
CAN |
USA |
- | 0 |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Dave Walker |
British Formula Three Championship BRSCC North Central Lombard Series Champion 1971 |
Succeeded by Rikky von Opel |
| Preceded by Dave Walker |
British Formula Three Championship BARC Series Champion 1972 |
Succeeded by Ian Taylor |
| Preceded by Dave Walker |
British Formula Three Championship BRSCC Motorsport/Shell Series Champion 1972 |
Succeeded by Tony Brise |
| Preceded by Jo Siffert |
Formula One fatal accidents July 29, 1973 |
Succeeded by François Cevert |
Books
- Tremayne, David (1991). The 1973 Formula One season included the 24th FIA Formula One World Championship season which commenced on January 28, 1973, and ended on STP is a brand name and trade name for the automotive additives and performance division of the Clorox Corporation March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from Britain. Cosworth is an Automotive engineering company founded in London in 1958 specialising in engines for automobile racing (motorsport A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the Crankcase in two banks of four cylinders in most cases set at a right angle to each other The 1973 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez on January 28, 1973 Classification The 1973 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Interlagos on February 11, 1973 Classification The 1973 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Kyalami on March 3, 1973. The 1973 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Montjuïc circuit on April 29, 1973. The 1973 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Zolder on May 20, 1973. The 1973 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on June 3, 1973. The 1973 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 17, 1973. The 1973 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Paul Ricard Circuit on July 1, 1973. The 1973 British Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Silverstone on July 14, 1973. The 1973 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One held at Zandvoort on July 29, 1973. The 1973 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Nürburgring on August 5, 1973. The 1973 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Österreichring on August 19, 1973. The 1973 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 9, 1973. The 1973 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Mosport Park on September 23, 1973. The 1973 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 7, 1973 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course David Walker (born June 10 1941 in Sydney) is an Australian former racing driver who drove for Lotus in the 1971 and 1972 Formula The British Formula Three Championship is a national motor racing championship that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Frederick "Rikky" von Opel (born October 14, 1947 in New York) is a former Racing driver from Liechtenstein. David Walker (born June 10 1941 in Sydney) is an Australian former racing driver who drove for Lotus in the 1971 and 1972 Formula The British Formula Three Championship is a national motor racing championship that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland The British Automobile Racing Club (BARC is one of biggest organising clubs for Auto racing in the United Kingdom. David Walker (born June 10 1941 in Sydney) is an Australian former racing driver who drove for Lotus in the 1971 and 1972 Formula The British Formula Three Championship is a national motor racing championship that takes place primarily in the United Kingdom with a small number of events in mainland Royal Dutch Shell plc, commonly known simply as Shell, is a multinational oil company of Dutch and British origins Anthony William Brise ( 28 March 1952 in Erith, Kent &ndash 29 November 1975 in Arkley, London Joseph Siffert ( July 7, 1936 – October 24, 1971) was a Swiss Racing driver. By circuit Family background The son of Charles Goldenberg (1901-1985 a successful Parisian jeweller and Huguette Cevert François Cevert was born in Paris in early 1944 Racers Apart: Memories of motorsport heroes. UK: Motor Racing Publications Ltd, 293. ISBN 0947981586.
- Tremayne, David [August 2006]. David Tremayne is a UK based motor racing journalist He has written extensively about the Land Speed Record. The Lost Generation. The Lost Generation (ISBN 1-844-25205-1 is a book written by David Tremayne. Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-84425-205-1.
External links
- Roger Williamson Biography
- Formula One World
- Roger Williamson's Fatal Accident - Zandvoort July 29th, A pictorial record
- YouTube video of incident
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