Danish driver Simonsen killed in Le Mans crash
(Reuters) -
Motorsport mourned Danish driver Allan Simonsen after his fatal crash at
the Le Mans 24 Hours sportscar race on Saturday.
He was the first driver to die
in the race for 27 years and the 22nd fatality linked to it since the
first running on public roads near the cathedral city in western France
90 years ago.
The 34-year-old,
driving an Aston Martin, spun into the barriers at Tertre Rouge on lap
three after just 10 minutes of an endurance race famed the world over
for its glamour and danger.
"In a
serious condition, Allan Simonsen was transferred immediately to the
Circuit Medical Centre where he died soon after due to his injuries,"
organizers said in a statement on the official website
(www.24h-lemans.com).
Simonsen, one
of the world's more experienced endurance drivers at the La Sarthe
circuit, was competing in the GTE Am class for production-based
sportscars which are slower than the LMP1 and LMP2 prototype categories.
Media
reports said he was conscious and talking to doctors immediately after
the accident, which led to a 58 minute safety car period to allow the
destroyed barriers to be repaired.
Simonsen
was attended at the scene of the crash by staff from the Automobile
Club de l'Ouest's (ACO) medical service who transferred him to the
Circuit Medical Centre where he died.
Aston
Martin team chief David Richards said Simonsen's family had asked the
team to carry on in the event before they returned to Copenhagen.
"Incidents
like this are very rare but when they happen you have to make decisions
based on a number of factors - in this case the wishes of the family
were paramount," he said in a statement.
"We spoke with Allan's family who were insistent that we continued to compete.
"The
team is of course deeply saddened by the loss of one of our drivers.
However, we are as focused as ever to win this race (in the GTE Am
class) but we are now racing to win for Allan."
DRIVER TRIBUTES
Simonsen had taken part in seven Le Mans 24 Hours events and was respected by the tight-knit motorsport community.
McLaren
Formula One drivers Jenson Button and Sergio Perez, Le Mans winner Alex
Wurz - competing in this year's race for Toyota - and others sent
messages of condolences on social network Twitter.
"He was a world class GT driver," said 1990 Le Mans winner Martin Brundle.
"For
many in endurance racing, Allan was above all a good friend who
displayed his passion for racing on and off the track. His loss will be
felt by the FIA, the ACO and the greater motorsport family," said
International Automobile Federation (FIA) president Jean Todt and ACO
President Pierre Fillon in a joint statement.
The Dane's co-drivers in the car, numbered 95, were compatriots Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen.
Organisers said the exact reasons for the accident were still being determined.
Simonsen had told reporters on Friday that he was looking forward to the race with great anticipation.
"Just
being at Le Mans and to be allowed to drive the car on the track is
incredibly special," he said. "It's the biggest race for us.
"It's
the one we most look forward to. It's also difficult because there are
so many excellent drivers from all over the world - it's a huge
challenge."
Simonsen's death is the
first driver fatality at Le Mans since Frenchman Sebastien Enjolras was
killed during pre-qualifying in 1997 and the first during the race
since Austrian Jo Gartner died in 1986.
Le
Mans, a race immortalised in a 1971 Hollywood movie starring the late
Steve McQueen, is one of motor sport's great races along with the
Indianapolis 500 and Monaco Formula One Grand Prix.
It
also has a tragic past, with at least 80 spectators estimated killed
and many more injured in 1955 when Frenchman Pierre Levegh's Mercedes
flew into the crowd in motor racing's deadliest disaster.
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src : bbc.co.uk
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