Roger Williamson
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Nationality  British |
|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| Active years | 1973 |
| Teams | March |
| Races | 2 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1973 British Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1973 Dutch Grand Prix |
Roger Williamson (2 February 1948, Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire – 29 July 1973, Zandvoort Circuit, Netherlands) was a racing driver from England, who was killed during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Williamson won the 1971 and 1972 British Formula Three Championship titles. In 1973, he was offered a drive in the March Engineering works Formula One team.
[edit] Death
Williamson's second Formula One appearance was on the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. On lap 8, a suspected tyre failure caused his car to flip upside down and catch fire. Williamson had not been seriously injured by the impact, but was trapped under the car. The marshals were both poorly trained and badly equipped, and could not assist him. Fellow driver David Purley abandoned his own race in a desperate and valiant attempt to rescue him, but was not able to put out the fire, or to turn the car upright. By the time the first fire truck arrived and the fire was extinguished, Williamson had died of asphyxiation.
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. Then-owner Tom Wheatcroft had provided financial backing to Williamson, and described the day Williamson died as "the saddest day of my life".
[edit] 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 |
NC | 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 |
|
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[edit] Books
- Tremayne, David (2000). The science of safety. UK: Haynes Publishing. p. 160. ISBN 01859606644.
- Tremayne, David (1991). Racers Apart: Memories of motorsport heroes. UK: Motor Racing Publications Ltd. p. 293. ISBN 0947981586.
- Tremayne, David. The Lost Generation. Haynes Publishing. ISBN 1-84425-205-1.
[edit] External links
- Roger Williamson Biography
- Formula One World
- Roger Williamson's Fatal Accident - Zandvoort July 29th, A pictorial record
- YouTube video of incident
