Henry Surtees Dies After Being Hit on the Head by Wheel/tyre from Formula 2 Race Car

[kellyhound]

Henry Surtees, the son of 1964 Formula 1 world champion John Surtees, has died following an accident in a Formula 2 race at Brands Hatch last Sunday.

During the second of the weekend's races, the 18-year-old was struck on the head by a wheel and tyre from the car of Jack Clarke, who had spun into the wall exiting Westfield Bend.

Surtees was knocked unconscious in the accident and his car failed to negotiate the following Sheene Corner, running straight off the track and into the barrier.

Medical crews were swiftly on the scene to extract Surtees from the car, before he was taken to the track's medical centre.

He was stabilised at the circuit's facility before being airlifted to the Royal London hospital.

A spokesperson for the hospital this evening confirmed that Surtees had died from his injuries.

Surtees graduated to F2 this season from Formula Renault and had taken his first podium finish in the series with third place in Saturday's race at Brands Hatch.


His step up to the category came after several seasons in karts, which included victory in the Junior Gearbox Championship in 2005, before a graduation to car racing in the Ginetta Junior Championship in 2006.

He switched to single seaters in 2007, taking a race victory in Formula BMW UK for Carlin Motorsport en route to seventh overall in the standings - and second in the rookie cup.

He also made a brief foray into the Formula Renault UK championship that year, contesting the final two rounds at Thruxton as well as the Winter Series.

In 2008 he remained in Formula Renault, taking 12th in the final standings before finishing runner-up in the Winter Series with one victory and three podiums from four races.

He also contested last year's British Formula 3 season finale in a National Class car for Carlin, taking one victory and one podium.

[rolandeath]

R.I.P.

[Malekith]

Maranello, 20 July 2009 - A tragic accident on the last motorsport weekend. Henry Surtees, the son of John Surtees, the Formula 1 World Champion with Ferrari in 1964, died last night after an accident at the Brands Hatch circuit in this season's fourth race of the FIA Formula 2 Championship.

Surtees was hit by a wheel that flew off a car after it had hit the safety barriers, causing him to crash into the guardrail. Surtees died at the Royal London Hospital, where he was taken by ambulance. The 18-year-old had gained a place on the podium the day before, his first of this season.

Chairman Luca di Montezemolo and Ferrari are close to John Surtees in this moment of great sorrow.

[dinglebot]

rotten luck! how undignified. i bet he's the guy who always somehow gets hit in the head with the ball...

[Soar]

So sad. He was only 18.

[güttsfükk]

Originally Posted by Soar

So sad. He was only 18.

that's the risk they take

[Malekith]

Yeah it is. Looks like you beat me to it. I put this in the videos section last night.

[güttsfükk]

merged

[Malekith]

Kool and the gang

[muzhiguinie]