In 2001 the Australian Grand Prix was marked by tragedy, after a track commissioner died during the celebration of the race, which forced the Great Circus to improve the safety protocol for fans and the commissioners themselves.
For that era, Formula 1 lived the mastery of Michael Schumacher, who was the lord and master of the tracks with Ferrari, but also competed a driver with a family name for our time, Jos Verstappen, the father of Max Verstappen.
Michael Schumacher won nine of the 17 races of that season and one of his main opponents was his brother, Ralf, who won three races for the Williams team, and who was involved in the tragedy in Australia.
The tragedy of the 2001 Australian Grand Prix
Australia was the first race of the year of the season, on March 4, 2001, and did not have a desired start, after confirming the death of a track marshal, who was the victim of a crash between Ralf Schumacher and Canadian Jacques Villeneuve, from the Honda team.
The tragedy occurred in the fifth lap, when Jacques Villeneuve tried to overtake Ralf Schumacher’s car, who was marching sixth. Villeneuve had a better race pace, so it was a matter of time to overtake the German, however, in his attempt to pass, the Canadian driver hit the rear of Ralf’s car, and his car went flying for several meters.
After the impact, Villeneuve’s car bounced on the asphalt and lost three tires, of which one of them hit a 53-year-old track marshal, who died on the spot, despite medical intervention. Seven other fans who were near the fence were injured.
Despite the tragedy, the race did not stop, and the cars kept spinning on the track for about 10 more laps under caution and the entry of the safety car. The ambulance arrived at the crash site almost six laps after the accident, so medical services practically arrived at the scene to confirm the victim’s cardiac arrest.
Strengthened security protocols after the tragedy in Australia
From then on, the security protocols were tightened and in Australia they were placed stronger fences up to three meters high to contain the pieces that detach from the cars, such as tires, in addition to the fact that fans and commissioners are not allowed to be glued to the bars, especially in high-speed areas.
