Overview

• The 1955 crash began when Mike Hawthorn’s sudden box entry forced Lance Macklin to swerve into Pierre Levegh’s Mercedes, which then vaulted into the crowd, killing at least 83 spectators and injuring about 120.
• Organizers kept the 24-hour race running to preserve emergency access routes, and Mercedes discreetly withdrew its remaining cars under cover of night.
• Shocked by the calamity, Mercedes largely exited motorsport at the end of the season and did not return to top-level competition until 1988.
• The catastrophe drove major safety overhauls, including widening Circuit de la Sarthe’s start-finish straight in 1956, and led nations such as Switzerland to suspend racing until stricter protections were enforced.
• Five-time world champion Juan Manuel Fangio, who trailed the collision, later recounted that a final gesture from Levegh likely warned him of the impending disaster, underscoring the personal narratives that endure.