Palmer: “Make motorsport safer”

Jonathan Palmer recounted in a press release the circumstances of the accident which caused Henry Surtees to lose his life on Sunday during the second race of Formula 2 from Brands Hatch.

« Henry was driving at 190km/h between Westfield and Sheene curves when he was struck on the head by a wheel from (Clarke's) accident at Westfield. It is clear that Henry lost consciousness instantly, and that exiting his car into Sheene had no influence on the nature of his injury. »

« The race was immediately stopped, medical teams intervened and Henry was transported to the Royal London Hospital, the regional trauma center. It turned out that the verdict concluded that Henry had suffered a significant head injury and could not be saved. »

The organizer, via Motorsport Vision, of the new Formula 2 championship, also discusses the safety standards of the car used in this new championship, developed by Williams and powered by Audi.

« There will of course be an investigation into the accident which cost Henry's life. We will do everything to understand exactly what happened, and why. We will see what we can learn from this to make motorsport safer. »

« Williams F1 designed the Formula 2 single-seaters according to the FIA ​​2005 safety standards in force in F1, including the clip fixed on the wheel to prevent it from being ejected during accidents. Formula 2 also meets the latest standards in force in F1 regarding protection of the driver's head, with a raised passenger compartment and deformable side structures. As in F1, the wheel attachment is not an absolute guarantee that it will not come off during an impact. And in a single-seater, the driver?s head is inevitably exposed, even if the risk is minimal, of being hit by a piece of another car. »

« John Surtees was a champion on two and four wheels at a time when safety was given little consideration. But it was his son Henry who lost his life, at a time when pilot safety had never been greater. »

Jonathan Palmer was also very touched by this tragedy, he who is a long-time friend of John Surtees.

« This accident particularly affects me as a father and reminds me of the inevitable dangers of motorsport. On Sunday, my son Jolyon was with Henry, joking and signing autographs with him for the fans. In the race, Jolyon was half a second ahead of Henry at the exit of Westfield. After its rebound, the wheel avoided Jolyon, but not Henry. He was in the wrong place, at the wrong time. »

Finally, Jonathan Palmer does not forget to pay a nice tribute to Henry Surtees for his qualities as a driver.

« Henry, in the race, impressed us with his pace. He had an incredible pole position at Brno, before securing a podium at Brands Hatch, the day before his death. He had the potential of an F2 and maybe even F1 champion. Not only was Henry extremely talented, but he was also a much-loved member of the entire Formula 2 team. »