Sunday 10th September 1961

A crash during the Italian Grand Prix at Monza claimed 16 lives – Formula One’s worst tragedy. Wolfgang von Trips (33) and 15 spectators were killed on the second lap of the race at Monza after von Trips tangled with Jim Clark. Ferrari withdrew from racing for the rest of the season. Jim Clark described the accident, “Von Trips and I were racing along the straightaway and were nearing one of the banked curves, the one on the southern end. We were about 100 metres from the beginning of the curve. Von Trips was running close to the inside of the track. I was closely following him, keeping near the outside. At one point Von Trips shifted sideways so that my front wheels collided with his back wheels. It was the fatal moment. Von Trips’ car spun twice and went into the guardrail along the inside of the track. Then it bounced back, struck my own car and bounced down into the crowd. The race was won by von Trips’ American team mate Phil Hill, who – since the German was the only one who could challenge him – won the World Championship with one race to go.