Friends for life

Old buddies of the circuits in Formula 3, Roger Williamson and David Purley debuted together in F1 at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix, both in a March 731 (picture-above), respectively entered by TomWheatcroft, the former’s patron, and LEC Refrigeration, the latter’s family enterprise.

Sadly, destiny struck in the dunes when Williamson’s car went off the track at high speed, before finishing upside-down and catching fire, his friend Purley stopping his car to help the stricken driver (picture-below), but without the aid of the Dutch marshals who didn’t carry fire-extinguishers, and with the fatal consequences that we know…