Rodriguez and the 512M…

In July 1971, Pedro Rodriguez, the famous Mexican Formula 1 racer and formidable endurance driver at the wheel of the Gulf Porsche 917, agreed to participate in the richly endowed 200 Miles of the Norisring, driving the Ferrari 512M belonging to the Swiss driver Herbert Müller.

While leading the race by a considerable margin, Rodriguez lost control of his Ferrari on lap 12 in the fastest section of the circuit. According to the stewards’ report, a front-end puncture was the likely cause of this loss of control and the violent impact of the car against the safety barrier, then against a concrete pylon. 

The Ferrari 512M burst into flames, and the unfortunate driver was trapped inside. Despite the efforts of the emergency services and Finnish driver Leo Kinnunen, who stopped to help and extract him from the cockpit, Pedro Rodriguez later succumbed to multiple fractures and internal bleeding. A tragic end for this remarkable driver.