Had he been distracted?
On 7 May 1967, Lorenzo Bandini was racing at the Monaco Grand Prix, running second to Denny Hulme on the 82nd lap, when he lost control of his Ferrari at the harbor chicane.
He had just entered the chicane when his Ferrari’s left rear wheel hit the guard rail, sending him into an erratic skid. It impacted a light pole and overturned. The fuel tank ruptured under impact and sparks ignited the fuel with the unfortunate Bandini trapped beneath it.
Bandini sustained third degree burns covering more than 70% of his body and he succumbed to his injuries three days later at the Princess Grace Hospital in Monte Carlo.
What exactly caused the crash has always been a mystery until an image (above) was discovered. Could this picture illustrate the unexplained cause of Lorenzo Bandini’s (ultimately) fatal crash at Monaco in 1967: was he distracted by something as he entered the chicane?
He’s a split-second from hitting the barrier, but is clearly looking towards Tabac…
Lorenzo is seen here (picture right) moment before the start of the race.
La question est intéressante. Mes souvenirs sont que les commentateurs à l’époque avaient évoqué la fatigue : les trajectoires de Bandini devenaient erratiques. Un problème mécanique telle une crevaison lente pourrait aussi être avancée.
Quant au regard du pilote sur la photo, cela me rappelle les conseils aux apprentis pilotes : toujours regarder dans la direction où l’on veut aller.
La distraction semble être une nouvelle hypothèse.
Merci de ton commentaire, tout est possible effectivement, mais cette
photo inédite est pour le moins troublante car dans un virage lent
on ne regarde pas au loin, mais on soigne sa trajectoire.
Forza !