Renzo Zorzi

Renzo Zorzi (12 December 1946 - Present): Italian racing driver who competed in seven Formula One World Championship races between 1975 and 1977, best remembered as a witness to the tragic accident that killed Tom Pryce and marshal Frederik Jansen van Vuuren at the 1977 South African Grand Prix. Born in Ziano di Fiemme in the Italian Alps, Zorzi began his racing career in the early 1970s in Italian Formula Three and made rapid progress through the junior categories. He made his Formula One debut at the 1975 Italian Grand Prix driving for the Williams team, which at that time was in its first season and struggling for competitiveness. Zorzi competed in three races for Williams in 1975 without finishing any of them.

He moved to the Shadow team for the 1977 season as teammate to Tom Pryce. At the 1977 South African Grand Prix, Zorzi's car caught fire due to a fuel system problem and he pulled off the circuit. As marshal Frederik Jansen van Vuuren ran across the track carrying a fire extinguisher to attend to the fire, he was struck and killed by Pryce's car traveling at high speed. The fire extinguisher hit Pryce in the head, killing him instantly.

Zorzi was traumatized by witnessing the accident and retired from Formula One immediately afterward, never racing again at the highest level. He had competed in just seven World Championship races without scoring a point, with a best finish of ninth place. After leaving racing, Zorzi struggled with the psychological impact of the tragedy he had witnessed. He eventually found peace and remained in Italy, occasionally attending historic racing events.

Zorzi's story is a sobering reminder of the dangers that existed in motorsport during the 1970s and the lasting impact such tragedies had on those who witnessed them. Known for: Witnessing the fatal accident of Tom Pryce and marshal Frederik Jansen van Vuuren at the 1977 South African Grand Prix, racing for Williams and Shadow in Formula One, and immediately retiring from racing following the traumatic events at Kyalami.