Roger Williamson

Roger Williamson (2 February 1948 - 29 July 1973): British racing driver and two-time British Formula Three champion who was killed in a horrific fire at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix during only his second Formula One race, in an incident that exposed serious safety deficiencies and is remembered for fellow driver David Purley's heroic but futile rescue attempt. Born in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire, Williamson progressed rapidly through British motorsport, winning the British Formula Three Championship in both 1971 and 1972, establishing himself as one of Britain's brightest young talents. His performances attracted the attention of wealthy sponsor Tom Wheatcroft, who funded Williamson's Formula One program with the March team for 1973.

Williamson made his Formula One debut at the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, finishing a distant 14th but completing his first World Championship race. Two weeks later, on 29 July 1973, disaster struck at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort. On lap 8, a suspected tire failure caused Williamson's March to pitch into the barriers at high speed, catapulting the car 300 yards across the track where it came to rest upside down and immediately caught fire. Williamson had survived the impact and was trapped alive inside the burning car, shouting for help.

Fellow driver David Purley witnessed the accident, immediately stopped his car, and ran across the live racetrack to save Williamson. Purley desperately tried to right the burning car by himself, screaming for marshals to help, but the marshals, wearing no fire-resistant clothing, refused to assist due to the intense heat. Only one small fire extinguisher was available, wholly inadequate for the inferno. Appallingly, the race was not stopped and continued under local yellow flags.

With race traffic still circulating, fire trucks took approximately eight minutes to reach the scene. By the time the car was finally righted and the fire extinguished, Williamson had died of asphyxiation. He was 25 years old. Purley was awarded the George Medal, Britain's highest civilian honor for bravery, for his heroic rescue attempt. Photographs of Purley's desperate, ultimately futile efforts won the 1973 World Press Photo award and shocked the motorsport world.

The tragedy exposed critical safety failings: inadequate fire-fighting equipment, insufficient marshal training and protective equipment, and the inexcusable decision not to stop the race. In the years following, fire-resistant clothing became mandatory for all trackside officials. In 2003, on the 30th anniversary of his death, a bronze statue of Williamson was unveiled at Donington Park circuit in Leicestershire. Williamson's death remains one of Formula One's most tragic and preventable accidents, a stark reminder of the safety complacency that characterized the sport during the 1970s.

Known for: Dying in a fire at the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix when marshals failed to assist, David Purley's heroic but futile rescue attempt earning him the George Medal, winning the British Formula Three Championship in 1971 and 1972, and the memorial statue erected at Donington Park.