Henry Surtees Dies in F2 Race Crash

Henry Surtees, the 18-year-old son of former F1 world champion John Surtees, died on Sunday after suffering serious injuries to his head in a F2 race accident at Brands Hatch. He was hit on the head by a wheel and tyre from Jack Clarke’s car, the other driver in the accident. The race was stopped immediately, and Surtees was removed from his car, which had crashed into barriers.

Surtees was taken to the medical centre on site and then transferred by helicopter to the Royal London hospital to be treated. However, a hospital spokeswoman confirmed later Sunday night that he died from the injuries. Police officials have visited the crash site and ruled out foul play. Jonathan Palmer, F2 chief executive, said that his thoughts are with Surtees’ family.

The young driver had signed up for the revived F2 Championship ahead of the 2009 season. He was driving car number seven in the series, which has twenty-four drivers competing in MotorSport Vision-run cars. Surtees just took his first podium finish on Saturday with third place.

Henry’s father won his F1 title in 1964 and is a seven-time World Motorcycle Champion, remaining the only man to win world titles on both two and four wheel vehicles. Surtees followed in his father’s footsteps and entered his first kart race at age 8, winning the 2000 Club Winter Championship only a year later. He then enjoyed more victories and setting records for the fastest laps. His career aspirations were to drive both an A1 and F1 car.

Oh dear that's terrible.
I assume that it was one of the WTCC supporting races at the weekend, part of which I watched.
There must have been something in the air there because the WTCC boys were wrapping their cars up all over the place.
Revived Formula 2? I thought that Palmer cars were Audi or Renault (can't keep up these days) a sort of one make formula & fast.
What are the regulations for this "revised F2" anyone know?
Who makes the cars, engines, what power output etc?
I've watched a few of those formula Palmer Audi races & they can get very hairy & I've wondered about the rationality of putting young guns into such powerful cars & subjecting them to all of the responsibilities of "corporate needs, sponsership, media etc."
With all of that pressure to win races, it's a lot to handle at 18

Cheers
John

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTDiYS1NVW4 (NOT for the squemish)

John,

I've seen video of the incident and it was a total freak. Another car, about 5 or 6 places ahead of Henry, went off quite hard and lost a wheel which launched itself across the track and hit Henry square in the head as he was passing at 120mph. It probaly killed him instantly but at that point the car was totally undamged but obviously went off at the next bend, quite hard but still with very little damage, and came to rest on the outside of the bend. He couldn't have avoided the impact, it was afracytion of a second in time at the wrong place. So, so unfortunate.

It's still on youtube if you can bear to watch it

Thanks Mike,

your description of the incident compelled me to take a look.
Considering all of the protection those guys have in their cars, the accident was as you so aptly described it, a total freak.

Cheers
John