Motorsport has always been known for its high stakes, and when it comes to life and death, this sport remains ruthless.
This Sunday as the rain made its way down so did news overseas of two men. One dead and another that may or may not be dying.
Guy Ligier (1930-2015) has died at the age of 85. As I type, the cause is not yet known. For those who read this and do not know who this great man was; first and foremost, he was a rugby player, then most importantly, a racer. In 12 Formula 1 starts he scored just a single world championship point. Then in 1976 he founded the eponymous Ligier Formula One Team, an outfit that remained a constant throughout the 1970s, reaching a peak in 1980 when the team achieved second in the Constructors’ Championship.
Guy Ligier would sell the team in 1992 after a disappointing 1992 season but the team would achieve a last win at the 1996 Monaco Grand Prix with Olivier Panis ending a period of 35 years without a win. After the team was bought by Alain Prost who used the existing structure to create his own Formula One Team, most people thought they would not see the name again. However, the name and Guy Ligier returned to motorsport teaming up with Onroak Automotive, founded by Jacques Nicolet. The fruits of their efforts: 6th overall in the 2014 24 Hours of Le Mans in a debut for the Ligier JSP2, and a total of 9 entries into this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours – the number of entries only being equalled by Porsche.
Guy Ligier’s legacy then, is a great one and one that will be remembered and cherished by all those who continue to work and race under the name, Ligier.
Justin Wilson (1978-2015) on the other hand, has suffered head injuries at the Pocono Circuit while racing in the IZOD IndyCar Series. He suffered severe head injuries on the 180th lap of the race when he was hit by the nose cone section of Sage Karam’s car that had slammed into the barriers. It is reported that Wilson was knocked unconscious by the debris and is now in a coma.
Wilson, born in Sheffield in 1978 raced in Formula One during the 2003 season, driving for the Minardi and then Jaguar for the last five races. For the past eleven years since 2004 he has raced in America in Champ Car and in IndyCar Series with 7 victories in total. Not content with just racing in open-wheel racing, Wilson has also made occasional outings in Sports cars and was an entrant in this year’s Pikes Peak International Hill Climb event in a HPD ARX-04b LMP2 coupe.
Justin Wilson died on the 24th August 2015, at the LeHigh Valley Hospital in Pennsylvania.
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Christopher Sharp
Award winning Dyspraxic Journalist who's been runover by a lorry (how many of those do you know? ;-) )
I am a recent graduate from King's College London where I studied War Studies and History
I am also the co-founder of LGBTQ+ charity Racing Pride
