Who was the last driver killed in F1?
Jules Bianchi is the last Formula 1 driver to lose his life after an accident during competition. The number 17 was retired in 2015 as a mark of respect to Jules Bianchi, who died that year from injuries sustained in a crash at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix while carrying the number.The number 17 was retired from Formula One in his honour by the FIA, who mandated the halo cockpit protection device in all open-wheel championships from 2018 onwards. As of the 2025 Singapore Grand Prix, Bianchi remains the most recent fatality in the Formula One World Championship.However, not all numbers in F1 carry joyful associations. The number 17, once worn by Jules Bianchi, holds a somber place in the sport’s history. During the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Bianchi suffered a tragic accident while racing with this number at Suzuka.Why is number 17 banned in F1? As a tribute to Jules Bianchi, who tragically lost his life in a crash in 2014, car number 17 remains retired from Formula 1.
Who won F1 after dying?
Rindt won the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship in 1970 with Lotus, and remains the only driver to have won the World Drivers’ Championship posthumously, following his death at the Italian Grand Prix; he won six Grands Prix across seven seasons. Rindt was a German-born racing driver who represented Austria during his career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers’ Championship, after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix in 1970.