Justin Wilson succumbs to his injuries

Justin Wilson did not survive his IndyCar accident at Pocono. The 37-year-old English driver sustained significant trauma after being hit by a debris on his helmet.

The character

Generally, it is said of all people who pass away that they were nice and dedicated. In Justin’s case, this was said about him during his lifetime. This tall man of 1.93 meters, the tallest driver to have run a Formula 1 Grand Prix, was one of the only […] guys who was truly friends with everyone in the paddock, says driver and team owner Ed Carpenter. His friend and driver JR Hildebrand emphasizes: I never heard him say a bad word about anyone. These remarks were heard from other drivers in the moments after the accident.

This motorsport enthusiast has never left the circuits or lost his smile, even when he was without a drive in early 2015. He was present in the paddocks from the opening of the IndyCar championship in St. Petersburg, chatting and laughing with his fellow drivers as well as with the mechanics and journalists.

The career

Justin Wilson made a name for himself in the junior formulas in the late 1990s. In 2001, he won the Formula 3000 championship (the equivalent of GP2 at the time) in his third season. After a stint in endurance racing, he completed his only season in F1 in 2003, first with Minardi and then with Jaguar alongside Mark Webber. He scored his sole point in the top category at the Indianapolis GP.

The doors of F1 close as quickly as they opened, and Wilson decides to cross the Atlantic to land in Champ Car. He finds refuge with Conquest and then with RuSPORT, with whom he will write one of the most beautiful pages of his career. He competes against Sébastien Bourdais, Paul Tracy, Oriol Servia, and Jimmy Vasser (the current boss of Bourdais). The Englishman finishes 3rd in the championship in 2006. He is twice vice-champion in the following years until the merger with the IRL in 2008, which gives birth to the current IndyCar.

Starting in 2008, the mechanics stalled. While he inherited Bourdais’s seat, the champion team of Paul Newman struggled to adapt to the change. Wilson’s dismissal at the end of the season did not change the situation. The Brit then sailed through backmarker teams until the end of 2014, where he lost his drive due to a lack of sponsors.

Early in 2015, Wilson makes a comeback in endurance racing, a discipline he has often encountered throughout his career. He participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the famous 24 Hours of Daytona in 2012. He quickly reached an agreement in IndyCar with Andretti Autosport, which won the driver’s title in 2012. He shares the No. 25 car with Simona de Silvestro for a few races before signing on for the end of the season. The team’s boss, Michael Andretti, stated before the Pocono race that they were moving towards a four-car setup for 2016, with Justin Wilson’s presence. The British driver’s second place at Mid-Ohio in early August is surely not unrelated.

A Dangerous Passion

IndyCar is one of the most dangerous motorsport disciplines. The risk remains very high despite significant improvements in terms of safety. The drivers’ head remains the most vulnerable part in single-seaters. In 2009, Henry Surtees paid with his life in Formula 2 due to a wheel lost by another competitor. Felipe Massa was hospitalized in serious condition following an impact with a suspension element in Formula 1.

In 2011, Dan Wheldon died in IndyCar on the Las Vegas oval after a crash involving 15 cars. His autopsy revealed a fatal head injury. At the end of 2013, Dario Franchitti was forced to retire from auto racing following a violent accident in Houston. His spine was weakened, and he risked paralysis in the event of another crash. In 2014, James Hinchcliffe stopped during the Indianapolis GP. The driver was taken to the hospital, dazed after being struck by debris on his helmet. The debris came from the front wing… of Justin Wilson.

This year, voices have been raised against the introduction of new aerodynamic kits, making the cars faster. Adjustments had to be made after the 500 miles of Indianapolis after 3 cars lifted off following spin-outs. However, nothing was done following James Hinchcliffe’s accident during practice. The Canadian was trapped in the cockpit, losing a lot of blood, due to a suspension arm piercing his leg.

The drama

The Pocono race is one of the fastest in the IndyCar championship. Last year, Juan Pablo Montoya won the race with an average speed of over 325 km/h during 2 hours and 28 minutes. The 2015 event is the opposite of the 2014 one. Many incidents and accidents caused repeated race neutralizations.

On the 180th lap, Sage Karam, then leading the race, loses control of his car and hits the wall almost head-on. Many parts fly off, including the nose of the Dallara, which bounces on the track before hitting Justin Wilson’s helmet. The driver loses consciousness, and his car is deflected from its trajectory by another piece of debris and crashes into an inner protective wall of the circuit.

The race ends behind the safety car while the English driver is airlifted to the nearest hospital. His death is pronounced the following day, August 24, 2015.

Justin Wilson was married and had 2 daughters, aged 5 and 7. Instead of flowers, the family set up a donation for the driver’s children: Wilson Children’s Fund, c/o INDYCAR, 4551 W. 16th St., Indianapolis, IN 46222. Stefan Wilson, Justin’s brother, is also a driver. He has raced in Indy Lights and IndyCar.

Many messages of sadness and support are coming from the entire world of motorsport.

The teams of Motors Inside and IndyCar.fr extend their condolences to the Wilson family.