# List of Hockenheimring fatalities

Fatal accidents to competitors at the Hockenheimring circuit during the German Grand Prix and other national and international motor-sport events. The circuit was first used in 1932 using the Hockenheim "triangle course". It was rebuilt in 1938 into the "Kurpfalzring" (oval course) with the addition of the "Motodrom" stadium section in 1964. Metal Armco barriers and chicanes was added in 1970 and a further chicane added in 1980 at the site of the Ost-Curve. The Hockenheimring was shortened to a 4.574km (2.842mi) Grand Prix circuit used from 2002 onwards.

## List of fatal accidents involving competitors

| No | Competitor | Date | Place | Series | Race | Type |
| 1 | Leo Burkhardt | 8 May 1948 | | 1948 Maipokalrennen | Practice | 500cc BMW |
| 2 | Niemann | 9 May 1948 | | | 1948 Maipokalrennen | 500cc BMW |
| 3 | Willy Beste | 14 May 1951 | | 1951 Germany F3 Championship | 1951 Maipokal Rennen | Eigenbau |
| 4 | Gotthilf Gehring | 10 May 1953 | | | 1953 Maipokalrennen | 250cc Moto Guzzi |
| 5 | Hugo Steiner | Dec 1953 | Friedhofskurve | 1953 Speed Record Attempt | | Goliath Rekordwagen |
| 6 | Heinz Schreiber | 23 June 1963 | Ost-Kurve | 1963 Deutsche Rundstrecken Meisterschaft | 1963 Internationales Rundstreckenrennen | BMW 700 |
| 7 | Jim Clark | 7 April 1968 | hochgeschwindigkeils kurve | | 1968 European F2 Championship | 1968 Deutschland Trophäe | Lotus 48 F2 |
| 8 | Helmuth Baumann | 3 June 1968 | Ost-Kurve | 1968 Deutsche Straßenmeisterschaft | 1968 Hessenpreis | 500cc BMW Sidecar |
| 9 | Alex Ludwig | 3 June 1968 | Ost-Kurve | 1968 Deutsche Straßenmeisterschaft | 1968 Hessenpreis | 500cc BMW Sidecar |
| 10 | Rolf Schmid | 13 Oct 1968 | Stadium Section | 1968 FIM World Sidecar Championship | | 500cc BMW Sidecar |
| 11 | Rolf Hanselmann | 18 Oct 1969 | Ost-Kurve | 1969 Deutsche Rundstrecken Meisterschaft | 1969 300 Meilen von Hockenheim | Porsche 911 |
| 12 | Bert Hawthorne | 14 April 1972 | Jim Clark Kurve | 1972 European F2 Championship | 1972 Deutschland Trophäe | Leda-Tui AM29 |
| 13 | Franz Abraham | 16 April 1977 | Elf-Kurve | 1977 Jim Clark Memorial Race | Support Race | Porsche 911 Carrera RSR 3.0 |
| 14 | Markus Höttinger | 13 April 1980 | Nord-Kurve | 1980 European F2 Championship | 1980 Deutschland Trophäe | Maurer MM80 - BMW |
| 15 | Rene Kamlot | 4 May 1980 | Ost-Kurve | | 1980 Maipokalrennen | Yamaha TZ 250 |
| 16 | Wolf Dieter Doubrava | 23 June 1985 | | 1985 100 Meilen von Hockenheim | Practice | Karringer FV |
| 17 | Erwin Loichinger | 1986 | Stadium Section | 1986 Seriensport Challenge | 1986 International 1000 km | |
| 18 | Tony Boden | 9 Aug 1986 | Südkurve | Funny Car exhibition | 1986 NitrOlympX | "Hit Man" - Dodge Omni Funny Car |
| 19 | Dieter Waelti | July 1987 | | 1987 Ford Pokal | Practice | Ford |
| 20 | Iván Palazzese | 28 May 1989 | Sachs Corner | 1989 FIM World Motor-Cycle Championship | 1989 German motorcycle Grand Prix | 250cc Aprilia |
| 21 | Simon Prior | 12 June 1994 | Ost-Curve/Senna Chicane | 1994 FIM World Sidecar Championship | 1994 German motorcycle Grand Prix | 250cc Aprilia |
| 22 | Holger Turni | 7 April 2007 | | 2007 1000 km Endurance Challenge | Practice | Buell XB12 STT |
| 23 | Torsten Grigo | 23 Aug 2008 | Nord-Kurve | 2008 DMSB Pokal | Pro Thunder Division 1 | Ducati 848 |
| 24 | Steve Norbury | 7 Sep 2008 | Stadium Section | 2008 German F1 Sidecar Championship | | 600cc Shelbourne - Yamaha |

## List of fatal accidents during unofficial testing

| No | Competitor | Date | Place | Series | Event | Machine |
| 1 | Eitel | 20 July 1955 | Ost-Curve | Daimler-Benz Versuchsabteilung | Private Test Session | Mercedes-Benz 300SL |
| 2 | Karl Remmert | 20 July 1956 | | | Private Test Session | 500cc BMW Sidecar |
| 3 | Patrick Depailler | 1 Aug 1980 | Ost-Curve | 1980 FIA Formula 1 World Championship | Formula 1 Test Session | Alfa Romeo 179B |

## List of fatal accidents involving race officials

| No | Official | Date | Place | Series | Race | Role |
| 1 | Petrick Rotz | 10 May 1953 | | | 1953 Maipokalrennen | Police Officer |
| 2 | Erich Hoffmann | 31 Oct 1981 | Pit-Lane | Formula Ford | | Team Manager |

## Sources

* ↑ The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who p108-109 by Steve Small (1994) Guinness Publishing Ltd ISBN 0-85112-702-9
* ↑ The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who p1120-121 by Steve Small (1994) Guinness Publishing Ltd ISBN 0-85112-702-9