Steven Baker

1975: Four dead at Montjuïc Park #OnThisDay 27th April, the 1975 Spanish Grand Prix at Montjuïc Park ended in tragedy when Rolf Stommelen’s Embassy Hill suffered a rear wing failure, causing him to crash over the barriers, killing fireman Joaquín Benaches Morera, spectator Andrés Ruiz Villanova, and two photojournalists, Mario de Roia and Antonio Font Bayarri. Amid the chaos, race organisers took four laps to officially stop the race, during which time German and McLaren driver Jochen Mass overtook Jacky Ickx in a Lotus to claim his first and only Formula One victory. The race had already seen 18 cars crashing out in just 25 laps, including four race leaders. Montjuïc Park was regarded as one of the most exciting circuits on the calendar, but its poorly maintained crash barriers had sparked safety concerns among the drivers before the race. A strike was threatened, and Emerson Fittipaldi ultimately refused to race; he did the minimum three laps, but at a very slow pace, then pulled into the pits. Though last-minute fixes were made to the barriers, the race proceeded under a shadow of uncertainty. Due to the race’s early stoppage, half points were awarded to the top six finishers, including Lella Lombardi, who became the first and only female driver to score a point in Formula One history—albeit half a point. Argentine racer Carlos Reutemann was declared third for Brabham, a lap behind the race leaders after a penalty was given to Jean-Pierre Jarier. This was the last win by a German driver until Michael Schumacher won the 1992 Belgian Grand Prix. The race was also future world champion Alan Jones' first Grand Prix start. #f1 #formula1