The 1976 season is hailed as one of the most exciting seasons in all of F1 history, and one of the races was set to happen at the infamous Nurburgring - a massive 14-mile-long track known for its treachery, having killed five drivers in the three years prior. The brothers had always been close, sharing a passion for racing their entire lives, and Andretti tweeted shortly after his brother's death that "Half of me went with him." But to really top it all off, December 2020 would deliver the worst blow: the death of Andretti's twin brother, Aldo, due to complications from COVID-19. He'd long been a staple at Ind圜ar events - both his son and grandson being a part of the sport - but those races all got put on hold. With the COVID-19 pandemic, Andretti ended up stuck at home alone, with only his parrot to keep him company into the evenings. His sister also died within the same year, and when 2020 rolled around, Andretti's nephew died after three years of fighting colon cancer.Īnd then, well, 20. Andretti's wife - whom he credited in an interview with shaping his legendary career - died suddenly in 2018 (via IndyStar). It's just really sad that the work he was doing - the work that could've saved his life - wasn't implemented until a year after his death.īut despite the legends, Andretti is just as human as the rest of us, and, as of writing, the past few years haven't been the kindest. That is, safety improvements that would keep cars from going airborne in the exact way that Wheldon's car did in the crash that killed him. On top of that, Wheldon was, at the time, working with Ind圜ar on testing safety improvements that would keep drivers safe. According to The Sydney Morning Herald, many of the drivers had voiced their concerns going into the race, fearing that the conditions (high-banked turns, tightly packed racing) would end in disaster. The really sad thing, though, is the fact that Wheldon's death could've been avoided. A few tense hours later, Wheldon was pronounced dead. Unable to do much, Wheldon got swept up in that crash, his car flying over another and through the air, then shredded by the fences. After only a handful of laps, the intended grand finale ended with a massive crash debris littered the track as cars swerved and crashed. He even proposed to her in June 1993, only to die of a massive heart attack less than a day later.īut the 2011 season was marked by a lot more tragedy than triumph. Despite a few failed marriages, he began dating Helen Dyson, who helped him start working toward a healthier lifestyle: cycling, less drinking and smoking, you get the picture. The Independent explains that, after retiring from Formula 1, Hunt also retired from the playboy life. Just to paint an even clearer picture, his wild lifestyle - complete with women and drink - was dramatized in the 2013 film "Rush," though even that depiction was pretty tame, according to Hunt's son, Freddie (via The Mirror).įor all that Hunt appeared the part of a playboy, though, there was more to him that meets the eye. He even showed up at a race wearing his clothes from the day before, following a night of partying and drinking. According to The Mirror, Hunt supposedly bedded 35 hostesses in the lead up to a single grand prix (though there are some pretty legendary - and unsubstantiated - claims that he slept with around 5,000 women through his lifetime). There are plenty of stories out there that support the image of Hunt's life being filled with drink, drugs, and women.
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