Le Mans 1955 takes us back to the tragic accident that occurred during that year's legendary endurance race. It is today, at the date of publication of this article, precisely 65 years after the disaster that would claim the life not only of the French pilot Pierre Levegh, but also of 83 spectators, on June 11, 1955.
The animated short film focuses on Alfred Neubauer, director of the Daimler-Benz team, and John Fitch, the American driver who teamed up with Pierre Levegh in the Mercedes 300 SLR #20.
The events that take place at Le Mans 1955 have already been the subject of a detailed article on our part. Follow the link below:
The film itself doesn't try to explain or describe how the accident happened—it doesn't even get shown. The director focuses on human tragedy and the suffering it brought, and on the dynamic between John Fitch and Alfred Neubauer.
Le Mans 1955 was directed by Quentin Baillieux, released last year (2019), and received the award for best animated short film at the St. Louis International Film Festival 2019.
In the year following the accident, the La Sarthe circuit, where the 24 Hours of Le Mans takes place, saw important changes in order to increase safety levels so that such a tragedy would never happen again. The entire pit area was redesigned and the stands in front of the finish line were demolished and rebuilt further away from the track, with new terraces for spectators.