Denmark's Allan Simonsen dies at Le Mans: organisers
The 34-year-old, competing in the mythic race for the seventh time, spun off on the third lap into the safety barriers at the ultra-quick Tertre Rouge bend, demolishing his car.
Danish driver Allan Simonsen has died after a horror crash at the wheel of an Aston Martin at the Le Mans 24 Hour endurance race on Saturday, organisers reported.
The 34-year-old, competing in the mythic race for the seventh time, spun off on the third lap into the safety barriers at the ultra-quick Tertre Rouge bend, demolishing his car.
Le Mans organisers The Automobile Club de l'Ouest issued a statement reporting that emergency services were immediately at the scene to attend the stricken driver.
It continued: "In a serious condition, Allan Simonsen was transferred immediately to the Circuit Medical Centre where he died soon after due to his injuries.
"The Automobile Club de l'Ouest wishes to express its great sadness following this incident, and extends its deepest condolences to the family and those close to Allan Simonsen."
Simonsen crashed barely ten minutes after the start of the 81st edition of the showpiece endurance event with rain and wind combining to make testing conditions at the Sarthe circuit.
The race was stopped the race for an hour, the time required to repair the safety barrier.
Simonsen, driving an Aston Martin V8 Vantage, was competing in the GTE-Am category.
His team mates in the No.95 car were his fellow countrymen, Christoffer Nygaard and Kristian Poulsen.