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| 'Lessons' from Surtees son death | 'Lessons' from Surtees son death |
| (about 15 hours later) | |
| Motorsport legend John Surtees has said he hopes the lessons learnt from the death of his son Henry at the wheel will help to make racing safer. | Motorsport legend John Surtees has said he hopes the lessons learnt from the death of his son Henry at the wheel will help to make racing safer. |
| The 18-year-old Formula Two (F2) driver died in a "freak" accident at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent last month. | The 18-year-old Formula Two (F2) driver died in a "freak" accident at Brands Hatch circuit in Kent last month. |
| A wheel which flew off another driver's car hit him on the head and his car struck the trackside barriers. | A wheel which flew off another driver's car hit him on the head and his car struck the trackside barriers. |
| "Why did that wheel come off and why was it able to travel at that velocity?" said Mr Surtees. | |
| "Bernie Ecclestone was on the phone this morning talking to me about that very same thing. | "Bernie Ecclestone was on the phone this morning talking to me about that very same thing. |
| "So we have got to make certain that his death isn't in vain. There will be progress - this is the way that motorsport and competitive people are." | "So we have got to make certain that his death isn't in vain. There will be progress - this is the way that motorsport and competitive people are." |
| Mr Surtees, 75, who lives in Lingfield, Surrey, won the Formula One World Championship in 1964. | Mr Surtees, 75, who lives in Lingfield, Surrey, won the Formula One World Championship in 1964. |
| Henry Surtees was hoping to follow in his father's motor racing footsteps | Henry Surtees was hoping to follow in his father's motor racing footsteps |
| In his first interview since his son's death, he said the accident was "a freak". | In his first interview since his son's death, he said the accident was "a freak". |
| Six days after the accident, Formula One driver Felipe Massa suffered a fractured skull when his helmet was hit by a spring that had fallen off another car during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. | Six days after the accident, Formula One driver Felipe Massa suffered a fractured skull when his helmet was hit by a spring that had fallen off another car during Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying. |
| Mr Surtees said Massa had already spoken to him about Henry's accident. | Mr Surtees said Massa had already spoken to him about Henry's accident. |
| "It is freakish, these coincidences, and out of it will come something better," he said. | "It is freakish, these coincidences, and out of it will come something better," he said. |
| "I lived through a period when there were absolute tragedies to drivers, partly because of the circuits but partly because of the cars of the time. | "I lived through a period when there were absolute tragedies to drivers, partly because of the circuits but partly because of the cars of the time. |
| "It wasn't until the larger money came into motorsport that you got the safety levels you have today. | "It wasn't until the larger money came into motorsport that you got the safety levels you have today. |
| "Motor racing compared to other things is so very safe, that is the irony of it." | "Motor racing compared to other things is so very safe, that is the irony of it." |
| Mr Surtees was at the track for Henry's last race. | Mr Surtees was at the track for Henry's last race. |
| Henry Surtees had loved motorsport since he began karting at eight | Henry Surtees had loved motorsport since he began karting at eight |
| "I reached down into the cockpit on the starting line at Brands Hatch, and we shook hands," he said. | "I reached down into the cockpit on the starting line at Brands Hatch, and we shook hands," he said. |
| "We bid each other farewell, as it turned out." | "We bid each other farewell, as it turned out." |
| Henry's funeral last week was at Worth Abbey near Crawley, in West Sussex. He had just finished his A-levels at Worth School. | Henry's funeral last week was at Worth Abbey near Crawley, in West Sussex. He had just finished his A-levels at Worth School. |
| Mr Surtees said he had been "a different man" since the end of his exams. | Mr Surtees said he had been "a different man" since the end of his exams. |
| "Suddenly, that stress had been taken off his shoulders," he said. | "Suddenly, that stress had been taken off his shoulders," he said. |
| The Surtees family are considering setting up a foundation in Henry's name and asked for donations at his funeral to go to the brain injury charity Headway. | The Surtees family are considering setting up a foundation in Henry's name and asked for donations at his funeral to go to the brain injury charity Headway. |
| "At the moment it is a big emptiness," he said. "I still expect him to bounce through the door. | "At the moment it is a big emptiness," he said. "I still expect him to bounce through the door. |
| "We will just have to live with it and make sure we remember the good times." | "We will just have to live with it and make sure we remember the good times." |
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| John Surtees talks about how his family are coping with the death of his son. | John Surtees talks about how his family are coping with the death of his son. |