Former F1 driver
Andrea de Cesaris has been killed in a motorcycle accident. He was 55. It is reported that he lost control over his bike and crashed violently against the guard rail.
de Cesaris was active in Formula 1 for about 14 years with 214 Grand Prix starts. The Italian was largely recognised in his early years for his somewhat fast but reckless nature, leading him to be prone to crashing, which earned him the nickname 'Andrea de Crasheris'.
His temperament calmed down in his later career, but he was often recognised as one of Formula One's journeymen after competing with over ten teams in the span of his career including Alfa Romeo,
McLaren,
Minardi, Scuderia Italia, Rial and Dallara.
Despite the number of teams that he competed with, he was often a consistent points scorer but to this day remains the driver to have the most Grand Prix starts without a single victory, although he achieved five podiums in his 14-year span in the sport.
One of the most famous incidents that de Cesaris was involved in was at the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix in a four-car pile-up involving
Martin Brundle,
Jos Verstappen,
Eddie Irvine and of course, de Cesaris. Irvine was deemed to have instigated the impact and upon appeal was banned for three races.
After retiring from competitive Motorsport after the 1994 season, he became a successful businessman and stockbroker in Monaco, where he resided for around half of the year and was actively seen in the Formula 1 paddock from 2005 onwards.
de Cesaris later competed in the Grand Prix Masters series in both 2005 and 2006, which featured ex-Formula 1 veterans from past years. He was one of the faster drivers in the short-lived series and finished a best of fourth at South Africa.
We here at F1Today.net would like to extend our deepest condolences to both Andrea de Cesaris' family and friends at this difficult time.
Ciao Andrea, grazie per i ricordi. (Goodbye Andrea, thank you for the memories).
Tom Brooks
Chief UK Editor
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This sounds really bad to be honest. I pray for him and his family.