
Driver killed in vintage car racing event crash
Julian Grimwade was competing at the Vintage Sports Car Club race at Donington Park, Leicestershire, on Saturday.
National governing body Motorsport UK confirmed his death and said an investigation would be carried out into the circumstances.
It comes after Dai Roberts, a 39-year-old co-driver, was killed while taking part in the Jim Clark Rally, an annual closed-road motorsport race in the Scottish Borders, on Saturday.
Motorsport UK said in a statement: 'It is with great sadness that Motorsport UK confirms the passing of Julian Grimwade, who was competing at the Vintage Sports Car Club's race event at Donington Park.
Official statement from Motorsport UK following an incident at Donington Park today.
Our thoughts go to the family and friends of the driver, as well as those in the VSCC community. https://t.co/iPD6ojVu2v
— Donington Park (@DoningtonParkUK) May 24, 2025
'Motorsport UK joins the entire UK motorsport community in mourning and sends its sincerest condolences to the family, friends and loved ones of Julian, as well as the Vintage Sports Car Club.
'As with all serious incidents, Motorsport UK will conduct an investigation into the matter and co-operate with the relevant external authorities.'
Donington Park shared the statement on Facebook and added: 'Our thoughts go to the family and friends of the driver, as well as those in the VSCC community.'
The international motorsport governing body, the Federation Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), said there had also been a fatality at an event in Denmark on Saturday.
A statement shared on X said: 'We extend our heartfelt condolences to the family, friends, and loved ones of those who have sadly lost their lives.
'Our thoughts are also with those injured in the accidents and we send our best wishes to them for their full and swift recovery.
'The FIA offers its support to Motorsport UK and the Danish Automobile Sports Federation at this difficult time and stands alongside all those affected.
'The tragic incidents have united our global motor sport community as we reaffirm the FIA's full support to our members, officials and competitors.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Daily Mail
4 hours ago
- Daily Mail
FIA releases statement after driving star shuts down his social media accounts following abuse after pile-up
The FIA has strongly condemned online abuse after rising Formula 2 star Alex Dunne was forced to delete his social media accounts in the wake of a chaotic 11-car crash at the Monaco Grand Prix. Dunne, who drives for McLaren's junior team and currently leads the F2 standings, received a torrent of vile messages following his role in the dramatic pile-up at Sainte Devote, which brought a red flag just moments into the race on May 25. The 19-year-old Irishman collided with ART Grand Prix driver Victor Martins at the first corner, triggering a chain reaction that saw more than half the field wiped out before completing a single lap. 'I got a lot of stuff after Monaco,' Dunne later revealed. 'Normally I'm not someone who reads things and gets annoyed by them. But I think an hour after the race, I deleted social media off my phone because I've never received such bad messages in my life. 'A lot of the stuff I got was really, really bad and quite upsetting to be honest.' The FIA has since responded with a statement under its United Against Online Abuse campaign, urging greater respect towards athletes and their teams. 'On behalf of our teams and drivers, F1, F2, F3 and the FIA firmly condemn abuse and harassment of any form,' the statement read. 'We'll continue to act upon and report abuse to social media platforms. Whether you are a fan or a part of the motorsport world, we are all driven by passion. At the heart of it all, there are humans.' Dunne is not the only driver to suffer from online hate this season. Former Alpine hopeful Jack Doohan recently issued a plea for fans to stop targeting his family after a viral hoax falsely attributed a controversial post to his father. 'They edited the original content to make it appear as though my father posted it, which is entirely untrue,' Doohan explained. 'Please stop harassing my family. I didn't think it would get to this point.' FIA president Mohammed Ben Sulayem added his voice to the growing concern, stating: 'No one should be subjected to threats, hatred, or discrimination. There is no place for abuse or toxicity in our community. 'We are taking decisive action — raising awareness, providing support, and driving change. We are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of everyone in our sport.' The first-corner pile-up stood out as the defining moment of the Formula 2 weekend in Monaco. After a slow launch from pole, Dunne lost the inside line to Martins and appeared to understeer into the Frenchman's sidepod. Both cars smashed into the barriers, and the narrow layout meant those behind had nowhere to go. Eleven drivers retired as marshals cleared the wreckage. Dutch driver Richard Verschoor was among those forced out, with significant damage to his front wheel. Anger flared in the immediate aftermath, with a furious Martins asking his team over radio: 'Who does he think he is, Max Verstappen?' After a lengthy delay, the race resumed with a reduced field — and it was Jak Crawford who ultimately took the win, capitalising on a well-timed pit stop under the safety car before a late red flag brought proceedings to an early end. Leonardo Fornaroli, who had led for much of the race, had to settle for second. While Dunne remains in contention for the Formula 2 title, his experience in Monaco has cast a shadow over what has otherwise been a fine breakout season. Nevertheless, he is still top of this season's drivers' leaderboard after six rounds.


Daily Mirror
14 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
FIA respond as driver deletes social media after abuse for Monaco GP crash
Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne has deleted social media after the 19-year-old received some "really bad and quite upsetting" abuse after he crashed during the Monaco Grand Prix The FIA have spoken out after a driver was forced to delete social media as a result of the abuse he received following a crash at the Monaco Grand Prix. Formula 2 driver Alex Dunne was sent some "really bad and quite upsetting" messages after he crashed in Monaco, causing an 11 car pile-up. The 19-year-old, who is top of the driver standings, has since revealed that the abuse he received after the incident has prompted him to remove social media from his phone. "I got a lot of stuff after Monaco, normally I'm not someone who reads things and gets annoyed by them," Dunne said. "But, I think an hour after the race, I deleted social media off my phone because I've never received such bad messages in my life. A lot of the stuff I got was really, really bad and quite upsetting to be honest." And the FIA have now released a statement condemning the abuse, which reads: "On behalf of our Teams and Drivers, F1, F1, F3 and the FIA, through their United Against Online Abuse campaign, firmly condemn abuse and harassment of any form. "We'll continue to collectively act upon and report abuse to social media platforms. Whether you are a fan or a part of the motorsport world, we are all driven by passion. At the heart of it all, there are humans. We urge everyone to remain respectful towards the athletes and their teams." Dunne is not the only driver who has been targeted on social media this year, with former Alpine driver Jack Doohan forced to ask online trolls to "stop harassing my family" after a fabricated social media post from his father went viral. "As you can see, the story circulating above is completely false," Doohan said in response to the fake post. "It was fabricated... to portray me and my family in a negative light. "They edited the original content to make it appear as though my father posted it, which is entirely untrue. Please stop harassing my family. I didn't think it would get to this point." FIA president Mohammed ben Sulayem also condemned the abuse of Doohan and his family, stating: "Motorsport is built on competition, passion, and commitment, and ever race drivers take to the track representing these values. "The passion and excitement that we feel for our sport should unite us and never be twisted into abuse or hatred. I stand in full support of Yuki Tsunoda and Franco Colapinto, and I thank them for speaking out against the growing issue of online abuse in motorsport. "No-one should be subjected to threats, hatred, or discrimination. There is no place for abuse or toxicity in our community. Through the united against online abuse campaign, we are taking decisive action - raising awareness, providing support, and driving change. "We are committed to safeguarding the wellbeing of everyone in our sport, and together we can build a safer, more respectful environment for all."


Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Huge sum raised for family of 'one of the best' killed in crash
Huge sum raised for family of 'one of the best' killed in crash Dai Roberts from the Carmarthen area died 13 years after his brother was also killed in a rally crash. He's been described as a 'winner in life' who had a 'big, big heart' Rally co-driver Dai Roberts from Carmarthenshire, who died in a crash on May 24 (Image: Motorsport UK ) Almost £150,000 has been raised for the family of 'one of the best' who tragically died in a rally car during an event in Scotland. Dai Roberts, from Carmarthenshire, was killed on Saturday, May 24, having been involved in a crash while taking part in the Jim Clark Rally in the Scottish Borders. Emergency services were called to the crash site that morning but Mr Roberts, who was 39, was pronounced dead at the scene. He was co-driver in the rally car, while the driver, James Williams, was taken to hospital with serious but not life-threatening injuries. To make matters even more tragic for the Roberts family, Dai's brother Gareth also died while rallying in Sicily 13 years ago. Stay informed on Carms news by signing up to our newsletter here . In the wake of Mr Roberts' death last month, a fundraising page was set up in order to raise 'as much as possible for the funeral and on-going support for Dai's wife and children'. Incredibly, more than £100,000 was raised to help Mr Roberts' family in less than two days, while now, less than two weeks later, the total stands at £147,855. Motorsport journalist Luke Barry wrote on the website Dirtfish: 'It never, ever gets any easier. It never, ever feels fair. But for a family that has gone through so much pain, the heartbreaking loss of Dai Roberts has been particularly tough to take. 'The impact he made on the rallying community is immeasurable, leaving behind a legacy of dedication, professionalism and, above all, kindness. Article continues below 'Everybody has a story about him - each and every one unique and now so dearly cherished. But all underpinned by one common theme: Dai's big, big heart. Even when he didn't have time to speak to you, he made time to speak to you. 'The outpouring of emotion and online tributes since the heartbreaking news speak volumes. Dai improved lives. Dai was a winner on the special stages, but more importantly a winner in life.' Dai Roberts (right) with driver James Williams, who was also injured in the crash (Image: James Williams media office ) Other tributes paid to Mr Roberts since his death help paint a picture of the type of man he was. Co-driver Rob Fagg said: 'Dai as we walked back this morning (Saturday) from collecting our time cards, laughing and joking I didn't ever expect that to be the last time. One of the best in the seat, great friend in the sport over many, many years of competition. You will be missed by so many my friend.' Fellow Welsh rally driver Meirion Evans said: 'It's hard to know what to say, something like this hits hard and it still feels a bit numb. But there aren't many like Dai. 'A proper co-driver, driver, decent footballer, all round competitor and one of the most determined and strong people I have ever come across. My thoughts go out to the entire Roberts family.' Andy Davies, a British rally driver and close friend of Mr Roberts, said: 'Still struggling to process and acknowledge the reality of this. The world can be so damn cruel. 'Never more than a phone call away, Dai stepped up when I needed it most. He always had the answers. Someone I always had the utmost respect for, and someone I was lucky to call a friend. 'A life lived, a mark left on the world for so many. We all have a story about Dai. I'll look back on the memories, and miss you so very much.' Article continues below If you would like to contribute to the fundraising page set up for Mr Roberts' family, you can still do so here. Join our WhatsApp news community here for the latest breaking news.