Notes:
The accident that claimed the life of the Swiss amateur driver Fausto Meyrat happened on the eighth of the forty-four laps of the 1000 Km of the Nurburgring, then a round of the 1959 World Sportscar Championship, held on Sunday, 07 June 1959.

While leading the race, co-driven by Jack Fairman, Stirling Moss in an Aston Martin DBR1/300 was lapping the Auto Union RS 1080 #42 that Fausto Meyrat shared with his country-fellow Stefan Brugger, after passing the Bergwerk. On the approach to the subsequent Kesselchen bend, Moss braked hard, trying to avoid the slower vehicle on his path. It is not clear whether the marshals were waving blue flags, Meyrat was traveling in the center of the track, possibly he did not notice the oncoming Aston Martin. Suddenly Moss slid on the right side, overtook Meyrat and ran away, placing the right wheels of his car on the grass. Fausto Meyrat's Auto Union went out of control, spun off the track and overturned. Gravely injured, Meyrat was taken to Adenau hospital. Two days later he succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident.

According to eyewitnesses reports Fausto Meyrat crashed after contact with Moss's car; this has not yet been confirmed. The race was not stopped and Moss-Fairman eventually were the overall winners.

Two days after Meyrat's death his widow filed a complaint of negligent manslaughter against Moss.


Motorsport Memorial invites its readers to submit biographical information about Fausto Meyrat. We assume the legal complaint against Moss was dismissed based on the usual release from liability signed by participants in race meetings, but would like to have confirmation of this assumption.

• Book "The International Motor Racing Guide", by Peter Higham, David Bull Publishing, Phoenix, United States, ISBN 1-893618-20-X.
• Book "Albo della Gloria: Al Piloti Caduti in Tutto il Mondo as Loro Posto di Combattimento", by Emanuele Carli, Modena, Italy, 1972, page 45. [incorrect name: Jean Meyrat].
• Newspaper La Stampa (Turin, Italy) issue of Friday, 12 June 1959, page 8, article "Moss accusato di omicidio colposo dalla vedova d'un pilota morto in gara", retrieved by website http://www.archiviolastampa.it/ .
• Newspaper New York Times (New York City, NY, United States), issue of Wednesday, 10 June 1959, page 45, Reuters wire service.
• Newspaper Chicago Tribune (Chicago, IL, United States), issue of Friday, 12 June 1959, page C1, Associated Press wire service.
• Website Pro-Steilstrecke, by Burkhard Köhr, page http://www.pro-steilstrecke.de/tragoedien/nuerburgring_tragoedien_1955_1964.php#1959 .
• Website The GEL Motorsport Information Page by Darren Galpin, page http://www.teamdan.com/archive/wsc/1959/59nurb.html .
• Website World Sports Racing Prototypes, by Martin Krejčí, page http://wsrp.ic.cz/wsc1959.html .
• Website Motor Racing Circuits, by Daniel King, page http://www.the-fastlane.co.uk/racingcircuits/Germany/NurburgringNordschliefeShort2002.html .
• Website Racing Sports Cars, page http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/Fausto-Meyrat-CH.html .