Count Wolfgang von Trips arrived at Monza for the Italian Grand Prix leading the World Championship, locked in a duel with teammate Phil Hill. Von Trips demonstrated his sheer speed by taking pole position with a blistering lap around the daunting 10-kilometer circuit.
The race began under clear skies, with a record crowd anticipating a Ferrari coronation. Von Trips got away from the front, but on the second lap, while battling Jim Clark’s Lotus heading toward Parabolica, his Sharknose clipped wheels and was launched off course. The Ferrari became airborne, crashed through fencing, and von Trips was thrown clear. He died instantly, along with fifteen spectators caught in the wreck’s path.
The Grand Prix, shockingly, was not stopped. Hill went on to win and secured both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships for Ferrari, but celebrations were muted. Von Trips, a popular and gentlemanly driver, had been on the cusp of becoming Germany’s first Formula One World Champion. Instead, Monza 1961 became one of the sport’s darkest days, and the haunting silhouette of the Sharknose was forever tied to triumph and tragedy.