An inquest into the death of a track marshall at this year's Australian Grand Prix was told today a flying wheel that killed the official could have killed spectators.
The inquest is investigating the death of Graham Beveridge (52), who was killed after a collision between Jacques Villeneuve and Ralf Schumacher.
Beveridge died of a ruptured heart when he was hit in the chest by a wheel which tore free from Villeneuve's car in the crash and flew through a gap in the trackside safety barrier at Melbourne's Albert Park.
Jim Kennan, counsel to the coroner, told the inquest that if Beveridge had not "absorbed the impact" of the wheel, it may have struck and killed other spectators.
The wheel was estimated to be travelling at between 145 kph and 175 kph.
Kennan said Villeneuve's car "was not all that far from going over the top of the fence".
The 2.5-metre safety barrier - combining a concrete base and a mesh debris fence - was half the height of the barriers at the British formula one track of Silverston, Kennan said.
There was no evidence of fault on the part of either driver, he said.
The inquest continues.
AFP