Arnaud Crozier
| Arnaud Crozier | |
|---|---|
 Crozier in 2016 | |
| Born | Arnaud Díaz Crozier 29 July 1981 Tregueux, Tregueux Province, Zamastan |
| Died | 26 June 2023 (aged 41) Ananico, Jade, Zamastan |
| Crown Formula career | |
| Debut season | 2008 |
| Current team | Forrester |
| Car number | 51 |
| Former teams | SanCorp |
| Championships | 2 |
| Wins | 29 |
| Podiums | 55 |
| Best finish | 1st in 2014, 2016 |
Arnaud Crozier (29 July 1981 - 26 June 2023) was a Zamastanian racing driver who competed in Crown Formula under the sponsorship of Forrester and SanCorp. He won the Crown Formula title in 2014 and 2016, and recorded 29 total Grand Prix wins, including the Calatas Grand Prix in 2015 and 2016. He also placed on the podium four times at the Rio Palito Grand Prix, with his best performance being close second to Caspiaa's Bjoren Djurna in 2021. In 2018, Crozier was involved in a violent crash at the Staventer Grand Prix in Shoassau, which left him with a broken leg and placed him on sabbatical for three seasons, making his return in 2021. At the wet weather 2023 Ananico Grand Prix, Crozier was killed alongside Parabocan driver Ronaldo Javi Batista in a major multi-vehicle crash on the final lap while vying for first place. Crozier's death sent shockwaves through the world and resulted in Crown Formula restructuring many of their safety procedures. Crozier was widely considered to be the best Zamastanian racer.
Early life and racing career
Driving style
Crozier is often regarded as one of the greatest Formula drivers in the history of the sport. Journalists and fellow drivers regarded Crozier as a fast and consistent driver who was able extract additional pace from a car in all weathers and on all tracks. Fellow racer Alex Spalding of Jyau said Crozier understands when to go faster and when to preserve his tyres in a race. Former racing driver Shakeel Ozer described Crozier as "Demann-like in his intimate feel for where the grip is" and cited the driver's knowledge on how much grip to use for the entry to a turn. He drives aggressively and uses a braking area to put a car into a corner without losing speed exiting it. This allows Crozier to keep it "on the edge of adhesion" and it has been observed during a qualifying session and the first laps of a race.
Crozier's experience increased his awareness of events around him and competitors in a race and adjusted his situation to focus on the drivers' championship. Crozier is an all-round driver who can mount an apex and correct a sliding car to go faster. He is careful in finding the ideal feeling with his brakes and can apply the maximum amount of force with a fast response time. Crozier's physical strength contrasts his braking skill and regularly exceeded that limit without overdoing it on multiple conditions.
Death
At the 2023 Ananico Grand Prix, weather conditions were less than ideal, as a torrential downpour prior to the race made the track noticably slippery for drivers. An early 5th lap spinout and crash by Hiroši Coyabaši drew warnings from some race officials, but the determination to continue the race was made. With only minor spinouts occuring throughout the rest of the race, it came down to a five-way challenge for first between Crozier, Ronaldo Javi Batista, Harrison Thompson, Alex Spalding, and Miles Kingston, with several drivers close behind. However, the 10th turn, second to last before the final stretch, proved to be disasterous as Batista's car lost control and appeared to hydroplane into Crozier, who in turn smashed into Thompson, Spalding, and Rudy Silander.
Going at a speed of 305 km/h (190 mph), Batista's car began to slip and could not take the turn at the left corner, and, continuing in a straight line, collided with Crozier. Batista's car smashed into the side wall, killing him instantly, and Crozier' car collided with Thompson before it was flipped twice, smashing through a tire barricade and into the concrete barrier. Harrison Thompson, Alex Spalding, and Rudy Silander's spinouts resulted in sufficient damage to their cars as well, and all suffered minor injuries with the most serious being a broken arm for Thompson and a contusion for Silander. Drivers directly behind the crash were able to avoid the damage and continued, but anyone more than a half lap behind were stopped. Miles Kingston, the Unified Sera driver, managed to avoid the crash and sped on to the finish, only discovering the horror that he narrowly avoided after he stopped and exited his car, cutting his celebration short with visible shock and tears. In the press conference following the race, Kingston said "I can't feel satisfied, I can't feel happy" with his win following the events that had occurred during the race weekend.
At 2:23 pm local time, a red flag was shown to indicate the race was stopped and race doctors arrived at the scene to treat the drivers. When a race is stopped under a red flag, cars must slow down and make their way back to the pit lane or starting grid unless notified of a restart. This protects race marshals and medical staff at the crash scene, and allows easier access for medical cars to the incident. After seeing the accident scene, IMA President Viktor Bunyachenko was so distressed that he left from the race.
Since the crash had finished on the final lap, the race was concluded, and the participating drivers agreed to perform an honorary lap to commemorate Crozier and Batista. Miles Kingston's number 27 car led the somber procession, with a Zamastanian and Parabocan flag drapped on the hood as the vehicles slowly made their way around the course.
The Crown Formula organization released a statement of condolences, with the Zamastanian chapter organizer saying "these racers distinguished themselves every day for the world to see, and today is the greatest loss in formula history." The organization also said that it would be conducting an extensive investigation into the accident, and that the upcoming Calatas Grand Prix in Paraboca would be postponed for a few days for both safety reviews and out of respect for the late Parabocan driver.
The other Zamastanian driver on the course, Timothee Snowden, said of Crozier "he was the greatest racer I've ever gone up against, and I'm certain that my comrades would say the same. He was the epitome of greatness on the track, taking his wins in pride, taking his losses in stride, and always striving for better."
Caspiaa's Bjoren Djurna, the winner of the 2021 Championship who famously beat Crozier in a narrow finish at the Rio Palito Grand Prix that year, said of both drivers "Arnaud and Ronaldo were friendly, competitive souls and I am honored to have spent time with both of them on and off the race track. Today's just, it's horrible. It's horrible. It's a loss for their families, for the racing community. The sad irony of Crozier having lost his life here in Zamastan, Ronaldo having done so a week before Calatas, it's fateful. It's horrible fate. We'll miss these guys a lot."