The worst event in the history of motor racing occurred on 11 June 1955 at the Le Mans 24-Hour Race. Through no fault of his own, the French driver Levegh was involved in an accident and crashed into a crowd of spectators, resulting in multiple deaths. The Mercedes-Benz management took the decision to withdraw from the race. Cancelling its involvement with motor racing had long been on the cards at Daimler-Benz AG. In light of this terrible event, the company announced its retirement from motorsport on 22 October 1955. The end came at the height of the company's success in motorsport.