Dubai: Family, friends and colleagues paid the perfect tribute to the late Christophe Hissette after installing a memorial plaque at Turn 16 more than a decade after losing him at Dubai Autodrome.
With the driver’s father Jean-Louis present along with his mother Beatrice and brother Sebastien, friends and colleagues joined in unveiling and signing on the wall at Turn 16 at Dubai Autodrome.
The 29-year-old Hissette was killed in an accident during practice before the final round of the GulfSport Radical Cup at the Dubai Autodrome in April 2010 after the Belgium-born driver’s car veered off at Turn 16 and hit the wall. The car caught fire and race marshals and crew managed to get Hissette out of the vehicle before being airlifted for medical aid.
“Emotional and marvellous tribute to Christophe Hissette as we unveiled a plaque installed by Dubai Autodrome on Turn 16, where Christophe left us forever,” said a Facebook message from Jean-Louis.
Joining the Hissette family were Dubai Autodrome’s Bert Grogor and racing friends including GPXtreme’s Fred Fatien and his team, along with drivers Bassam Kronfli and Jordan Grogor.
“As a family, we were touched by the response to this initiative. Just being there at that very site brought back so many memories, but this is something that we will be forever grateful to the Dubai Autodrome after all these years,” Jean-Louis told Gulf News. “We also received so many messages from Christophe’s friends expressing their regret that they were not able to attend as they were out of the UAE. However, all of them have promised that they will be visiting him at Turn 16 so that they can leave a message there.”
Widely regarded as one of the best karting drivers in the region, Hissette was taken to Rashid Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival on that fateful day in April.
“What we have now is just the memory that he leaves behind for us all,” Jean-Louis said. “He is in a much better place now, and this plaque will serve as a memory of all the good things he left behind during his time here. He loved being at home in Belgium, but Dubai was always his first love.”
