Gianclaudio ‘Clay’ Regazzoni came to motor racing relatively late, when at the age of 24 he began racing his Austin Healey Sprite in Italy, across the border from his native Switzerland where they’d banned motor racing after the 1955 Le Mans disaster. Instant success encouraged him to move up a Read more
Alain Prost came to Williams as a three time World Champion, and left as the holder of four titles, one fewer than the legendary Juan Manuel Fangio, and winner of a then record 51 Grands Prix. Prost first announced himself on the world stage when in 1973 he won the Read more
Following his father Stan, a driver of some prominence albeit not on the world stage, into the world of motorsport, Alan Jones had his eyes on the Formula 1 prize from an early age. Following the traditional route into car racing, he graduated from karting, via a season racing Minis to Formula 2, before Read more
As a youngster, Damon Hill was more interested in becoming the next Barry Sheene than he was racing cars. Under pressure from those around him, including his mother, he first gave racing cars a bash at the age of 23, competing in Formula Ford under the glare of the media, Read more
Jacques Villeneuve showed no early interest in following in his father’s footsteps, but a short stint at racing school, and perhaps encouraged by the enthusiasm of people surrounding him for him to emulate his father, Jacques signed up to drive in Italian Formula 3 for 1989. Here he spent two Read more
Etonian Piers Courage, heir to the Courage Brewery Company, was a young Formula 1 driver tipped for success by many, but was sadly never destined to realise his full potential. In his schooldays, Piers would ‘bunk off’ and head to Silverstone, where he first found a taste for racing cars Read more
Carlos Reutemann began racing saloon cars in 1965, but a single seater career beckoned and he soon graduated to Formula 2 in his native Argentina and then Europe. After a tumultuous debut season n 1970 he fared better in 1971, finishing second to ‘Superswede’ Ronnie Peterson. Bernie Ecclestone, then Brabham Read more
After much success in karts, Nigel Mansell graduated to Formula Ford in 1976 where his obvious ability helped him to six wins in his first season and the British Formula Ford Championship the following year, a season in which he suffered a broken neck in a crash at Brands Hatch. Read more
