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Tony Brooks (racing driver)

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Tony Brooks
BornCharles Anthony Standish Brooks
(1932-02-25)25 February 1932
Dukinfield, Cheshire, England
Died3 May 2022(2022-05-03) (aged 90)
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityBritish
Active years1956–1961
TeamsBRM, Vanwall, Ferrari and non-works Cooper
Entries39 (38 starts)
Championships0
Wins6
Podiums10
Career points75
Pole positions3
Fastest laps3
First entry1956 Monaco Grand Prix
First win1957 British Grand Prix
Last win1959 German Grand Prix
Last entry1961 United States Grand Prix

Charles Anthony Standish Brooks (25 February 1932 – 3 May 2022) was a British racing driver also known as the "Racing Dentist". He participated in 39 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, competing for the first time on 14 July 1956, and achieved six wins, 10 podium finishes and 75 career points. He was third in the World Drivers' Championship in 1958 with Vanwall and second in 1959 with Ferrari. He also scored the first win by a British driver in a British car in a Grand Prix since 1923, driving a Connaught at Syracuse in 1955 in a non-championship race.[1]

After the death of Sir Stirling Moss in 2020 and before his own death in 2022, Brooks was the last surviving Grand Prix winner from the 1950s.[1][2]

Career

Brooks was born on 25 February 1932, in Dukinfield, Cheshire, and educated at Mount St Mary's College. He was the son of a dental surgeon, Charles Standish Brooks, and studied the practice himself. He was also a cousin of Norman Standish Brooks, a former British Olympic swimmer. He took up racing in 1952 and drove a Healey and a Frazer Nash[3] at club events until 1955. In that same year, Brooks drove a Formula Two Connaught at Crystal Palace and finished fourth.[4] Later in 1955, Brooks made his first Formula One start at the non-championship 1955 Syracuse Grand Prix, winning the race. This was the first international Grand Prix win for a British car since the 1924 San Sebastián Grand Prix.[5]

Brooks shared this Vanwall VW5 with Stirling Moss to win the 1957 British Grand Prix.

Brooks claimed the first victory for a British-constructed car in a World Championship race in the 1957 British Grand Prix at Aintree, which he shared with Stirling Moss. Along with Moss, Brooks is considered one of the best drivers never to have been World Champion and both Moss and three-time World Champion Jack Brabham were known to have thought highly of his ability.[6]

In 1959, Brooks, together with Brabham and Moss, had a chance to win the title due to the retirement (and subsequent death in a road accident) of Mike Hawthorn and the death, the previous season, of Peter Collins. Brooks started well, with a second place at Monaco, behind Brabham. He failed to finish at the Dutch Grand Prix, but dominantly won the French Grand Prix at Reims. Having failed to finish in a Vanwall at the British Grand Prix which he drove due to Ferrari workers in Italy being on strike, he won the only German Grand Prix of Formula One to be held at AVUS. The race was split unusually into two heats, and he won both. He had a slow car in Portugal, qualifying 10th and finishing five laps down. He retired shortly after the start at Monza but was still in contention to win the championship. At the first ever United States Grand Prix for Formula One at Sebring, he was hit by German teammate Wolfgang von Trips and pitted to check for any damage, losing two minutes. It proved to be a waste of time, but still finished in third place. He finished second in the championship with 27 points, seven behind Brabham, and one-and-a-half ahead of Moss.[7]

Brooks won six races for Vanwall and Ferrari, secured four pole positions, achieved ten podiums, and scored a total of 75 championship points.[citation needed] He drove for BRM but retired from the team at the end of 1961, just before their most successful season. He ended his career with a third place at the first ever United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen.[citation needed]

Tony Brooks parked outside the 1957 Le Mans Aston Martin base, the Hotel de France, at the wheel of his DBR1 race car.

He was also an accomplished sports car driver, winning both the 1957 1000 km Nürburgring and the 1958 RAC Tourist Trophy, with co-driver, Moss, racing an Aston Martin DBR1.[8] He was less successful at Le Mans in 1957, due again to an accident which occurred while racing an Aston Martin DBR1 at that year's 24-hour race, which brought about a change in his racing philosophy. A crash in the 1956 British Grand Prix and the subsequent Le Mans crash both occurred in cars with mechanical problems, of which he was aware, and Brooks, being a devout Catholic, vowed he would never again risk his life in a car that was in less than sound condition.[9]

He had fewer qualms when it came to his own condition, however: "I was lucky in the Le Mans shunt in that I didn't break anything, but I did have very severe abrasions – there was a hole in the side of my thigh I could literally have put my fist into."[9] It was with these injuries that he went on to race in the 1957 British GP with Moss, and win.

In 2007, Brooks was honoured by his home town. The Dukinfield District Assembly, part of Tameside Council, held a dinner in his honour and unveiled a plaque outside his former home on Park Lane.[citation needed]

Brooks died aged 90 on 3 May 2022.[10]

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Yr Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1956 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM Straight-4 ARG MON
DNS 		500 BEL FRA GBR
Ret 		GER ITA NC 0
1957 Vandervell Products Vanwall Vanwall
Straight-4 		ARG MON
2 		500 FRA GBR
1* 		GER
9 		PES
Ret 		ITA
7** 		5th 11
1958 Vandervell Products Vanwall Vanwall
Straight-4 		ARG MON
Ret 		NED
Ret 		500 BEL
1 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
7 		GER
1 		POR
Ret 		ITA
1 		MOR
Ret 		3rd 24
1959 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246 Ferrari V6 MON
2 		500 NED
Ret 		FRA
1 		GER
1** 		POR
9 		ITA
Ret 		USA
3 		2nd 27
Vandervell Products Vanwall Vanwall
Straight-4 		GBR
Ret
1960 Yeoman Credit Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax
Straight-4 		ARG MON
4 		500 NED
Ret 		BEL
Ret 		GBR
5 		POR
5 		ITA USA
Ret 		11th 7
Vandervell Products Vanwall Vanwall
Straight-4 		FRA
Ret
1961 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P48/57 Climax
Straight-4 		MON
13 		NED
9 		BEL
13 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
9 		GER
Ret 		ITA
5 		USA
3 		10th 6
Source:[11]

* Brooks won the 1957 British Grand Prix sharing his car with Stirling Moss. Both were awarded half points for their victory (4 instead of 8).
** Brooks was also awarded one point in the 1957 Italian Grand Prix and 1959 German Grand Prix for recording the fastest lap.

Non-championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
1955 Equipe Endeavour Connaught Type A Lea-Francis Straight-4 BUE VLN PAU GLV BOR INT NAP ALB CUR CRN LON
4 		REC RDX TLG
4 		OUL AVO
5
Connaught Engineering Connaught Type B Alta Straight-4 SYR
1
1956 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM Straight-4 NZL BUE GLO
Ret 		SYR BAR
2 		INT NAP AIN
Ret 		VAN CAE SUS BRS AUS
1957 Vandervell Products Ltd. Vanwall Vanwall Straight-4 BUE SYR
Ret 		PAU GLV
6 		NAP RMS MOR
Ret
Tony Brooks Cooper T43 Climax Straight-4 CAE
Ret 		INT
Ret 		MOD
1958 Tony Brooks Cooper T45 Climax Straight-4 BUE GLV SYR AIN
3 		INT
Ret 		CAE
1959 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 246 Ferrari V6 GLV AIN
2 		INT
Ret 		OUL SIL
1960 G.A. Vandervell Vanwall Vanwall Straight-4 GLV
7 		INT
DNA
Yeoman Credit Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax
Straight-4 		SIL
Ret
Vandervell Products Ltd. Lotus 18 Vanwall Straight-4 LOM
DNS 		OUL
1961 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P48/57 BRM Straight-4 LOM GLV
Ret 		PAU BRX VIE AIN
7 		SYR
Ret 		NAP LON SIL
3 		SOL KAN DAN MOD
6 		FLG OUL
4 		LEW VAL RAN NAT RSA
Source:[12]

References

  1. ^ a b Benson, Andrew (3 May 2022). "Formula 1 pioneer Brooks dies aged 90". bbc.com. BBC Sport. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  2. ^ Morto a 90 anni Tony Brooks, gareggiò anche in Ferrari (in Italian)
  3. ^ Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 83. ISBN 0851127029.
  4. ^ "Tony Brooks Profile". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  5. ^ Lewis, Peter (1992). Motor Racing Through the Fifties. pp. 70–78. ISBN 1897632150.
  6. ^ Benson, Andrew (10 April 2012). "BBC Sport – Formula 1's greatest drivers. Number 18: Jack Brabham". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  7. ^ Deschenaux, Jacques (1983). Marlboro Grand Prix Guide 1950–82. Brentford UK: Charles Stewart & Company (Kirkcaldy). p. 93.
  8. ^ "Tony Brooks (GB) – All Results". Racing Sports Cars. Retrieved 26 January 2016.
  9. ^ a b Roebuck, Nigel (September 2003). "Legends Tony Brooks". Motor Sport magazine archive. p. 26. Retrieved 29 August 2016.
  10. ^ Williams, Richard (4 May 2022). "Tony Brooks obituary". The Guardian.
  11. ^ Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 82. ISBN 0851127029.
  12. ^ "Tony Brooks – Involvement Non World Championship". StatsF1. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
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