David Brabham
 | |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australian |
| Active years | 1990, 1994 |
| Teams | Brabham, Simtek |
| Entries | 30 (24 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1990 San Marino Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1994 Australian Grand Prix |
| 24 Hours of Le Mans career | |
|---|---|
| Years | 1993, 1996 - |
| Teams | Tom Walkinshaw Racing, Gulf Racing/GTC Racing, David Price Racing, Panoz Motorsports, Team Bentley, Zytek Engineering, Aston Martin Racing, Russian Age Racing, Peugeot Sport Total |
| Best finish | 1st (2009) |
| Class wins | 3 (2007, 2008, 2009) |
David Brabham (born 5 September 1965 in Wimbledon, London) is an Australian former Formula One driver who raced for the Brabham and Simtek teams. He is now one of the most successful and experienced specialists in sports car racing. He is the youngest son of Sir Jack Brabham, the Australian triple Formula One champion. He spent his childhood in Australia. Despite his father's motor racing fame he took little interest in motor racing until after he left school. As a child he played the more accessible sport of soccer up until the age of twelve and then took up Australian rules football when the family moved to Sydney. Growing up, Sir Jack didn't force David into racing, and it was only after discovering go-karts at 17, that he became enthusiastic enough to purchase a second-hand go-kart with his next-door neighbour and begin racing.
Brabham's professional racing career began in Australia in 1983, racing karts for two years, after which he moved into the Ford Laser "one make" series for 1985. In 1986 he switched to Formula Ford 1600 and subsequently to Australian Formula 2, winning the 1987 Australian Drivers' Championship in that category. He also competed in the New Zealand Formula Atlantic series, the American Formula Atlantic series and in the South American Formula 3 Championship during the 1987 season.[1] A move from Australia to Europe under sponsorship from Camel in 1989 saw him joining the Bowman team and winning the British Formula Three Championship.
Brabham's break into Formula One with the Brabham team met with little success. In 14 races he only managed to qualify the uncompetitive Judd-engined car six times. This led to him being replaced at the end of the season. Brabham joined the Tom Walkinshaw Racing Jaguar team in 1991 and also in that year won the Spa 24 Hours for Nissan. Brabham won the 24 Hours of Daytona for Jaguar in 1992.
Brabham returned to Formula One in 1994 with the under-funded Simtek team who suffered the blow of the death of Roland Ratzenberger whilst in qualifying for the San Marino Grand Prix. Traditionally the other team driver would withdraw in such a situation, but seeing the demoralisation around him, Brabham decided to race on, only to crash out after a suspension failure of his own. In Ratzenberger's memory the team made a collective decision to see out the season.
Brabham quit Formula One at the end of that year to begin touring car racing. 1995 in a BTCC BMW was not a success, but subsequent successes included winning the 1996 JGTC GT500 championship in McLaren F1 GTR (so far the only non-Japanese team car to win this), and the Bathurst 1000 in its Supertouring era in 1997 with brother Geoff.
He won the Professional Sports Car Championship in the United States with the Panoz racing team in 1998, and the 1999 Petit Le Mans race also with Panoz. Since 1999 he has been a regular in the American Le Mans Series, having raced for teams such as Panoz and Prodrive (Ferrari 550 Maranello; he currently races an Acura ARX-01B for Highcroft Racing. He won the Sebring 12-hour race in 2005. Back in Australia, he has contested the Bathurst 24-hour race several times since its inception in 2002.
Brabham has won a total of 15 American Le Mans Series events across all 4 classes in the series.
At the 2006 24 Hours of Le Mans, Brabham scored a 4th in the GT1 category (9th overall) driving an Aston Martin DBR9 for Russian Age Racing. Brabham won the GT1 class of the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans and again in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans driving a DBR9 for Aston Martin Racing. Driving for Peugeot, he won the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans outright with co-drivers Alexander Wurz and Marc Gene.
Brabham's two older brothers Geoff and Gary also pursued motor racing careers.
Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | Motor Racing Developments | Brabham BT59 | Judd V8 | USA |
BRA |
SMR DNQ |
MON Ret |
CAN DNQ |
MEX Ret |
FRA 15 |
GBR DNQ |
GER Ret |
HUN DNQ |
BEL Ret |
ITA DNQ |
POR Ret |
ESP DNQ |
JPN Ret |
AUS Ret |
NC | 0 |
| 1994 | MTV Simtek Ford | Simtek S941 | Ford V8 | BRA 12 |
PAC Ret |
SMR Ret |
MON Ret |
ESP 10 |
CAN 14 |
FRA Ret |
GBR 15 |
GER Ret |
HUN 11 |
BEL Ret |
ITA Ret |
POR Ret |
EUR Ret |
JPN 12 |
AUS Ret |
NC | 0 |
Racing career
References
- ^ David Brabham Driver Biography Retrieved from fiagt.com on 19 August 2008
- ^ Australian Motor Racing Year, 1986/87, page 55
- ^ Australian 'Driver to Europe' Series Retrieved from formulaford.com.au on 20 August 2008
External links
- 1965 births
- Australian racecar drivers
- Australian Formula One drivers
- Living people
- British Formula Three Championship drivers
- British Touring Car Championship drivers
- FIA GT Championship drivers
- Atlantic Championship drivers
- All-Japan Grand Touring Car Championship drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- Australians of English descent
- American Le Mans Series drivers
- International Formula 3000 drivers
- Bathurst 1000 winners