The former driver Tony Brooks has passed away
Aged 90, former F1 driver Tony Brooks passed away on Tuesday, May 3rd. He was the last surviving driver to have won a Grand Prix in the 1950s.
Born on February 25th in Dukinfield, England, Tony Brooks was destined to follow in his father’s footsteps and become a dentist. It was in 1952, at the age of 20, that he, who was known as the “racing dentist,” began his motorsport career behind the wheel of an Austin-Healey and a Frazer Nash.
In 1955, he took part in his first Formula 2 race at the Crystal Palace Grand Prix. The British driver finished fourth before repeating this performance at the London Telegraph Trophy. Spotted by the Connaught Engineering team, they provided him with a Formula 1 car for the non-championship Syracuse Grand Prix, where Brooks secured his first major victory.
He officially started in F1 in 1956 at the Silverstone circuit driving a BRM. As it did not allow him to shine, he joined the Vanwall team the following year. Thanks to a second place in Monaco and a shared victory with Stirling Moss at the British Grand Prix at Aintree, Brooks finished fifth in the 1957 championship.
Following the withdrawal of the official English team in 1959, Brooks found refuge at Ferrari. Behind the wheel of the Italian single-seater, he triumphed in France and on the AVUS circuit in Germany where he achieved his unique hat-trick (pole position, victory, fastest lap). By finishing third in the only F1 Grand Prix held in Sebring, Florida, Brooks missed out on second place in the world championship, finishing four points behind Jack Brabham.
In 1960 and 1961, he was hired by private teams to race with Cooper, Vanwall, and BRM. Despite driving outdated single-seaters compared to the competition, he managed to climb onto one last podium, finishing third at the first United States Grand Prix held in Watkins Glen in 1961. This race marked the end of his career.
Tony Brooks was the last living driver to have won a Grand Prix in the 1950s. As the eldest of the winners in F1, he now passes on this title to Jackie Stewart. The Scottish triple world champion and the Belgian Jackie Ickx are now the last living drivers to have won a Grand Prix in the 1960s.
