Mike Hawthorn

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Mike Hawthorn
BornJohn Michael Hawthorn
(1929-04-10)10 April 1929
Mexborough, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK
Died22 January 1959(1959-01-22) (aged 29)
Near Onslow Village, Guildford, Surrey, England, UK
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Active years19521958
TeamsFerrari,
Vanwall,
BRM,
non-works Cooper,
non-works Maserati
Entries47 (45 starts)
Championships1 (1958)
Wins3
Podiums18
Career points112 ​914 (127 ​914)[1]
Pole positions4
Fastest laps6
First entry1952 Belgian Grand Prix
First win1953 French Grand Prix
Last win1958 French Grand Prix
Last entry1958 Moroccan Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years1953, 19551958
TeamsJaguar Cars
Scuderia Ferrari
Best finish1st (1955)
Class wins1 (1955)

John Michael Hawthorn (10 April 1929 – 22 January 1959) was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.

On 22 January 1959, only three months into his retirement, Hawthorn died in a car accident on the A3 Guildford bypass. He drove his modified 1958 Jaguar 3.4-litre saloon (now known as the 3.4 Mk 1) VDU 881 to London. The precise cause of the accident is unknown.[2]

The accident occurred on a notoriously dangerous section of the road, the scene of 15 serious accidents (two fatal) in the previous two years. The road was also wet at the time. Driving at speed (one witness estimated 80 m.p.h.), Hawthorn overtook a Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'gull-wing' sports car driven by an acquaintance, the motor racing team manager Rob Walker. On entering a right-hand bend shortly after passing the Mercedes, Hawthorn clipped a 'Keep Left' bollard dividing the two carriageways, causing him to lose control..

References[change | change source]

  1. Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
  2. "Mike Hawthorn's fatal accident". Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2014.