Tom Pryce
Encyclopedia
Thomas Maldwyn Pryce was a Welsh
racing driver, famous for winning the Brands Hatch Race of Champions
, a non-championship Formula One
race, in 1975 and for the circumstances surrounding his death. Pryce is the only Welsh
driver to have won a Formula One race and is also the only Welshman to lead a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix: two laps of the 1975 British Grand Prix
.
Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token
team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix
. Shortly after an impressive performance at the Formula Three
support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix
, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany
in only his fourth race. Pryce later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria
in 1975 and the second in Brazil
a year later. Pryce was considered by his team as a great wet weather driver. During the practice session for the 1977 South African GP, run in wet conditions, Pryce was faster than everyone, including world champion drivers Niki Lauda
and James Hunt
. Pryce's third full season at Shadow was cut short by his fatal accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix
, where he collided at high speed with safety marshal Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren.
In 2007, it was announced that a statue of Pryce would be erected in his home town of Ruthin
by the local council to mark the 30th anniversary of his death. On 23 January 2008, the Trust Fund members met in the Ruthin Castle Hotel, under the chairmanship of David Richards (Prodrive), to discuss the progress of the intended memorial to be placed in Upper Clwyd Street in Ruthin. The memorial was unveiled on the 11 June 2009.
, Denbighshire
, Wales
to Jack and Gwyneth Pryce. Jack had worked in the Royal Air Force
, as a tailgunner on a Lancaster bomber
, before joining the local police force. Gwyneth was a district nurse
. Pryce's older brother, David, died at the age of three leaving Tom an only child for much of the time he was growing up, although his parents did foster a young girl called Sandra for a while.
Pryce took an interest in cars while driving a baker's van at the age of 10, before informing his parents that he wanted to be a racing driver. However, during an interview with Alan Henry
in 1975, he stated that he had wanted to become a pilot
, but thought he was not intelligent enough. Like many future Formula One drivers, Pryce had a childhood racing hero. In his case it was Lotus'
Scottish
driver Jim Clark
. Pryce's mother recalled that he was very upset when Clark died at the Hockenheimring
in April 1968. His father also noted that "he was very upset when Jochen Rindt
was killed, too". After he left school at 16, Pryce's mother insisted on him taking an apprenticeship as a tractor mechanic at Llandrillo Technical College, giving him "something to fall back on", as she put it, if his career as a racing driver was not successful.
In 1975 Pryce married Fenella, more commonly known as Nella, whom he met at a disco in Otford
in 1973. Following the death of her husband, Nella went on to run an antiques store in Fulham
with Janet Brise, Tony Brise
's widow.
his father asked Tom to make his helmet stand out more so that he could identify easily him in a pack of cars. Pryce added five black vertical lines to his helmet, placed just above his visor. From that time the only change to this design was the addition of a Welsh flag
to the side of his helmet in 1974. Goodyear
was the only sponsor name ever to appear on Pryce's helmet.
circuit in Leicestershire
when he was 20 years old. Pryce was put through his paces by Trevor Taylor
, an ex-Team Lotus
driver and old team mate of Pryce's childhood hero Clark. He later became a star in the Formula 5000
series. From there, Pryce went on to compete in the Daily Express
Crusader Championship, a series run by Motor Racing Stables for racing school pupils using Lotus 51 Formula Ford
cars. Races alternated between the Brands Hatch
and Silverstone
circuits, Pryce made his debut at the former. "The races were £
35 a time. But I sold my Mini
and my parents offered all the help and encouragement I could wish for" Pryce recalled to Alan Henry
.
The prize for the overall winner of the series was a Formula Ford
Lola T200 worth £1,500. The series was decided at the last round, held at Silverstone
, the day before the 1970 Formula One International Trophy. Pryce qualified on the third row for the race, which was held in rainy weather. Jack Pryce remembered that his son was rubbing his hands in delight: "he always loved racing in the rain". The early part of the race was led by a driver called Chris Smith but then heavy rain started and Pryce was able to catch up to Smith and overtake him before winning the race by a comfortable margin. He was given his prize Lola by Sir Max Aitken
.
Pryce took his new car to Brands Hatch, where he was allowed to house it in one of the old stables at the bottom of the paddock. Pryce soon abandoned his farming career and moved to a guesthouse in West Kingsdown
, near the Brands Hatch circuit. Pryce continued to make a name for himself during 1971, entering a new twin-seater Sportscar category called Formula F100, which he won with what was described by motorsports author David Tremayne
as "embarrassing ease". He then moved up to Formula Super Vee
, driving the then choice car a Royale RP9, for Team Rumsey Investments, and soon made his Formula Three
debut for the same manufacturer at Brands Hatch.
against many established Formula Three drivers such as Roger Williamson
, Jochen Mass
and James Hunt
. So large was Pryce's advantage at the end of the race, many of the other teams voiced an opinion that Pryce's car had run the race underweight, although it turned out that the circuit's weighbridge certificate had expired and everyone's cars had in fact been underweight. Pryce retired from the leading group in the following two rounds at Oulton Park
and Zandvoort
, and then during practice for the support race of the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix
his car came to a stop at Casino Square after a wire had come loose. He had exited his car to correct the problem when Peter Lamplough lost control of his car and struck the Royale RP11. Pryce was knocked into a shop window and broke a leg.
The Welshman was back in action two weeks after his incident in Monaco. Pryce also ran in the Formula SuperVee series, winning the series by a comfortable margin, "I won just about every race I went in for" Pryce recalled. A run with Royale's Formula Atlantic
works team was also in store for Pryce during 1972, where he took pole position
for the final three rounds of the championship and won the final round at Brands Hatch.
He continued racing in Formula Atlantic in 1973, winning three races. Royale soon had plans to enter Formula Two
, such was the Welshman's talent. The ambition to run in the Formula Two championship was planned to be financially fuelled by a Liechtenstein
driver Manfred Schurti. However, these plans only resulted in one of Royale's F2 cars being built before the project was scrapped and Bob King, the head of Royale, leaving the company.
Following an invitation to test one of his cars, Pryce found himself racing in the Formula Two series with Ron Dennis
' Rondel Racing
outfit, his best result for the team came at the Norisring
where he was leading the race until a brake failure meant he had to give up first place to team mate Tim Schenken
. At the end of 1973, Pryce won the Grovewood award for his efforts during the year. Jack Pryce recalled that his son did not want to win the award, as he thought it was "a jinx on a driver's career".
(FIA), motorsport's world governing body, joining the newly formed Token Racing
team. The team itself was created by Tony Vlassopulos and Ken Grob after the original Token team closed down in 1973 due to a lack of financial backing which had led to the end of the previous Rondel Racing outfit. Pryce was given the seat thanks to his backing from Titan Properties and, what David Tremayne described as, "evident promise". Pryce made his debut for the team at the BRDC International Trophy
, a non-championship Formula One event held at Silverstone, but lack of an airbox
and an engine cover, along with his shortage of experience in the car, made him the slowest driver of the 16 competitors during qualifying: 26 seconds slower than James Hunt
's Hesketh in pole position. The Welshman retired 15 laps into the race with a gear linkage problem. Pryce's World Championship debut came at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix
, where he qualified in 20th place, 3 seconds slower than the fastest time set by Clay Regazzoni
. Once again, he failed to finish, completing 66 laps before retiring after a collision with Jody Scheckter
's Tyrrell
left the RJ02's front-left wishbone
broken.
Pryce was refused entry to the 1974 Monaco Formula One Grand Prix
, as he was deemed "inexperienced". Instead, Pryce took part in the supporting Formula Three
race, driving for Ippokampos Racing, in a March
743, which he won by 20.8 seconds.
Following his impressive drive in Monaco, and a short spell
in Formula Two
, Pryce was signed by Shadow as replacement for Brian Redman
, who had in turn replaced the late Peter Revson
. Pryce made his debut for the team at Zandvoort
; retiring on the first lap after a collision with Hans Joachim Stuck
. Pryce qualified fourth in his second Grand Prix for the team in France
, but a collision with James Hunt
meant yet another early exit. Later in the season, Pryce received 100 bottles of champagne for finishing fastest in the practice session for his home Grand Prix
at Brands Hatch
. He went on to qualify on the fourth row of the starting grid.
Pryce scored the first point of his career in the 1974 German Grand Prix
, after finishing 6th from 11th on the grid, he then qualified in 16th for the next Grand Prix in Austria
, but spun off on lap 22, ending his race. Although he qualified in 22nd place for the Italian Grand Prix
, Pryce finished 12 places higher. However, the season ended miserably, with an engine failure in Canada
, and the Shadow severely off the pace in America
. At the end of the season Pryce was equal 18th in the Drivers' Championship with Graham Hill
and Vittorio Brambilla
.
1975
At the start of the 1975 season
, Pryce's future was subject to much speculation. Rumour linked him with a drive at Lotus, the team run by Colin Chapman
, who had been keeping an eye on Pryce's progress throughout 1973 and 1974. At the time, Lotus was experiencing financial difficulties and reports suggested that Shadow and Lotus would swap Pryce and Swede
Ronnie Peterson
. The trade was viewed as a good acquisition for both teams, as Pryce was considered a driver of the same ability as Peterson, but would cost Lotus less, while Peterson could attract sponsorship to the relatively new Shadow team. The deal never materialised, however, although Shadow team manager Alan Rees
claims that it came very close to being completed.
Pryce's Shadow team mate, Jean-Pierre Jarier
, outqualified him in the early part of the 1975 season, as the French driver had the new Shadow DN5 car, while Pryce was in the older DN3. It was not until the third round, the South African Grand Prix
, that Pryce was able to use a DN5. The team's fourth race of the season was the non-championship Race of Champions
held at Brands Hatch
. Pryce qualified on pole position and, following a poor start, passed Peterson and Jacky Ickx
before closing an eight second gap to race leader Jody Scheckter, whose engine failed while Pryce harried him, letting Pryce through to become the first Welshman to win a Formula One race. Pryce showed other signs of promise during the season, most notably in Monaco
and Britain
where he qualified on the front row of the grid, the latter being in pole position. Pryce also achieved his first World Championship podium finish, in extremely wet conditions at the Austrian Grand Prix
and finished in the points four more times. The highest of those came in Germany
where he finished fourth, despite the fact that fuel had been leaking into the cockpit of his DN5 during the final laps around the Nürburgring
, reportedly "searing his skin and almost blinding him with fumes". The Welshman later received the Prix Rouge et Blanc Jo Siffert award, named after the Swiss Formula One driver
, for this achievement.
1976
Prior to the start of the 1976 season
, Pryce and Dave Richards
, future head of the Prodrive
motorsports engineering company, entered a Lancia
Stratos
in the Tour of Epynt, a rally
event contested by many established rallying names. Unfortunately for Pryce, he crashed into a bridge only 10 miles (16.1 km) into the first stage, but he still competed in the afternoon stages after his car was rebuilt.
Once the Formula One World Championship season got under way Pryce instantly added a second podium finish to his tally, at the first round in Brazil
. This came at the expense of continuing team mate Jarier, who was caught out by oil on the track from James Hunt's McLaren. Both Shadows enjoyed reasonable competitiveness during the next two races at Kyalami
and Long Beach
. However, changes in car regulations, meaning that teams had to lower their airboxes and mount the cars' rear wings further forward, along with revised Goodyear
tyres, meant the Shadow DN5B lost much of its competitiveness although Pryce achieved a second points scoring finish of the season in Britain
. The new Shadow DN8 was not introduced until the twelfth round at Zandvoort
, where Pryce qualified the new car in third, and finished the race only one place lower in fourth: it would be the last points scoring finish of Pryce's career. The Welshman finished his last full season 12th in the Drivers' Championship with 10 points, 59 points behind World Champion James Hunt.
1977
Jarier left Shadow before the start of the 1977 Formula One season
, for ATS
, and was replaced by Italian
Renzo Zorzi
. Zorzi was later rated by Jackie Oliver
, who was part of the managerial team at Shadow, as "the worst driver we [the Shadow team] ever had". However, the new signing brought in sponsorship from Italy, easing Shadow's financial position. Pryce started the first race of the year in Argentina
in ninth place and stayed with the leading group until a gear linkage failure on the 45th lap of the 52 lap race. Following a long pit stop to fix the fault, he was not classified. Pryce qualified 12th for the second round in Brazil
, but on lap 34 retired from the race, while running in second place, as the result of an engine failure.
at Kyalami
, by setting the fastest time in the Wednesday practice session, held in wet weather. Pryce posted a time of 1 minute 31.57 seconds with the next best, the eventual 1977 World Champion Niki Lauda
, a full second slower. The weather dried up prior to the Thursday session, and he slipped back down the grid to fifteenth place, almost two seconds slower than James Hunt's pole position time.
The Welshman's DN8 made a poor start to the Grand Prix and by the end of the first lap was in last place. Pryce started to climb back up the field during the next couple of laps, overtaking Brett Lunger
and team mate Renzo Zorzi
on lap two, and Alex Ribeiro
and Boy Hayje
the following lap. By lap 18 Pryce had moved from 22nd to 13th place.
On lap 21, Zorzi pulled off to the left side of the main straight, just after a brow of a hill and a bridge over the track. The Italian was having problems with his fuel metering unit
, and fuel was pumping directly onto the engine, which then caught fire. Zorzi did not immediately get out of his car as he was experiencing trouble in disconnecting the oxygen pipe from his helmet.
The situation caused two marshals from the pit wall on the opposite side of track to intervene. The first marshal to cross the track was a 25-year old panel beater
named William (Bill). The second was 19-year old Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren, commonly known as Jansen Van Vuuren, who was carrying a 40 lb
fire extinguisher
. George Witt, the chief pit marshal for the race, said that the policy of the circuit was that in circumstances involving fires, two marshals must attend and a further two act as back-up in case their extinguishers were not effective enough. Witt also recalled that both Bill and Van Vuuren crossed the track without prior permission. The former made it safely across the track, the latter did not. As the two young men started to run across the track, four cars driven by Hans-Joachim Stuck, Pryce, Jacques Laffite
and Gunnar Nilsson
were exiting the final corner and coming onto the main straight.
Pryce was directly behind Stuck's car along the main straight, Stuck himself sensed Van Vuuren and moved to the right to avoid both marshals, missing Bill by what Tremayne reports to have been a matter of "millimetres". From his position directly behind Stuck, Pryce could not see Van Vuuren and was unable to react as quickly as Stuck had done. He struck the teenage marshal at approximately 270 km/h (170 mph). Van Vuuren was thrown into the air and landed yards in front of Zorzi and Bill. He died upon impact, his body being literally torn in half by Pryce's car. The fire extinguisher he had been carrying smashed into Pryce's head, before striking the Shadow's roll hoop. The force of the impact was such that the extinguisher was thrown up and over the adjacent grandstand. It came to ground in the car park to the rear of the stand, where it hit a parked car and jammed its door shut.
The impact with the fire extinguisher had wrenched Pryce's helmet upward sharply, and he had been partially decapitated by the strap. Death was almost certainly instantaneous. Pryce's Shadow DN8, now with its driver dead at the wheel, continued at speed down the main straight towards the first corner, called Crowthorne. The car left the track towards the right, scraping the metal barriers before veering back onto the track after hitting an entrance for emergency vehicles. It then hit Jacques Laffite's Ligier, sending both Pryce and Laffite head on into the barriers. Van Vuuren's injuries were so severe that, initially, his body was only identified after the race director had summoned all of the race marshals and he was not among them.
The eventual race winner was Austria
n Niki Lauda, this being his first win since his near fatal accident during the 1976 German Grand Prix
. At first he announced it was the greatest victory of his career, but when told on the victory podium of Pryce's death, he said that "there was no joy after that".
, near Sevenoaks
, Kent
, the same church where he and Nella were married two years earlier.
Pryce's performances in a Formula One car had earned him a lot of respect among the F1 paddock. Most notable was David Tremayne, who named his son after the Welshman. An award was also instigated in Pryce's name, the Tom Pryce Award also known as the Tom Pryce Trophy, given annually to Welsh personalities having made an outstanding contribution to motoring or transport.
During its re-design the Anglesey Circuit
in North Wales named the Tom Pryce Straight after a request from Ruthin Town Council. A Trust was established in 2006 to create a memorial to Pryce in Ruthin. A local artist was commissioned by Ruthin Town Council in 2008 to design an 8' by 4' plaque and in February 2009, an auction of Formula One pit passes to fund its manufacture was announced. The memorial was unveiled on the 11 June 2009, on what would have been Pryce's 60th birthday.
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
racing driver, famous for winning the Brands Hatch Race of Champions
Race of Champions (Brands Hatch)
The Race of Champions was a non-championship Formula One motor race held at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, United Kingdom between 1965 and 1979, and again in 1983. It often attracted high quality entries from the Formula One World Championship. The first race was won by Mike Spence...
, a non-championship Formula One
Formula One
Formula One, also known as Formula 1 or F1 and referred to officially as the FIA Formula One World Championship, is the highest class of single seater auto racing sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile . The "formula" designation in the name refers to a set of rules with which...
race, in 1975 and for the circumstances surrounding his death. Pryce is the only Welsh
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
driver to have won a Formula One race and is also the only Welshman to lead a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix: two laps of the 1975 British Grand Prix
1975 British Grand Prix
The 1975 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 19, 1975. It was the 30th British Grand Prix to be held since the race was first held in 1926 and the 17th time the race had been held at Silverstone...
.
Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token
Token (Racing team)
Token was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. They participated in four Grands Prix, entering a total of four cars.The Token was intended to be the car with which Rondel Racing, the successful Formula Two team founded by Ron Dennis and Neil Trundle, would graduate to F1 racing...
team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix
1974 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1974 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nivelles on May 12, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Clay Regazzoni - 1:09.82*Fastest lap: Denny Hulme - 1:11.31 on lap 37-Standings after the race:...
. Shortly after an impressive performance at the Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix
1974 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1974 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 26, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:26.3*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:27.9 on lap 57-Standings after the race:...
, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany
1974 German Grand Prix
The 1974 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on August 4, 1974. It was the 36th German Grand Prix and the 33rd to be held at the Nürburgring complex of circuits. The race was won by Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni driving a Ferrari 312B3...
in only his fourth race. Pryce later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria
1975 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1975 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 17, 1975. It was the eighth Austrian Grand Prix and the sixth to be held at the Österreichring. It was held over 29 of the scheduled 54 laps of the six kilometre circuit for a race distance of 171 kilometres...
in 1975 and the second in Brazil
1976 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil on January 25, 1976. The race was contested over 40 laps and was the opening round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race was won by defending World Champion, Niki Lauda, who drove a Ferrari car...
a year later. Pryce was considered by his team as a great wet weather driver. During the practice session for the 1977 South African GP, run in wet conditions, Pryce was faster than everyone, including world champion drivers Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
and James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
. Pryce's third full season at Shadow was cut short by his fatal accident at the 1977 South African Grand Prix
1977 South African Grand Prix
The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 5 March 1977. The race is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce...
, where he collided at high speed with safety marshal Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren.
In 2007, it was announced that a statue of Pryce would be erected in his home town of Ruthin
Ruthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
by the local council to mark the 30th anniversary of his death. On 23 January 2008, the Trust Fund members met in the Ruthin Castle Hotel, under the chairmanship of David Richards (Prodrive), to discuss the progress of the intended memorial to be placed in Upper Clwyd Street in Ruthin. The memorial was unveiled on the 11 June 2009.
Personal and early life
Tom Pryce was born on 11 June 1949 in RuthinRuthin
Ruthin is a community and the county town of Denbighshire in north Wales. Located around a hill in the southern part of the Vale of Clwyd - the older part of the town, the castle and Saint Peter's Square are located on top of the hill, while many newer parts of the town are on the floodplain of...
, Denbighshire
Denbighshire
Denbighshire is a county in north-east Wales. It is named after the historic county of Denbighshire, but has substantially different borders. Denbighshire has the distinction of being the oldest inhabited part of Wales. Pontnewydd Palaeolithic site has remains of Neanderthals from 225,000 years...
, Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
to Jack and Gwyneth Pryce. Jack had worked in the Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, as a tailgunner on a Lancaster bomber
Avro Lancaster
The Avro Lancaster is a British four-engined Second World War heavy bomber made initially by Avro for the Royal Air Force . It first saw active service in 1942, and together with the Handley Page Halifax it was one of the main heavy bombers of the RAF, the RCAF, and squadrons from other...
, before joining the local police force. Gwyneth was a district nurse
District nurse
District Nurses are senior nurses who manage care within the community, leading teams of community nurses and support workers. Typically much of their work involves visiting house-bound patients to provide advice and care, for example, palliative care, wound management, catheter and continence...
. Pryce's older brother, David, died at the age of three leaving Tom an only child for much of the time he was growing up, although his parents did foster a young girl called Sandra for a while.
Pryce took an interest in cars while driving a baker's van at the age of 10, before informing his parents that he wanted to be a racing driver. However, during an interview with Alan Henry
Alan Henry
Alan Henry is a Grand Prix reporter, working since the early 1970s. He is the Formula One correspondent of the Guardian newspaper and currently holds the title of Editor at Large of F1 Racing magazine. Henry is also the chief editor of the yearly Autocourse Formula One season review books, a...
in 1975, he stated that he had wanted to become a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, but thought he was not intelligent enough. Like many future Formula One drivers, Pryce had a childhood racing hero. In his case it was Lotus'
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
Scottish
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
driver Jim Clark
Jim Clark
James "Jim" Clark, Jr OBE was a British Formula One racing driver from Scotland, who won two World Championships, in 1963 and 1965....
. Pryce's mother recalled that he was very upset when Clark died at the Hockenheimring
Hockenheimring
The Hockenheimring Baden-Württemberg is an automobile racing track situated near the town of Hockenheim in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, located on Bertha Benz Memorial Route. Amongst other motor racing events, it biennially hosts the Formula One German Grand Prix...
in April 1968. His father also noted that "he was very upset when Jochen Rindt
Jochen Rindt
Karl Jochen Rindt was a German racing driver who represented Austria during his career. He is the only driver to posthumously win the Formula One World Drivers' Championship , after being killed in practice for the Italian Grand Prix...
was killed, too". After he left school at 16, Pryce's mother insisted on him taking an apprenticeship as a tractor mechanic at Llandrillo Technical College, giving him "something to fall back on", as she put it, if his career as a racing driver was not successful.
In 1975 Pryce married Fenella, more commonly known as Nella, whom he met at a disco in Otford
Otford
Otford is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent known for its classically British countryside. The village is located on the River Darent, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs...
in 1973. Following the death of her husband, Nella went on to run an antiques store in Fulham
Fulham
Fulham is an area of southwest London in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, SW6 located south west of Charing Cross. It lies on the left bank of the Thames, between Putney and Chelsea. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
with Janet Brise, Tony Brise
Tony Brise
Anthony William Brise was a British racing driver from England. He won two of the three British Formula Three Championships in 1973...
's widow.
Helmet design
Tom Pryce's helmet design was, in comparison to later drivers', simple and constrained. His helmet was plain white all over until 1970, when Pryce was racing at Castle CombeCastle Combe Circuit
Castle Combe Circuit is a motor racing circuit in Wiltshire, England, approximately from Bristol. The circuit used to be the perimeter track of a World War II airfield, and opened to racing in 1950.- History :...
his father asked Tom to make his helmet stand out more so that he could identify easily him in a pack of cars. Pryce added five black vertical lines to his helmet, placed just above his visor. From that time the only change to this design was the addition of a Welsh flag
Flag of Wales
The Flag of Wales consists of a red dragon passant on a green and white field. As with many heraldic charges, the exact representation of the dragon is not standardised and many renderings exist....
to the side of his helmet in 1974. Goodyear
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
was the only sponsor name ever to appear on Pryce's helmet.
1969–1971: Early years
Pryce's first steps into motor racing came at the Mallory ParkMallory Park
Mallory Park is a motor racing circuit situated in the village of Kirkby Mallory, just off the A47, between Leicester and Hinckley. With the full car circuit measuring only 1.35 miles it is amongst the shortest permanent race circuits in the UK...
circuit in Leicestershire
Leicestershire
Leicestershire is a landlocked county in the English Midlands. It takes its name from the heavily populated City of Leicester, traditionally its administrative centre, although the City of Leicester unitary authority is today administered separately from the rest of Leicestershire...
when he was 20 years old. Pryce was put through his paces by Trevor Taylor
Trevor Taylor
Trevor Taylor was a British motor racing driver from England.Born in Sheffield, the son of a garage owner from Rotherham, Taylor was the product of the later period of 500cc Formula 3 racing, initially using a Staride and later Cooper Norton...
, an ex-Team Lotus
Team Lotus
Team Lotus was the motorsport sister company of English sports car manufacturer Lotus Cars. The team ran cars in many motorsport series including Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Ford, Formula Junior, IndyCar and sports car racing...
driver and old team mate of Pryce's childhood hero Clark. He later became a star in the Formula 5000
Formula 5000
Formula 5000 was an open wheel, single seater auto-racing formula that ran in different series in various regions around the world from 1968 to 1982. It was originally intended as a low-cost series aimed at open-wheel racing cars that no longer fit into any particular formula...
series. From there, Pryce went on to compete in the Daily Express
Daily Express
The Daily Express switched from broadsheet to tabloid in 1977 and was bought by the construction company Trafalgar House in the same year. Its publishing company, Beaverbrook Newspapers, was renamed Express Newspapers...
Crusader Championship, a series run by Motor Racing Stables for racing school pupils using Lotus 51 Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
cars. Races alternated between the Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
and Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
circuits, Pryce made his debut at the former. "The races were £
Pound sterling
The pound sterling , commonly called the pound, is the official currency of the United Kingdom, its Crown Dependencies and the British Overseas Territories of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, British Antarctic Territory and Tristan da Cunha. It is subdivided into 100 pence...
35 a time. But I sold my Mini
Mini
The Mini is a small car that was made by the British Motor Corporation and its successors from 1959 until 2000. The original is considered a British icon of the 1960s, and its space-saving front-wheel-drive layout influenced a generation of car-makers...
and my parents offered all the help and encouragement I could wish for" Pryce recalled to Alan Henry
Alan Henry
Alan Henry is a Grand Prix reporter, working since the early 1970s. He is the Formula One correspondent of the Guardian newspaper and currently holds the title of Editor at Large of F1 Racing magazine. Henry is also the chief editor of the yearly Autocourse Formula One season review books, a...
.
The prize for the overall winner of the series was a Formula Ford
Formula Ford
Formula Ford is a single seater, open wheel class in motorsport which exists in some form in many countries around the world. It is an entry-level series to motor racing....
Lola T200 worth £1,500. The series was decided at the last round, held at Silverstone
Silverstone Circuit
Silverstone Circuit is an English motor racing circuit next to the Northamptonshire villages of Silverstone and Whittlebury. The circuit straddles the Northamptonshire and Buckinghamshire border, with the current main circuit entry on the Buckinghamshire side...
, the day before the 1970 Formula One International Trophy. Pryce qualified on the third row for the race, which was held in rainy weather. Jack Pryce remembered that his son was rubbing his hands in delight: "he always loved racing in the rain". The early part of the race was led by a driver called Chris Smith but then heavy rain started and Pryce was able to catch up to Smith and overtake him before winning the race by a comfortable margin. He was given his prize Lola by Sir Max Aitken
Sir Max Aitken, 2nd Baronet
Sir John William Maxwell "Max" Aitken, 2nd Baronet, DSO, DFC , formerly 2nd Baron Beaverbrook, was a British Conservative politician and press baron, the son of Max Aitken, 1st Baron Beaverbrook....
.
Pryce took his new car to Brands Hatch, where he was allowed to house it in one of the old stables at the bottom of the paddock. Pryce soon abandoned his farming career and moved to a guesthouse in West Kingsdown
West Kingsdown
West Kingsdown is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent, England. The parish is located on the North Downs, north of Sevenoaks town, within the London Commuter Belt...
, near the Brands Hatch circuit. Pryce continued to make a name for himself during 1971, entering a new twin-seater Sportscar category called Formula F100, which he won with what was described by motorsports author David Tremayne
David Tremayne
David Tremayne is a UK based motor racing journalist. He has written extensively about the Land Speed Record.He is the Formula One correspondent for The Independent...
as "embarrassing ease". He then moved up to Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee
Formula Super Vee was a type of open-wheel motor created to act as a platform for the promotion of VW products, playing much the same role in the 1970s as formulae such as Formula Renault play today. The idea for Formula Super Vee is generally attributed to Josef Hopen, who worked as the Special...
, driving the then choice car a Royale RP9, for Team Rumsey Investments, and soon made his Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
debut for the same manufacturer at Brands Hatch.
1972–1973: Lower Formulae
In that race at Brands Hatch, Pryce took an unfancied Royale RP11 to first place in the Formula Three support race for the 1972 Formula One Race of ChampionsRace of Champions (Brands Hatch)
The Race of Champions was a non-championship Formula One motor race held at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, United Kingdom between 1965 and 1979, and again in 1983. It often attracted high quality entries from the Formula One World Championship. The first race was won by Mike Spence...
against many established Formula Three drivers such as Roger Williamson
Roger Williamson
Roger Williamson was a British racing driver who died during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort Circuit in the Netherlands.-Biography:...
, Jochen Mass
Jochen Mass
Jochen Richard Mass is a former race car driver from Germany.He participated in 114 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on July 14, 1973 at the British Grand Prix...
and James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
. So large was Pryce's advantage at the end of the race, many of the other teams voiced an opinion that Pryce's car had run the race underweight, although it turned out that the circuit's weighbridge certificate had expired and everyone's cars had in fact been underweight. Pryce retired from the leading group in the following two rounds at Oulton Park
Oulton Park
Oulton Park Circuit is a motor racing track in the small village of Little Budworth, Cheshire, England. It is about from Winsford, from Chester city centre, from Northwich and from Warrington with a nearby rail connection along the Mid-Cheshire Line. It occupies much of the area which was...
and Zandvoort
Zandvoort
Zandvoort is a municipality and a town in the Netherlands, in the province of North Holland.Zandvoort is one of the major beach resorts of the Netherlands; it has a long sandy beach, bordered by coastal dunes...
, and then during practice for the support race of the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix
1972 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1972 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 14, 1972. This was the last race on the original Monaco circuit, before the swimming pool was installed and the tunnel was lengthened...
his car came to a stop at Casino Square after a wire had come loose. He had exited his car to correct the problem when Peter Lamplough lost control of his car and struck the Royale RP11. Pryce was knocked into a shop window and broke a leg.
The Welshman was back in action two weeks after his incident in Monaco. Pryce also ran in the Formula SuperVee series, winning the series by a comfortable margin, "I won just about every race I went in for" Pryce recalled. A run with Royale's Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic
Formula Atlantic is a specification of open wheel racing car developed in the 1970s. It was used in professional racing through the IMSA Atlantic Championship until 2009 and is currently primarily used in amateur racing through Sports Car Club of America Formula Atlantic.-History:The history of...
works team was also in store for Pryce during 1972, where he took pole position
Pole position
The term "pole position", as used in motorsports, comes from the horse racing term where the number one starter starts on the inside next to the inside pole. The term made its way, along with several other customs, to auto racing. In circuit motorsports, a driver has pole position when he or she...
for the final three rounds of the championship and won the final round at Brands Hatch.
He continued racing in Formula Atlantic in 1973, winning three races. Royale soon had plans to enter Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
, such was the Welshman's talent. The ambition to run in the Formula Two championship was planned to be financially fuelled by a Liechtenstein
Liechtenstein
The Principality of Liechtenstein is a doubly landlocked alpine country in Central Europe, bordered by Switzerland to the west and south and by Austria to the east. Its area is just over , and it has an estimated population of 35,000. Its capital is Vaduz. The biggest town is Schaan...
driver Manfred Schurti. However, these plans only resulted in one of Royale's F2 cars being built before the project was scrapped and Bob King, the head of Royale, leaving the company.
Following an invitation to test one of his cars, Pryce found himself racing in the Formula Two series with Ron Dennis
Ron Dennis
Ronald "Ron" Dennis CBE is the executive chairman of McLaren Automotive and McLaren Group, and is also a significant shareholder in both companies...
' Rondel Racing
Rondel Racing
Rondel Racing was a British racing team that competed in the Formula Two series between 1971 and 1973. The team was founded by two ex-Brabham mechanics Ron Dennis and Neil Trundle...
outfit, his best result for the team came at the Norisring
Norisring
The Norisring is a street circuit in Nuremberg, on the former Nazi party rally grounds site of the NSDAP party conventions. As the city's German name Nürnberg would lead to confusion with the already famous Nürburgring, the old name Noris was chosen for the simple track which is nowadays approx...
where he was leading the race until a brake failure meant he had to give up first place to team mate Tim Schenken
Tim Schenken
Timothy "Tim" Theodore Schenken is a former racing driver from Sydney, Australia. He participated in 36 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 August 1970. He achieved 1 podium, and scored a total of 7 championship points...
. At the end of 1973, Pryce won the Grovewood award for his efforts during the year. Jack Pryce recalled that his son did not want to win the award, as he thought it was "a jinx on a driver's career".
1974: Token
At the age of 25, Pryce graduated to Formula One, the highest category of circuit racing defined by the Fédération Internationale de l'AutomobileFédération Internationale de l'Automobile
The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is a non-profit association established as the Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users...
(FIA), motorsport's world governing body, joining the newly formed Token Racing
Token (Racing team)
Token was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. They participated in four Grands Prix, entering a total of four cars.The Token was intended to be the car with which Rondel Racing, the successful Formula Two team founded by Ron Dennis and Neil Trundle, would graduate to F1 racing...
team. The team itself was created by Tony Vlassopulos and Ken Grob after the original Token team closed down in 1973 due to a lack of financial backing which had led to the end of the previous Rondel Racing outfit. Pryce was given the seat thanks to his backing from Titan Properties and, what David Tremayne described as, "evident promise". Pryce made his debut for the team at the BRDC International Trophy
BRDC International Trophy
The International Trophy is a prize awarded annually by the British Racing Drivers' Club to the winner of a motor race held at the Silverstone Circuit, England...
, a non-championship Formula One event held at Silverstone, but lack of an airbox
Airbox
Motorcyclists and car enthusiasts use the term airbox for what might more properly be described as an air intake chamber. Older engines drew air directly from the surroundings into each individual carburetor...
and an engine cover, along with his shortage of experience in the car, made him the slowest driver of the 16 competitors during qualifying: 26 seconds slower than James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
's Hesketh in pole position. The Welshman retired 15 laps into the race with a gear linkage problem. Pryce's World Championship debut came at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix
1974 Belgian Grand Prix
The 1974 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nivelles on May 12, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Clay Regazzoni - 1:09.82*Fastest lap: Denny Hulme - 1:11.31 on lap 37-Standings after the race:...
, where he qualified in 20th place, 3 seconds slower than the fastest time set by Clay Regazzoni
Clay Regazzoni
Gianclaudio Giuseppe "Clay" Regazzoni was a Swiss racing car driver. He competed in Formula One races from 1970 to 1980, winning five Grands Prix. His first win was the Italian Grand Prix at Monza in his debut season, driving for Ferrari. He remained with the Italian team until...
. Once again, he failed to finish, completing 66 laps before retiring after a collision with Jody Scheckter
Jody Scheckter
Jody David Scheckter is a South African former auto racing driver, the Formula One World Drivers Champion.-Career:Scheckter was born in East London, South Africa and educated at Selborne College.-Formula One:...
's Tyrrell
Tyrrell Racing
The Tyrrell Racing Organisation was an auto racing team and Formula One constructor founded by Ken Tyrrell which started racing in 1958 and started building its own cars in 1970. The team experienced its greatest success in the early 1970s, when it won three drivers' championships and one...
left the RJ02's front-left wishbone
Double wishbone suspension
In automobiles, a double wishbone suspension is an independent suspension design using two wishbone-shaped arms to locate the wheel. Each wishbone or arm has two mounting points to the chassis and one joint at the knuckle. The shock absorber and coil spring mount to the wishbones to control...
broken.
Pryce was refused entry to the 1974 Monaco Formula One Grand Prix
1974 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1974 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 26, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:26.3*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:27.9 on lap 57-Standings after the race:...
, as he was deemed "inexperienced". Instead, Pryce took part in the supporting Formula Three
Formula Three
Formula Three, also called Formula 3 or F3, is a class of open-wheel formula racing. The various championships held in Europe, Australia, South America and Asia form an important step for many prospective Formula One drivers...
race, driving for Ippokampos Racing, in a March
March Engineering
March Engineering was a Formula One constructor and manufacturer of customer racing cars from the United Kingdom. Although only moderately successful in Grand Prix competition, March racing cars enjoyed much better achievement in other categories of competition including Formula Two, Formula Three,...
743, which he won by 20.8 seconds.
1974–1977: Shadow
1974Following his impressive drive in Monaco, and a short spell
1974 European Formula Two season
The 1974 European Formula Two season was contested over 10 rounds.-Calendar:Note:Race 2, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 were held in two heats, with results shown in aggregate....
in Formula Two
Formula Two
Formula Two, abbreviated to F2, is a type of open wheel formula racing. It was replaced by Formula 3000 in 1985, but the FIA announced in 2008 that Formula Two would return for 2009 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship...
, Pryce was signed by Shadow as replacement for Brian Redman
Brian Redman
Brian Herman Thomas Redman is a British racing driver from England....
, who had in turn replaced the late Peter Revson
Peter Revson
Peter Jeffrey Revson was an American race car driver who had successes in Formula One and the Indianapolis 500.-Background:Peter Revson was born in New York City, the son of Julie and Martin Revson....
. Pryce made his debut for the team at Zandvoort
1974 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1974 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on June 23, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:18.31*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:21.44 on lap 63...
; retiring on the first lap after a collision with Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans Joachim Stuck
Hans-Joachim Stuck , nicknamed "Strietzel", is a German racing driver who has competed in Formula One and many other categories. He is the son of the legendary Hans Stuck. As a young boy, his father taught him driving on the Nürburgring. In 1969 he started his first ever motor race at the...
. Pryce qualified fourth in his second Grand Prix for the team in France
1974 French Grand Prix
The 1974 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on July 7, 1974.- Race summary :To honor the 80th birthday of the ACF, a parade of vintage cars was organized with a selection of great drivers from the 20s and 30s up to the present day. The race itself was largely uneventful...
, but a collision with James Hunt
James Hunt
James Simon Wallis Hunt was a British racing driver from England who won the Formula One World Championship in . Hunt's often action packed exploits on track earned him the nickname "Hunt the Shunt." After retiring from driving, Hunt became a media commentator and businessman...
meant yet another early exit. Later in the season, Pryce received 100 bottles of champagne for finishing fastest in the practice session for his home Grand Prix
1974 British Grand Prix
The 1974 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 20 July 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:19.7*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:21.1 on lap 25...
at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
. He went on to qualify on the fourth row of the starting grid.
Pryce scored the first point of his career in the 1974 German Grand Prix
1974 German Grand Prix
The 1974 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on August 4, 1974. It was the 36th German Grand Prix and the 33rd to be held at the Nürburgring complex of circuits. The race was won by Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni driving a Ferrari 312B3...
, after finishing 6th from 11th on the grid, he then qualified in 16th for the next Grand Prix in Austria
1974 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1974 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 18, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:35.40*Fastest lap: Clay Regazzoni - 1:37.22 on lap 46-Standings after the race:...
, but spun off on lap 22, ending his race. Although he qualified in 22nd place for the Italian Grand Prix
1974 Italian Grand Prix
The 1974 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 8, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:33.16*Fastest lap: Carlos Pace - 1:34.2 on lap 46...
, Pryce finished 12 places higher. However, the season ended miserably, with an engine failure in Canada
1974 Canadian Grand Prix
The 1974 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on September 22, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:13.188*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:13.659 on lap 60*First race: Penske...
, and the Shadow severely off the pace in America
1974 United States Grand Prix
The 1974 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 6, 1974, at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:...
. At the end of the season Pryce was equal 18th in the Drivers' Championship with Graham Hill
Graham Hill
Norman Graham Hill was a British racing driver and two-time Formula One World Champion. He is the only driver to win the Triple Crown of Motorsport — the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Indianapolis 500 and Formula One World Championship.Graham Hill and his son Damon are the only father and son pair both to...
and Vittorio Brambilla
Vittorio Brambilla
Vittorio Brambilla was a Formula One driver from Italy who raced for the March, Surtees and Alfa Romeo teams. Particularly adept at driving in wet conditions, his nickname was "The Monza Gorilla", due to his often overly aggressive driving style and sense of machismo.-Career:Born in the town of...
.
1975
1975 Formula One season
The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races...
, Pryce's future was subject to much speculation. Rumour linked him with a drive at Lotus, the team run by Colin Chapman
Colin Chapman
Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman CBE was an influential British designer, inventor, and builder in the automotive industry, and founder of Lotus Cars....
, who had been keeping an eye on Pryce's progress throughout 1973 and 1974. At the time, Lotus was experiencing financial difficulties and reports suggested that Shadow and Lotus would swap Pryce and Swede
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Ronnie Peterson
Ronnie Peterson
Bengt Ronnie Peterson was a Swedish racing driver. He was a two-time runner-up in the FIA Formula One World Drivers' Championship.Peterson began his motor racing career in kart racing, traditionally the discipline where the majority of race drivers begin their careers in open-wheel racing...
. The trade was viewed as a good acquisition for both teams, as Pryce was considered a driver of the same ability as Peterson, but would cost Lotus less, while Peterson could attract sponsorship to the relatively new Shadow team. The deal never materialised, however, although Shadow team manager Alan Rees
Alan Rees
Alan Rees is a British former racing driver from Wales. He participated in three World Championship Grands Prix in the 1960s, although two of those appearances were driving Formula 2 cars...
claims that it came very close to being completed.
Pryce's Shadow team mate, Jean-Pierre Jarier
Jean-Pierre Jarier
Jean-Pierre Jacques Jarier is a French Grand Prix racing driver, now retired. He was born at Charenton-le-Pont, near Paris, and is regarded as one of the finest drivers never to win a Grand Prix....
, outqualified him in the early part of the 1975 season, as the French driver had the new Shadow DN5 car, while Pryce was in the older DN3. It was not until the third round, the South African Grand Prix
1975 South African Grand Prix
The 1975 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 1, 1975. It was the 21st South African Grand Prix since the first Grand Prix was held in 1934 and the ninth to be held at Kyalami just outside of Johannesburg...
, that Pryce was able to use a DN5. The team's fourth race of the season was the non-championship Race of Champions
Race of Champions (Brands Hatch)
The Race of Champions was a non-championship Formula One motor race held at the Brands Hatch circuit in Kent, United Kingdom between 1965 and 1979, and again in 1983. It often attracted high quality entries from the Formula One World Championship. The first race was won by Mike Spence...
held at Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch
Brands Hatch is a motor racing circuit near West Kingsdown in Kent, England. First used as a dirt track motorcycle circuit on farmland, it hosted 12 runnings of the British Grand Prix between 1964 and 1986 and currently holds many British and international racing events...
. Pryce qualified on pole position and, following a poor start, passed Peterson and Jacky Ickx
Jacky Ickx
Jacques Bernard "Jacky" Ickx is a Belgian former racing driver who achieved 25 podium finishes in Formula One and six wins in the 24 hours of Le Mans.- Racing career :...
before closing an eight second gap to race leader Jody Scheckter, whose engine failed while Pryce harried him, letting Pryce through to become the first Welshman to win a Formula One race. Pryce showed other signs of promise during the season, most notably in Monaco
1975 Monaco Grand Prix
The 1975 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held in Monaco on May 11, 1975. It was the fifth race of the 1975 Formula One season. It was the 33rd Monaco Grand Prix since the race was first held in 1929...
and Britain
1975 British Grand Prix
The 1975 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 19, 1975. It was the 30th British Grand Prix to be held since the race was first held in 1926 and the 17th time the race had been held at Silverstone...
where he qualified on the front row of the grid, the latter being in pole position. Pryce also achieved his first World Championship podium finish, in extremely wet conditions at the Austrian Grand Prix
1975 Austrian Grand Prix
The 1975 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 17, 1975. It was the eighth Austrian Grand Prix and the sixth to be held at the Österreichring. It was held over 29 of the scheduled 54 laps of the six kilometre circuit for a race distance of 171 kilometres...
and finished in the points four more times. The highest of those came in Germany
1975 German Grand Prix
The 1975 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on August 3, 1975. It was the 37th German Grand Prix and the 34th to be held at the Nürburgring. The race was held over 14 laps of the 22 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 319 kilometres.The race was won by...
where he finished fourth, despite the fact that fuel had been leaking into the cockpit of his DN5 during the final laps around the Nürburgring
Nürburgring
The Nürburgring is a motorsport complex around the village of Nürburg, Germany. It features a modern Grand Prix race track built in 1984, and a much longer old North loop track which was built in the 1920s around the village and medieval castle of Nürburg in the Eifel mountains. It is located about...
, reportedly "searing his skin and almost blinding him with fumes". The Welshman later received the Prix Rouge et Blanc Jo Siffert award, named after the Swiss Formula One driver
Jo Siffert
Joseph Siffert was a Swiss racing driver.Affectionately known as "Seppi" to his family and close friends, Siffert was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, the son of a dairy owner...
, for this achievement.
1976
1976 Formula One season
The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on October 24 after sixteen races...
, Pryce and Dave Richards
David Richards (racing)
David Pender Richards CBE is the chairman of Prodrive and Aston Martin, and a former team principal of the BAR and Benetton Formula One motor racing teams. He lives with his wife, Karen, in Warwickshire and has three children....
, future head of the Prodrive
Prodrive
Prodrive is a British motorsport and automotive engineering group based in Banbury, Oxfordshire, England. It designs, constructs and races cars for companies and teams such as Subaru, Aston Martin and Ford...
motorsports engineering company, entered a Lancia
Lancia
Lancia Automobiles S.p.A. is an Italian automobile manufacturer founded in 1906 by Vincenzo Lancia and which became part of the Fiat Group in 1969. The company has a long history of producing distinctive cars and also has a strong rally heritage. Some modern Lancias are seen as presenting a more...
Stratos
Lancia Stratos
The Lancia Stratos HF, widely and more simply known as Lancia Stratos, is a car made by Italian car manufacturer Lancia. The HF stands for High Fidelity...
in the Tour of Epynt, a rally
Rallying
Rallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
event contested by many established rallying names. Unfortunately for Pryce, he crashed into a bridge only 10 miles (16.1 km) into the first stage, but he still competed in the afternoon stages after his car was rebuilt.
Once the Formula One World Championship season got under way Pryce instantly added a second podium finish to his tally, at the first round in Brazil
1976 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil on January 25, 1976. The race was contested over 40 laps and was the opening round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race was won by defending World Champion, Niki Lauda, who drove a Ferrari car...
. This came at the expense of continuing team mate Jarier, who was caught out by oil on the track from James Hunt's McLaren. Both Shadows enjoyed reasonable competitiveness during the next two races at Kyalami
1976 South African Grand Prix
The 1976 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 6, 1976. The race, which was the second round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Niki Lauda in a Ferrari car who increased his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 12 points by taking his third...
and Long Beach
1976 United States Grand Prix West
The 1976 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 28, 1976 in Long Beach, California. The race, which was the third round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari car whilst his teammate Niki Lauda finished second, and therefore...
. However, changes in car regulations, meaning that teams had to lower their airboxes and mount the cars' rear wings further forward, along with revised Goodyear
Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company
The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company was founded in 1898 by Frank Seiberling. Goodyear manufactures tires for automobiles, commercial trucks, light trucks, SUVs, race cars, airplanes, farm equipment and heavy earth-mover machinery....
tyres, meant the Shadow DN5B lost much of its competitiveness although Pryce achieved a second points scoring finish of the season in Britain
1976 British Grand Prix
The 1976 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 18, 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, UK. It was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season....
. The new Shadow DN8 was not introduced until the twelfth round at Zandvoort
1976 Dutch Grand Prix
The 1976 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 29, 1976. It was won by British driver James Hunt driving a McLaren M23.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings...
, where Pryce qualified the new car in third, and finished the race only one place lower in fourth: it would be the last points scoring finish of Pryce's career. The Welshman finished his last full season 12th in the Drivers' Championship with 10 points, 59 points behind World Champion James Hunt.
1977
Jarier left Shadow before the start of the 1977 Formula One season
1977 Formula One season
The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on October 23 after seventeen races.-Season summary:...
, for ATS
ATS (wheels)
ATS was a German Formula One team, named after German alloy wheel brand Auto Technisches Spezialzubehör. The company is based in Bad Dürkheim near the Hockenheimring, its team was active in Formula One from 1977 to 1984.-Wheel manufacturer:...
, and was replaced by Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Renzo Zorzi
Renzo Zorzi
Renzo Zorzi is a former racing driver from Italy who participated in 7 Formula One Grands Prix between 1975 and 1977.Between odd races for Williams in Formula One, Zorzi raced in Formula 3...
. Zorzi was later rated by Jackie Oliver
Jackie Oliver
Keith Jack Oliver, better known as Jackie Oliver, is a British former Formula One driver and team-owner from England...
, who was part of the managerial team at Shadow, as "the worst driver we [the Shadow team] ever had". However, the new signing brought in sponsorship from Italy, easing Shadow's financial position. Pryce started the first race of the year in Argentina
1977 Argentine Grand Prix
The 1977 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Argentina on January 9, 1977.-Report:The 1977 season started in Argentina, and it was reigning world champion James Hunt who started off his title defence with pole position in his McLaren...
in ninth place and stayed with the leading group until a gear linkage failure on the 45th lap of the 52 lap race. Following a long pit stop to fix the fault, he was not classified. Pryce qualified 12th for the second round in Brazil
1977 Brazilian Grand Prix
The 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 23, 1977.-Report:James Hunt took pole again with Carlos Reutemann second and Mario Andretti third on the grid. Home hero Carlos Pace took the lead at the start, with Hunt dropping behind Reutemann as well but...
, but on lap 34 retired from the race, while running in second place, as the result of an engine failure.
Death
Tom Pryce began his final race weekend, the 1977 South African Grand Prix1977 South African Grand Prix
The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 5 March 1977. The race is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce...
at Kyalami
Kyalami
Kyalami is a motor racing circuit located in Midrand, Gauteng province, South Africa. The circuit has been used for Grand Prix and Formula One races and has hosted the South African Grand Prix many times. In recent years, the area surrounding the circuit has developed into a residential and...
, by setting the fastest time in the Wednesday practice session, held in wet weather. Pryce posted a time of 1 minute 31.57 seconds with the next best, the eventual 1977 World Champion Niki Lauda
Niki Lauda
Andreas Nikolaus "Niki" Lauda is an Austrian former Formula One racing driver and three-time F1 World Champion. More recently an aviation entrepreneur, he has founded and run two airlines and was manager of the Jaguar Formula One racing team for two years.- Early years in racing :Born in Vienna,...
, a full second slower. The weather dried up prior to the Thursday session, and he slipped back down the grid to fifteenth place, almost two seconds slower than James Hunt's pole position time.
The Welshman's DN8 made a poor start to the Grand Prix and by the end of the first lap was in last place. Pryce started to climb back up the field during the next couple of laps, overtaking Brett Lunger
Brett Lunger
Robert Brett Lunger is a former racecar driver from the United States. Lunger was educated in dancing schools in Wilmington, the Holderness School, and Princeton University. He dropped out of Princeton after three years to enlist for service in Vietnam. He was a political science major. At the...
and team mate Renzo Zorzi
Renzo Zorzi
Renzo Zorzi is a former racing driver from Italy who participated in 7 Formula One Grands Prix between 1975 and 1977.Between odd races for Williams in Formula One, Zorzi raced in Formula 3...
on lap two, and Alex Ribeiro
Alex Ribeiro
Alex Dias Ribeiro is a former racing driver from Brazil. He participated in 20 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, but scored no World Championship points....
and Boy Hayje
Boy Hayje
Johan "Boy" Hayje is a former racing driver from the Netherlands. He participated in seven Formula One Grands Prix, debuting on 29 August 1976. He scored no championship points....
the following lap. By lap 18 Pryce had moved from 22nd to 13th place.
Air-fuel ratio meter
An air–fuel ratio meter monitors the air–fuel ratio of an internal combustion engine. Also called air–fuel ratio gauge, air–fuel meter, or air–fuel gauge...
, and fuel was pumping directly onto the engine, which then caught fire. Zorzi did not immediately get out of his car as he was experiencing trouble in disconnecting the oxygen pipe from his helmet.
The situation caused two marshals from the pit wall on the opposite side of track to intervene. The first marshal to cross the track was a 25-year old panel beater
Panel beater
A panel beater is a term used in some Commonwealth countries to describe a person who repairs vehicle bodies back to their factory state after having been damaged . In the USA the same job is done by an auto body mechanic...
named William (Bill). The second was 19-year old Frederik Jansen Van Vuuren, commonly known as Jansen Van Vuuren, who was carrying a 40 lb
Pound (mass)
The pound or pound-mass is a unit of mass used in the Imperial, United States customary and other systems of measurement...
fire extinguisher
Fire extinguisher
A fire extinguisher or extinguisher, flame entinguisher is an active fire protection device used to extinguish or control small fires, often in emergency situations...
. George Witt, the chief pit marshal for the race, said that the policy of the circuit was that in circumstances involving fires, two marshals must attend and a further two act as back-up in case their extinguishers were not effective enough. Witt also recalled that both Bill and Van Vuuren crossed the track without prior permission. The former made it safely across the track, the latter did not. As the two young men started to run across the track, four cars driven by Hans-Joachim Stuck, Pryce, Jacques Laffite
Jacques Laffite
Jacques-Henri Laffite is a French former racing driver who competed in Formula One from to . He achieved six grand prix wins, all while driving for the Ligier team. He is now a TV commentator on French television TF1....
and Gunnar Nilsson
Gunnar Nilsson
Gunnar Nilsson was a Swedish racing driver, born in Helsingborg. Before entering Formula One, he won the 1975 British Formula Three Championship....
were exiting the final corner and coming onto the main straight.
Pryce was directly behind Stuck's car along the main straight, Stuck himself sensed Van Vuuren and moved to the right to avoid both marshals, missing Bill by what Tremayne reports to have been a matter of "millimetres". From his position directly behind Stuck, Pryce could not see Van Vuuren and was unable to react as quickly as Stuck had done. He struck the teenage marshal at approximately 270 km/h (170 mph). Van Vuuren was thrown into the air and landed yards in front of Zorzi and Bill. He died upon impact, his body being literally torn in half by Pryce's car. The fire extinguisher he had been carrying smashed into Pryce's head, before striking the Shadow's roll hoop. The force of the impact was such that the extinguisher was thrown up and over the adjacent grandstand. It came to ground in the car park to the rear of the stand, where it hit a parked car and jammed its door shut.
The impact with the fire extinguisher had wrenched Pryce's helmet upward sharply, and he had been partially decapitated by the strap. Death was almost certainly instantaneous. Pryce's Shadow DN8, now with its driver dead at the wheel, continued at speed down the main straight towards the first corner, called Crowthorne. The car left the track towards the right, scraping the metal barriers before veering back onto the track after hitting an entrance for emergency vehicles. It then hit Jacques Laffite's Ligier, sending both Pryce and Laffite head on into the barriers. Van Vuuren's injuries were so severe that, initially, his body was only identified after the race director had summoned all of the race marshals and he was not among them.
The eventual race winner was Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n Niki Lauda, this being his first win since his near fatal accident during the 1976 German Grand Prix
1976 German Grand Prix
The 1976 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976, and is notable as the location of Niki Lauda's near fatal accident...
. At first he announced it was the greatest victory of his career, but when told on the victory podium of Pryce's death, he said that "there was no joy after that".
Aftermath
Pryce's death, particularly the horrific nature of it, was met with great grief from all those who knew him during his career, none more so than his wife Nella, his parents Jack and Gwyneth and the Shadow team. His body was buried at St Bartholomew's Church in OtfordOtford
Otford is a village and civil parish in the Sevenoaks District of Kent known for its classically British countryside. The village is located on the River Darent, flowing north down its valley from its source on the North Downs...
, near Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks
Sevenoaks is a commuter town situated on the London fringe of west Kent, England, some 20 miles south-east of Charing Cross, on one of the principal commuter rail lines from the capital...
, Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, the same church where he and Nella were married two years earlier.
Pryce's performances in a Formula One car had earned him a lot of respect among the F1 paddock. Most notable was David Tremayne, who named his son after the Welshman. An award was also instigated in Pryce's name, the Tom Pryce Award also known as the Tom Pryce Trophy, given annually to Welsh personalities having made an outstanding contribution to motoring or transport.
During its re-design the Anglesey Circuit
Anglesey Circuit
The Anglesey Circuit, or Trac Môn in Welsh is a motor racing circuit located in Aberffraw, Anglesey, Wales. It plays host to a variety of motorsport events, including rallycross...
in North Wales named the Tom Pryce Straight after a request from Ruthin Town Council. A Trust was established in 2006 to create a memorial to Pryce in Ruthin. A local artist was commissioned by Ruthin Town Council in 2008 to design an 8' by 4' plaque and in February 2009, an auction of Formula One pit passes to fund its manufacture was announced. The memorial was unveiled on the 11 June 2009, on what would have been Pryce's 60th birthday.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(Races in bold indicate pole position)| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974 1974 Formula One season The 1974 Formula One season was the 25th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1974 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1974 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers, contested concurrently over a fifteen race series which commenced on 13 January and ended on 6 October... |
Token Racing Token (Racing team) Token was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. They participated in four Grands Prix, entering a total of four cars.The Token was intended to be the car with which Rondel Racing, the successful Formula Two team founded by Ron Dennis and Neil Trundle, would graduate to F1 racing... |
Token Token (Racing team) Token was a Formula One constructor from the United Kingdom. They participated in four Grands Prix, entering a total of four cars.The Token was intended to be the car with which Rondel Racing, the successful Formula Two team founded by Ron Dennis and Neil Trundle, would graduate to F1 racing... RJ02 |
Cosworth Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine... V8 |
ARG 1974 Argentine Grand Prix The 1974 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One race held in Buenos Aires on January 13, 1974.-Start-of-season preliminaries:It had been one of the most frantic close seasons ever with only Ronnie Peterson, Denny Hulme, Carlos Reutemann and James Hunt remaining with their teams. Emerson Fittipaldi... |
BRA 1974 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1974 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 27, 1974.- Race summary :Emerson Fittipaldi took pole position for his home race from Carlos Reutemann. The start of the race was delayed as the track had to be swept clear of broken glass from over-exuberant... |
RSA 1974 South African Grand Prix The 1974 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 30 March 1974.- Race summary :It was initially uncertain that the South African Grand Prix would go ahead due to the power crisis, but it did so, albeit belatedly in March... |
ESP 1974 Spanish Grand Prix The 1974 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on April 28, 1974.- Race summary :With James Hunt's Hesketh having won the International Trophy, the season was one of the most open ever, with four different drivers from different teams having won the first four races and a... |
BEL 1974 Belgian Grand Prix The 1974 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nivelles on May 12, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Clay Regazzoni - 1:09.82*Fastest lap: Denny Hulme - 1:11.31 on lap 37-Standings after the race:... Ret |
MON 1974 Monaco Grand Prix The 1974 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 26, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:26.3*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:27.9 on lap 57-Standings after the race:... |
SWE 1974 Swedish Grand Prix The 1974 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 9, 1974.The race was totally dominated by the two Tyrrell-Cosworth 007s of Jody Scheckter and Patrick Depailler. Depailler took pole position, however Scheckter beat him by 0.380 sec in the race, to score... |
18th | 1 | ||||||||||
| UOP UOP LLC UOP LLC, formerly known as Universal Oil Products, is a multi-national company developing and delivering technology to the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production, and major manufacturing industries.... Shadow Racing Team Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... |
Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN3 |
NED 1974 Dutch Grand Prix The 1974 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on June 23, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:18.31*Fastest lap: Ronnie Peterson - 1:21.44 on lap 63... Ret |
FRA 1974 French Grand Prix The 1974 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon on July 7, 1974.- Race summary :To honor the 80th birthday of the ACF, a parade of vintage cars was organized with a selection of great drivers from the 20s and 30s up to the present day. The race itself was largely uneventful... Ret |
GBR 1974 British Grand Prix The 1974 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch on 20 July 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:19.7*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:21.1 on lap 25... 8 |
GER 1974 German Grand Prix The 1974 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Nürburgring on August 4, 1974. It was the 36th German Grand Prix and the 33rd to be held at the Nürburgring complex of circuits. The race was won by Swiss driver Clay Regazzoni driving a Ferrari 312B3... 6 |
AUT 1974 Austrian Grand Prix The 1974 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 18, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:35.40*Fastest lap: Clay Regazzoni - 1:37.22 on lap 46-Standings after the race:... Ret |
ITA 1974 Italian Grand Prix The 1974 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 8, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:33.16*Fastest lap: Carlos Pace - 1:34.2 on lap 46... 10 |
CAN 1974 Canadian Grand Prix The 1974 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on September 22, 1974.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Emerson Fittipaldi - 1:13.188*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:13.659 on lap 60*First race: Penske... Ret |
USA 1974 United States Grand Prix The 1974 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 6, 1974, at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York.__FORCETOC__-Summary:... NC |
|||||||||||||
| 1975 1975 Formula One season The 1975 Formula One season was the 26th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1975 World Championship of F1 Drivers and the 1975 International Cup for F1 Manufacturers which were contested concurrently from January 12 to October 5 over fourteen races... |
UOP UOP LLC UOP LLC, formerly known as Universal Oil Products, is a multi-national company developing and delivering technology to the petroleum refining, gas processing, petrochemical production, and major manufacturing industries.... Shadow Racing Team Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... |
Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN3 |
Cosworth Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine... V8 |
ARG 1975 Argentine Grand Prix The 1975 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Buenos Aires on January 12, 1975. It was the twelfth Argentine Grand Prix and only the second to be held on the lengthened six kilometre version of the race track that runs out toards Curvon Salotto around the lake which lies to the... 12 |
BRA 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1975 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 26, 1975. It was the fourth Brazilian Grand Prix since its introduction in 1972. The race was memorably won by São Paulo native Carlos Pace driving a Brabham BT44B. It would be the only win of Pace's... Ret |
10th | 8 | |||||||||||||||
| Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN5 |
RSA 1975 South African Grand Prix The 1975 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 1, 1975. It was the 21st South African Grand Prix since the first Grand Prix was held in 1934 and the ninth to be held at Kyalami just outside of Johannesburg... 9 |
ESP 1975 Spanish Grand Prix The 1975 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Montjuïc circuit on April 27, 1975, remembered as one of the most controversial and tragic race weekends in the sport's history after the death of five spectators who were hit by the crashing Hill GH1 of Rolf Stommelen... Ret |
MON 1975 Monaco Grand Prix The 1975 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held in Monaco on May 11, 1975. It was the fifth race of the 1975 Formula One season. It was the 33rd Monaco Grand Prix since the race was first held in 1929... Ret |
BEL 1975 Belgian Grand Prix The 1975 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on May 25, 1975. It was the sixth round of the 1975 World Drivers' Championship. It was the 33rd Belgian Grand Prix and the second to be held at the Circuit Zolder... 6 |
SWE 1975 Swedish Grand Prix The 1975 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway at Anderstorp on June 8, 1975. It was the sixth Swedish Grand Prix after it was first held as the Swedish Summer Grand Prix in 1933, and the third to be held at Scandinavian Raceway... Ret |
NED 1975 Dutch Grand Prix The 1975 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on June 22, 1975. It was the 24th Dutch Grand Prix. It was held over 75 laps of the four kilometre circuit for a race distance of 318 kilometres.... 6 |
FRA 1975 French Grand Prix The 1975 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 6, 1975. It was the 53rd French Grand Prix and the third time the race was held at Paul Ricard. The race was held over 54 laps of the five kilometre circuit for a race distance of 313 kilometres.The race was won by... Ret |
GBR 1975 British Grand Prix The 1975 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on July 19, 1975. It was the 30th British Grand Prix to be held since the race was first held in 1926 and the 17th time the race had been held at Silverstone... Ret |
GER 1975 German Grand Prix The 1975 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on August 3, 1975. It was the 37th German Grand Prix and the 34th to be held at the Nürburgring. The race was held over 14 laps of the 22 kilometre circuit for a race distance of 319 kilometres.The race was won by... 4 |
AUT 1975 Austrian Grand Prix The 1975 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on August 17, 1975. It was the eighth Austrian Grand Prix and the sixth to be held at the Österreichring. It was held over 29 of the scheduled 54 laps of the six kilometre circuit for a race distance of 171 kilometres... 3 |
ITA 1975 Italian Grand Prix The 1975 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 7, 1975. It was the 45th Italian Grand Prix and the 41st to be held at Monza. The race held over 52 laps of the five kilometre circuit for a race distance of 300 kilometres.... 6 |
USA 1975 United States Grand Prix The 1975 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 5, 1975 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York... NC |
||||||||||
| 1976 1976 Formula One season The 1976 Formula One season included the 27th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 25, 1976, and ended on October 24 after sixteen races... |
Shadow Racing Team Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... |
Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN5B |
Cosworth Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine... V8 |
BRA 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1976 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos in São Paulo, Brazil on January 25, 1976. The race was contested over 40 laps and was the opening round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race was won by defending World Champion, Niki Lauda, who drove a Ferrari car... 3 |
RSA 1976 South African Grand Prix The 1976 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on March 6, 1976. The race, which was the second round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Niki Lauda in a Ferrari car who increased his lead in the World Drivers' Championship to 12 points by taking his third... 7 |
USW 1976 United States Grand Prix West The 1976 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 28, 1976 in Long Beach, California. The race, which was the third round of the 1976 Formula One season, was won by Clay Regazzoni in a Ferrari car whilst his teammate Niki Lauda finished second, and therefore... Ret |
ESP 1976 Spanish Grand Prix The 1976 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 2, 1976, and was the fourth round of the 1976 Formula One season. The race, which was contested over 75 laps, was won by James Hunt who drove a McLaren-Ford to take his first victory of the year... 8 |
BEL 1976 Belgian Grand Prix The 1976 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zolder on May 16, 1976.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... 10 |
MON 1976 Monaco Grand Prix The 1976 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monaco on May 30, 1976.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: Niki Lauda - 1:29.65*Fastest lap: Clay Regazzoni - 1:30.28 on lap 60-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... 7 |
SWE 1976 Swedish Grand Prix The 1976 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on June 13, 1976.It saw the first win of a 6-wheel car - the Tyrrell P34... 9 |
FRA 1976 French Grand Prix The 1976 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on July 4, 1976.- Classification :- Notes :*Pole position: James Hunt - 1:47.89*Fastest lap: Niki Lauda - 1:51.0 on lap 4... 8 |
GBR 1976 British Grand Prix The 1976 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on July 18, 1976 at the Brands Hatch circuit, Kent, UK. It was the ninth round of the 1976 Formula One season.... 4 |
GER 1976 German Grand Prix The 1976 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Nürburgring on 1 August 1976, and is notable as the location of Niki Lauda's near fatal accident... 8 |
AUT 1976 Austrian Grand Prix The 1976 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Österreichring on 15 August 1976. This race was the only major Formula One and European victory for Penske Racing. It was a poignant win for the team, coming a year after the death of their former driver Mark Donohue at the same... Ret |
12th | 10 | ||||||
| Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN8 |
NED 1976 Dutch Grand Prix The 1976 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Circuit Zandvoort on August 29, 1976. It was won by British driver James Hunt driving a McLaren M23.- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standings... 4 |
ITA 1976 Italian Grand Prix The 1976 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monza on September 12, 1976.-Background:Monza had been modified from the year before, and the circuit featured 2 consecutive left-right chicanes creating the Variante Retefilo added before the Curva Grande, and a left-right chicane... 8 |
CAN 1976 Canadian Grand Prix The 1976 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Mosport Park on 3 October 1976.-Qualifying:- Classification :-Standings after the race:Drivers' Championship standingsConstructors' Championship standings... 11 |
USA 1976 United States Grand Prix The 1976 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 10, 1976 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York... Ret |
JPN 1976 Japanese Grand Prix The 1976 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Fuji on October 24, 1976.The 1976 World Championship was to be decided at the Mount Fuji circuit, with Niki Lauda just three points ahead of James Hunt after a season full of incidents including Lauda's near-fatal crash at the Nürburgring... Ret |
|||||||||||||||||
| 1977 1977 Formula One season The 1977 Formula One season included the 28th FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on January 9, 1977, and ended on October 23 after seventeen races.-Season summary:... |
Shadow Racing Team Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... |
Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN8 |
Cosworth Cosworth DFV The DFV is an internal combustion engine that was originally produced by Cosworth for Formula One motor racing. Named Four Valve because of the four valves per cylinder, and Double as it was a V8 development of the earlier, four-cylinder FVA , making it a Double Four Valve engine... V8 |
ARG 1977 Argentine Grand Prix The 1977 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at the Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Argentina on January 9, 1977.-Report:The 1977 season started in Argentina, and it was reigning world champion James Hunt who started off his title defence with pole position in his McLaren... NC |
RSA 1977 South African Grand Prix The 1977 South African Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Kyalami on 5 March 1977. The race is principally remembered for the fatal accident that claimed the lives of race marshal Frederick Jansen van Vuuren and driver Tom Pryce... Ret |
USW 1977 United States Grand Prix West The 1977 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One race held on April 3, 1977 in Long Beach, California.__FORCETOC__- Summary :An already tragic Formula One season received exactly what it needed to chase away the despair when the brilliant Mario Andretti became the first American to win a... |
ESP 1977 Spanish Grand Prix The 1977 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Jarama on May 8, 1977.-Report:Mario Andretti continued his recent form with pole position and Jacques Laffite's Ligier springing a surprise, beating Niki Lauda to second, however Lauda was unable to take part in the race due to a... |
MON 1977 Monaco Grand Prix The 1977 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on May 22, 1977.-Report:John Watson took his first career pole for Brabham with Jody Scheckter also on the front row and Carlos Reutemann third. It was Scheckter who got the best start to beat Watson to the first corner, with... |
BEL 1977 Belgian Grand Prix -Report:In qualifying Mario Andretti took a comfortable pole position with John Watson just beating the second Lotus of Gunnar Nilsson to second. The race was wet due to rain earlier in the day, and Watson took the lead at the first corner, but later in the first lap, Andretti ran into the back to... |
SWE 1977 Swedish Grand Prix The 1977 Swedish Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Scandinavian Raceway on 19 June 1977.-Report:The Swedish race was full of anticipation after Gunnar Nilsson's win last time out, but once again in qualifying, it was his teammate Mario Andretti leading the way from John Watson, with... |
FRA 1977 French Grand Prix The 1977 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Dijon on 3 July 1977.-Report:Once again it was Mario Andretti on pole with James Hunt second and Gunnar Nilsson third on the grid. Hunt got the best start and led into the first corner from John Watson and Jacques Laffite, with Andretti... |
GBR 1977 British Grand Prix The 1977 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Silverstone on 16 July 1977. It was won by James Hunt driving a McLaren M26, and marked the debut of Canadian driver Gilles Villeneuve... |
GER 1977 German Grand Prix The 1977 German Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Hockenheimring on July 31, 1977. After Niki Lauda's near-fatal accident at the dangerous Nürburgring in 1976, the German Grand Prix was moved to and held every year except for 1 at Hockenheim until 2007, and this was the second year the race... |
AUT 1977 Austrian Grand Prix The 1977 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at the Österreichring on August 14, 1977. It was the tenth Austrian Grand Prix since the race was first held in 1963. It was held over 54 laps of the six kilometre venue for a race distance of 320 kilometres... |
NED 1977 Dutch Grand Prix The 1977 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Circuit Zandvoort on 28 August 1977.-Report:In qualifying, Mario Andretti took his fifth pole of the season with Jacques Laffite alongside on the front row, and James Hunt third... |
ITA 1977 Italian Grand Prix The 1977 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held at Monza on September 11, 1977.-Report:The fact that it was Ferrari's home race did not deter James Hunt who took pole, whereas Carlos Reutemann cheered the home fans by starting second in front of Jody Scheckter... |
USA 1977 United States Grand Prix The 1977 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on October 2, 1977 at the Watkins Glen Grand Prix Race Course in Watkins Glen, New York... |
CAN 1977 Canadian Grand Prix The 1977 Canadian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 9 October 1977 at Mosport Park.-Report:The field arrived in Canada without Niki Lauda who, having clinched the championship at the previous race, and already announced his intention to drive for Brabham the following year, abruptly quit... |
JPN 1977 Japanese Grand Prix The 1977 Japanese Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on 23 October 1977 at Fuji.-Report:Mario Andretti and James Hunt continued their late-season battle, with the American pipping Hunt to the pole, with John Watson heading the second row... |
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| Shadow Shadow Racing Cars Shadow Racing Cars was a Formula One and sports car racing team, founded and initially based in the United States although later Formula One operations were run from Britain.-1971-1972: Early years in CanAm series:... DN5B |
BRA 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix The 1977 Brazilian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Interlagos on January 23, 1977.-Report:James Hunt took pole again with Carlos Reutemann second and Mario Andretti third on the grid. Home hero Carlos Pace took the lead at the start, with Hunt dropping behind Reutemann as well but... Ret |