Brian Henton

Brian Henton is an English automobile old driver born the September 19th 1946 in Spondon, close to the circuit of race of Donington. It in particular took part at 19 Grands Prix of Formule 1 between 1975 and 1982, without managing to register of point. Henton is however reproduced on the shelves of the discipline since it produced the best turn in race at the time of the edition 1982 of the GP of Great Britain disputed in Brands-Hatch.

Biography

Brian Henton begins in automobile sport in 1970 by disputing local tests at the wheel from sound Austin Healey. It passes to the single-seater in 1973, initially in Formula Super Vee, then in Formule 3. Its honest blow of wheel often leads it to the victory, and attracts the exerted eye of Colin Chapman which offers its first wheel to him Formulates 1 of them.

Henton begins in championship from the world with the GP from Great Britain 1975 at the wheel from the same Lotus 72E as Ronnie Peterson. It is qualified in 21e place on the grid but, in spite of a solid race, must give up with some encâblures of the arrival. Chapman again establishes it for the following test, in Austria, at the wheel of the news 72F but Henton is victim of an accident during the free tests and cannot take part in the tests qualifiers. It is committed last once within the TEAM Lotus for the GP of Watkins Glen where, although it took down one 19th place on the grid, it will not be classified: it indeed receives the flag with checkerworks in 12th place but with more than 10 turns of the winner.

In 1976, Lotus calls upon more experienced pilots or more promising (Peterson, Mario Andretti, Gunnar Nilsson) and Henton is found without wheel. It does not wish “to redouble” in Formule 2 and thus takes its dignified suffering.

In 1977, it is engaged by the private stable British American Formula One Racing TEAM (financed by the cigarettier BEATS which will be at the origin of the TEAM BAR many years later) which has a March 761 of the former season. The single-seater quickly appears exceeded since in four attempts, henton never manages to be qualified (29e time in Spain, in Great Britain and 27e in Austria). Depity, Henton tries the whole pout the whole while agreeing to control for the stable Boro at the time of the GP of the Netherlands. Boro 001 is in fact a ex- Ensign N175 old woman two year old and the purpose of Boro, property of Dutch company HB Bewake, is single only to show its colors at the time of its national GP. Henton succeeds in the exploit to be qualified in 23e place on the grid, thus leaving 11 concurents behind him! It fills the owners of HB Bewake while turning as a clock until the 52e turn where it is victim of a slew-round and receives an outside assistance to take again the track, which condemns it to the disqualification. Filled with enthusiasm by the performance of the English pilot, Boro decides to engage for the following GP in Italy but the miracle does not reproduce and Boro leaves the championship, leaving Henton at the pithead.

In 1978, Henton, without wheel in F1 is constrained to go down again D `a category and completely misses its season at the wheel by not very competitive single-seaters. In 1979, it finds the way of the podium and gains the tests disputed in Mugello and Misano. It finishes vice-champion of Europe behind Switzerland Marc Surer. In 1980, the stable Toleman places at its disposal a powerful single-seater which enables him to take down the European title. The icing on the cake is that Toleman thinks of going up in F1 and wishes to preserve its solid duet of pilots to help it to cross the step. Derek Warwick will begin in F1 and Henton will finally try to show its true value.

In 1979 Toleman keeps its confidence with its motor mechanic Hart who motorized F2. But the 4 cylinders on line is far from being powerful. In 12 attempts, Henton once not pre-is qualified and 9 times not-qualified (the assessment of Warwick is similar). It succeeds in taking the departure only with the GP of Italy (qualified in 23e position) and finishes the race with the 10th rank. At the end of the season, he is thanked by Toleman which, using gums Pirelli, prefers L to him `Italian Teo Fabi.

Beginning 1982, Henton is found, as with accustomed, without contract. The chance smiles to him when its former rival in F2 Marc Surer, pilot Arrows is wounded with the two ankles under tests deprived before even the beginning of the season. Henton is engaged to dispute the first three tests at the wheel of A4 but fails to be qualified in South Africa then in Brazil. It takes finally the departure of the GP Beach Length (20th on the grid) but gives up on exit ramp with the 32e turn.

Henton returns its bucket in Surer, but rebounds immediately at Tyrrell where pilot-paying Swedish Slim Borgudd is unloaded at a few days of the GP of San Marin. Brian Henton thus continues in championship of the world at the wheel of Tyrrell 011, a single-seater which can finally enable him to be emphasized but it is quickly put under the extinguisher by its fellow-member Michele Alboreto. It is qualified in bottom of grid and finishes with the door of the points, without doing better than 7th in Germany. At the end of the season, Tyrrell registered 25 points but Henton has there of nothing contributed. It is thus replaced by Danny Sullivan for the following season. But, before leaving the world of F1 definitively, Henton will have succeeded in writing the first (and last) line of its prize list by signing the best turn in race at the time of its national GP.

In the search of a team for 1983, Henton off takes part in the Race Champions of Brands-Hatch at the wheel of a Theodore. In spite of its 4th final place, it convaint no director of stable and gives up the automobile competition.

Results in championship of the world of F1

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