Derek Warwick

Derek Warwick (born the August 27th 1954 with Alresford, Hampshire) is a racing driver English, present in Formule 1 of 1981 with 1993. It disputed 146 GP and registers 71 points. Its best result in race is a second place (in 1984 in Zolder and Brands-Hatch). Warwick also produced two better turns in race and carried out twice a GP.

Biography

Revealed by its duel into 1978 vis-a-vis Nelson Stake in the British championships of Formula 3, Derek Warwick reaches Formula 1 in 1981, in the modest stable Toleman. Author of promising beginnings taking into account the weakness of the material of which it lays out, it is recruited in 1984 by the powerful stable Renault, passed very near to the world titles the previous year.

After having missed little taking down its first success in GP as of its first race at Renault (with the GP of Brazil), it undergoes the falls of performances of the French stable and in spite of two podiums glanés with the wire of the season, the championship with one frustrating 7th final place finishes. Its choice to remain at Renault in 1985 proves to be an error, besides because the French stable does not manage to be left the crisis, and announces its withdrawal of F1 for the end of the season.

In spite of two disappointing seasons, the reputation of Warwick remains intact: in the United Kingdom the observers regard it as the best pilot of the country in front of Nigel Mansell. Announced at Lotus for 1986, Warwick is however found without wheel at the beginning of season. Its transfer in the prestigious British stable was indeed denounced by Ayrton Senna (then first pilot of Lotus, and very influential within the team), which feared that Lotus does not disperse its forces by recruiting a second pilot of too great value. After this failure, Warwick will find never again of occasions to control for a competitive stable.

The stable Brabham calls upon him at the semi-season 1986 to replace Elio de Angelis, which committed suicide under private tests. Then, in 1987, it joined the stable Arrows (subscribed with the soft belly of the starting grids) for 3 years. In 1990, it passes finally to Lotus, but the British team is then in full financial crisis and sporting and does not allow Derek to shine. This year, Warwick is highlighted all the same at the time of GP of Italy. Victim of an appalling accident in the Parabolic one at the conclusion of the first turn, the British pilot manages to leave accrobatiquement the cockpit of its single-seater turned over, before moving while staggering towards its stand, under ovations of the public, in order to take share at the second beginning at the wheel of its car of reserve. Revealing of its phlegm but also of its courage, this episode will contribute to do of Warwick one of the most popular characters of F1.

In 1991, it leaves Formula 1 to take part in the flourishing championship of the world of the sport scars, for the account of Jaguar, then of Peugeot. In 1992, it thus gains the 24 hours of Mans over the Peugeot 905 in company of Yannick Dalmas and Mark Blundell and becomes also world champion of the sport scars.

Warwick carries out its return to Formula 1 in 1993, in the stable Footwork Racing (new name of Arrows), but without hardly of success, which leads it to leave Formula 1 definitively.

From 1994, he reconverts himself into the tests of Tourism, and in particular into BTCC (British Touring Because Championship). Later, it will occupy of the decisional functions within the stable 888 , which engages of the cars in BTCC like in the Australian championship of V8 Supercars.

Since 2005, Derek Warwick left its sporting retirement to dispute championship GP Masters, intended for old glories of F1.

Results in F1

Prize list

Champion of Great Britain de Formule 3 in 1978 Victorious
of the 24 hours of Mans in 1992
World champion of the sport scars in 1992

Others

Author of a promising beginning of career in automobile sport, his/her younger brother Paul Warwick found death at the time of a race of the British championship of Formula 3000 in 1991. He was all the same crowned champion, on a purely posthumous basis.

Random links: