Mike Thackwell

Mike Thackwell is a New Zealand automobile old driver, born the March 30th 1961 with Auckland. It holds the record of the youngest pilot to be qualified for a Grand Prix of Formule 1.

Biograpie

Revealed by its performances in the British championship of Formula 3 in 1979, Thackwell reaches the championship of Europe of Formule 2 in 1980. At the end of the year, at the time of the GP of the Netherlands, it is called by the team Arrows to replace Jochen Mass, inalienable. Thackwell does not manage to be qualified, but its efforts do not escape Ken Tyrrell, which engages for him one 3rd Tyrrell with the GP of Canada then with the GP of the United States. To Canada, the young New Zealander manages to qualify himself, but is victim at the beginning of a general pile-up which constrained organizers to stop the test. The single car of reserve being entrusted to its fellow-member Derek Daly, also implied in the accident, Thackwell is constrained to declare fixed price for the 2nd departure. At the time of the following test, to the United States, he does not manage to qualify himself.

In 1981, not having managed to find a wheel of Formula 1, it turns over in the championship of Europe of Formula 2, qu ' it manages to gain in 1984. This same year, it carries out short appearances in CART, like its return Formulates 1 of them, on a RAM, with the GP of Canada (where it is qualified but given up on driving break-in), then with the GP of Germany (not-qualified on Tyrrell). Insufficient performances to find a wheel full-time Formulates 1 of them and which oblige it to remain in Formula 2 (which becomes Formule 3000 as from 1985). Its career not taking off, it decides to give up the competition at the conclusion of the season 1988, at the 27 years age.

Record of precocity

Mike Thackwell is often quoted like the youngest pilot to have taken part in a GP of Formula 1. At the beginning of GP of Canada 1980, it was indeed old only 19 years. This assertion is however false. With glance of payment of Formula 1, when a race is stopped then started again for its total distance, only pilots which took share at the second beginning (what is not the case of Thackwell) are regarded as leaving , the first departure being officially declared no one and nonwhich occurred . The pilots in the case of Thackwell as for them are regarded as fixed prices .
It is thus more exact to affirm than Thackwell is the youngest pilot to be itself qualified for a GP of Formula 1.

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