Mike Hawthorn
John Michael Hawthorn (10 April 1929 – 22 January 1959) was a racing driver, born in Mexborough, Yorkshire, England, and educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex.
Born | John Michael Hawthorn 10 April 1929 Mexborough, West Riding of Yorkshire, England, UK | ||||||||||
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Died | 22 January 1959 Near Onslow Village, Guildford, Surrey, England, UK | (aged 29)||||||||||
Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||||
Nationality | ![]() | ||||||||||
Active years | 1952 – 1958 | ||||||||||
Teams | Ferrari, Vanwall, BRM, non-works Cooper, non-works Maserati | ||||||||||
Entries | 47 (45 starts) | ||||||||||
Championships | 1 (1958) | ||||||||||
Wins | 3 | ||||||||||
Podiums | 18 | ||||||||||
Career points | 112 9⁄14 (127 9⁄14)[1] | ||||||||||
Pole positions | 4 | ||||||||||
Fastest laps | 6 | ||||||||||
First entry | 1952 Belgian Grand Prix | ||||||||||
First win | 1953 French Grand Prix | ||||||||||
Last win | 1958 French Grand Prix | ||||||||||
Last entry | 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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On 22 January 1959, only three months into his retirement, Hawthorn died in a car accident on the A3 Guildford bypass. He drove his modified 1958 Jaguar 3.4-litre saloon (now known as the 3.4 Mk 1) VDU 881 to London. The precise cause of the accident is unknown.[2]
The accident occurred on a notoriously dangerous section of the road, the scene of 15 serious accidents (two fatal) in the previous two years. The road was also wet at the time. Driving at speed (one witness estimated 80 m.p.h.), Hawthorn overtook a Mercedes-Benz 300SL 'gull-wing' sports car driven by an acquaintance, the motor racing team manager Rob Walker. On entering a right-hand bend shortly after passing the Mercedes, Hawthorn clipped a 'Keep Left' bollard dividing the two carriageways, causing him to lose control..
References
change- ↑ Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
- ↑ "Mike Hawthorn's fatal accident". Archived from the original on 19 December 2015. Retrieved 30 October 2014.