Peter Collins

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Peter Collins
Peter Collins (left), with Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn on the winners podium after the 1957 German Grand Prix
Nation: United KingdomUnited Kingdom United Kingdom
Automobile world championship
First start: 1952 Swiss Grand Prix
Last start: 1958 German Grand Prix
Constructors
1952–1953  HWM  • 1954  Vanwall  • 1955  BRM  • 1955  Maserati  • 1956–1958  Ferrari
statistics
World Cup balance: World Cup third ( 1956 )
Starts Victories Poles SR
32 3 - -
World Cup points : 47
Podiums : 9
Leadership laps : 124 over 907 km
Template: Info box Formula 1 driver / maintenance / old parameters

Peter Collins (born November 6, 1931 in Kidderminster , Worcestershire , † August 3, 1958 in Bonn ) was a British automobile racing driver .

The Formula 3 driver

Collins was the son of an automobile dealer. At the age of 17, he achieved his first Formula 3 race victory in 1949 . Like Stirling Moss, who was two years his senior, he continued to test himself in European Formula 3 with 500 cc engines in the early 1950s.

Entry into the automobile world championship with HWM

1952 he signed as Moss at HWM , there to drive the inferior dovetail car whose Alta - motor with 30 hp less against the preponderance of the chassis struggled. He stayed with the team in 1953, but the chances had now fallen as the cars were unreliable. Only in races held parallel to the world championship races that were driven with Formula 2 cars did he achieve success with second place in Les Sables-d'Olonne and the Eifel race on the Nürburgring.

Parole in a sports car at Aston Martin

The team leader of Aston Martin , John Wyer had become aware already on Collins and signed him for the years to 1955, where he worked for his living sports car race in which denied and the Aston Martin DB3 1952 nine-hour race at Goodwood win could. His victory in the Northern Irish RAC Tourist Trophy even gave his team their first victory in the sports car world championship in 1953 . Further podium finishes for Aston Martin followed, with second place in the Le Mans 24 Hours of 1955 being the greatest success.

Interlude at Vanwall and BRM

But before that he started with a Vanwall at the Grand Prix of Great Britain and Italy , but the "English Ferrari" in 1954 were still too unreliable at the regular races. He was also seen in the same races in 1955 - this time with a private Maserati , another race for BRM was handicapped from the outset, as the car arrived too late for the correct set-up. For once, he drove the Targa Florio in a Mercedes 300 SLR alongside Moss and won.

Success for Ferrari

1956 Formula 1 season

Enzo Ferrari signed him for the 1956 season , which was to be his best racing year. Two race wins, in Spa-Francorchamps and Reims , as well as three second placings kept him all chances of winning the title until the end of the world championship, as he was tied with Maserati driver Jean Behra, thanks to 22 points, only seven points behind Fangio.

But when his team-mate Juan Manuel Fangio retired from the race in Monza with his own car due to a broken steering lever, the Ferrari team management wanted to direct the Ferrari driver Luigi Musso , who was in third position, to the pits in view of Behra, who was in fourth place Fangio as a top pilot to secure the necessary points by exchanging vehicles. However, Musso refused this exchange in front of his home crowd and in the fight for victory.

On lap 35, Peter Collins, at this point in second place, drove to a tire change and saw the demoralized Fangio; then Collins offered him his car. Fangio changed vehicles and won the world championship. He gave Collins credit for this “fair play” gesture, as did the Italian fans.

1957 Formula 1 season

The following year, 1957 , Mike Hawthorn drove again for Ferrari . During this time the two became close friends. Both fought for the title that year with the Lancia Ferrari against Fangio and Moss (Vanwall). The Argentine had switched to Maserati out of frustration with his treatment at Ferrari and was able to keep younger rivals at bay through his experience and use of the mature Maserati 250F .

Operations in Ferrari sports cars

During his engagement with Ferrari, Collins also made successful appearances in Ferrari sports cars. Second place in the 1956 Mille Miglia in a Ferrari 860 Monza , victory in the Sebring 12-hour race in Florida and success in the 1000 km race in Buenos Aires with a Ferrari 250 demonstrated the success of these outings.

Death at the Grand Prix at the Nürburgring in 1958

At the beginning of the Formula 1 season in 1958 , Peter Collins was next to Hawthorn, Moss and Tony Brooks title contender. A win at his home Grand Prix at Silverstone raised additional hopes.

Two weeks later, at the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring , he was fighting for the lead with his Ferrari against Brooks Vanwall when he turned into a right-hand bend at the “Pflanzgarten” depression, lost control and rolled over into a low embankment was thrown into the cockpit , where it collided with a tree.

Collins was taken to a Bonn hospital by helicopter, where he died of severe head injuries the following night. He left behind his wife, Louise King, a native American whom he married in 1957.

statistics

Statistics in the automobile world championship

Grand Prix victories

general overview

season team chassis engine run Victories Second Third Poles nice
Race laps
Points WM-Pos.
1952 HW Motors HWM 52 Alta 2.0 L4 4th - - - - - - NC
1953 HW Motors HWM 53 Alta 2.5 L4 4th - - - - - - NC
1954 Vandervell Products Ltd. Vanwall Special Vanwall 2.5 L4 2 - - - - - - NC
1955 Owen Racing Organization Maserati 250F Maserati 2.5 L6 1 - - - - - - NC
Officine Alfieri Maserati 1 - - - - -
1956 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555 Super Qualo Ferrari 2.5 L4 1 - - - - - 25th 3.
Ferrari D50 Ferrari 2.5 V8 6th 2 3 - - -
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari D50 Ferrari 2.5 V8 1 - - - - - 8th 9.
Ferrari 801 Ferrari 2.5 V8 5 - - 2 - -
1958 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246F1 Ferrari 2.4 V6 7th 1 - 1 - - 14th 5.
total 32 3 3 3 - - 47

Single results

season 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th 8th 9 10 11
1952 Flag of Switzerland within 2to3.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg Flag of Italy.svg
DNF DNF 6th DNF DNS DNQ
1953 Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Switzerland within 2to3.svg Flag of Italy.svg
8th DNF 13 DNF
1954 Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Switzerland within 2to3.svg Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Spain (1945–1977) .svg
DNF 7th DNS
1955 Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of Monaco.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Italy.svg
DNF DNF
1956 Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of Monaco.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Italy.svg
DNF 2 1 1 2 DNF 2
1957 Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of Monaco.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Italy.svg
6th DNF 3 4th 3 DNF
1958 Flag of Argentina.svg Flag of Monaco.svg Flag of the Netherlands.svg Flag of the United States (1912-1959) .svg Flag of Belgium (civil) .svg Flag of France.svg Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Flag of Germany.svg Flag of Portugal.svg Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Morocco.svg
DNF 3 DNF DNF 5 1 DNF
Legend
colour abbreviation meaning
gold - victory
silver - 2nd place
bronze - 3rd place
green - Placement in the points
blue - Classified outside the point ranks
violet DNF Race not finished (did not finish)
NC not classified
red DNQ did not qualify
DNPQ failed in pre-qualification (did not pre-qualify)
black DSQ disqualified
White DNS not at the start (did not start)
WD withdrawn
Light Blue PO only participated in the training (practiced only)
TD Friday test driver
without DNP did not participate in the training (did not practice)
INJ injured or sick
EX excluded
DNA did not arrive
C. Race canceled
  no participation in the World Cup
other P / bold Pole position
SR / italic Fastest race lap
* not at the finish,
but counted due to the distance covered
() Streak results
underlined Leader in the overall standings

Le Mans results

year team vehicle Teammate placement Failure reason
1952 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3 Spyder United KingdomUnited Kingdom Lance Macklin failure accident
1953 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S United KingdomUnited Kingdom Reginald Parnell failure accident
1954 United KingdomUnited Kingdom David Brown Aston Martin DB3S Coupe ThailandThailand Prince Bira failure accident
1955 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S BelgiumBelgium Paul Brother Rank 2 and class win
1956 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S United KingdomUnited Kingdom Stirling Moss Rank 2 and class win
1957 ItalyItaly Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 335MM United StatesUnited States Phil Hill failure Engine failure
1958 ItalyItaly Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 250TR 58 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Mike Hawthorn failure Clutch damage

Sebring results

year team vehicle Teammate placement Failure reason
1953 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Geoffrey Duke failure accident
1954 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S United KingdomUnited Kingdom Pat Griffith failure Brakes
1956 United KingdomUnited Kingdom David Brown & Sons Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S United KingdomUnited Kingdom Stirling Moss failure Gearbox damage
1957 ItalyItaly Ferrari Factory Ferrari 315 Sport FranceFrance Maurice Trintignant Rank 6
1958 ItalyItaly Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 250TR / 58 United KingdomUnited Kingdom Phil Hill Overall victory

Individual results in the sports car world championship

season team race car 1 2 3 4th 5 6th 7th
1953 Aston Martin Aston Martin DB3
Aston Martin DB3S
United StatesUnited States SEB ItalyItaly MIM FranceFrance LEM BelgiumBelgium SPA GermanyGermany ONLY United KingdomUnited Kingdom RTT MexicoMexico CAP
DNF 16 DNF 1
1954 Aston Martin Aston Martin DB3S ArgentinaArgentina BUA United StatesUnited States SEB ItalyItaly MIM FranceFrance LEM United KingdomUnited Kingdom RTT MexicoMexico CAP
3 DNF DNF DNF DNF
1955 Aston Martin
Daimler-Benz AG
Aston Martin DB3S
Mercedes-Benz 300SLR
ArgentinaArgentina BUA United StatesUnited States SEB ItalyItaly MIM FranceFrance LEM United KingdomUnited Kingdom RTT ItalyItaly TAR
DNF 2 DNF 1
1956 Scuderia Ferrari
Aston Martin
Ferrari 410 Sport
Aston Martin DB3S
Ferrari 860 Monza
Ferrari 290MM
ArgentinaArgentina BUA United StatesUnited States SEB ItalyItaly MIM GermanyGermany ONLY SwedenSweden KRI
DNF DNF 2 5 2
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 290MM
Ferrari 315S
Ferrari 335S
ArgentinaArgentina BUA United StatesUnited States SEB ItalyItaly MIM GermanyGermany ONLY FranceFrance LEM SwedenSweden KRI VenezuelaVenezuela CAR
3 6th DNF 2 DNF 2 1
1958 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 250TR ArgentinaArgentina BUA United StatesUnited States SEB ItalyItaly TAR GermanyGermany ONLY FranceFrance LEM United KingdomUnited Kingdom RTT
1 1 4th 2 DNF

literature

  • Derick Allsop: The British Racing Hero. From Moss to Mansell. Magna Books, Leicester 1992, ISBN 1-85422-313-5 .
  • Peter Grunert: The Formula 1 Lexicon. All cars - all drivers - all winners. ECON-Taschenbuch-Verlag, Düsseldorf 1997, ISBN 3-612-26353-6 .
  • Jörg-Thomas Födisch, Erich Kahnt: 50 years of Formula 1. The winners. Heel, Königswinter 1999, ISBN 3-89365-615-4 .
  • Mike Hawthorn: Challenge me the Race. William Kimber, London 1958, (autobiography)
  • Mike Hawthorn: Champion year. My battle for the driver's world title. William Kimber, London 1959.
  • Chris Nixon: Mon Ami Mate. The Bright, Brief Lives of Mike Hawthorn & Peter Collins. Transport Bookman, Isleworth 1991, ISBN 0-85184-047-7 .
  • Peter Scherer: 50 Years of British Grand Prix Drivers. TFM, Kemberton 1999, ISBN 0-9530052-8-3 .
  • Achim Schlang: The Formula 1 aces of our time. The drivers, the cars, the routes. Motorbuch-Verlag, Stuttgart 1984, ISBN 3-613-01035-6 .

Web links

Commons : Peter Collins  - album with pictures, videos and audio files