Chris Bristow
 | |
| Born |
2 December 1937 Lambeth, London, England, UK |
|---|---|
| Died |
19 June 1960 (aged 22) Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Liège, Belgium |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |
 British |
| Active years | 1959–1960 |
| Teams | non-works Cooper |
| Entries | 4 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1959 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1960 Belgian Grand Prix |
Christopher William "Chris" Bristow (2 December 1937 – 19 June 1960) was a British Formula One driver. Bristow was the son of a garage owner from London, and was unmarried. Bristow was called the "wild man of British club racing", as he had spun out or had collisions on almost every race track he had on which he had raced.[1] He started four Formula One World Championship races and scored no championship points.
He was killed during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix at the very fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit, in warm, dry, sunny conditions. Bristow wrecked his Yeoman Credit Racing Cooper T51 at the Burnenville corner on lap twenty while fighting to stay in front of the Ferrari of Willy Mairesse.
Bristow and Alan Stacey died in close proximity and within a few minutes of one another. They both crashed at Burnenville, the same extended fast right hand bend at which Stirling Moss had been severely injured the previous day. Cars regularly sped through the Burnenville corner at 120 miles per hour. There was a four-foot embankment there and barbed wire in the meadow about ten feet back from the road. Bristow's Cooper hit the bank and rolled over; he was hurled into the barbed wire, which decapitated him and killed him instantly.
With regard to Bristow's unruly driving style, a friend of his said after the accident, "We all knew this was going to happen. It does no good to say now, but Chris simply did not have the experience to drive that way in Grand Prix racing."[1]
The winner of the annual McLaren Autosport BRDC Award for promising young British drivers is also presented with the Chris Bristow Trophy.
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
| Yr | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | British Racing Partnership | Cooper T51 (F2) | Borgward Straight-4 | MON | 500 | NED | FRA | GBR 10 |
GER | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 | |
| 1960 | Yeoman Credit Racing Team | Cooper T51 | Climax Straight-4 | ARG | MON Ret |
500 | NED Ret |
BEL Ret |
FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 |
References
- 1 2 2 Rookie Drivers Die In Grand Prix, New York Times, 20 June 1960, p.40.
| Preceded by Harry Schell |
Formula One fatal accidents 19 June 1960 |
Succeeded by Alan Stacey |