David Piper (racing driver)

Template:Short description Template:About Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use British English {{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters | check | ignoreblank = y | unknown = Template:Main other | preview = Page using Template:Infobox F1 driver with unknown parameter "_VALUE_" | embed | child | subbox | name | Name | image | Image | image_size | upright | image_upright | alt | caption | birth_name | birth_date | birth_place | death_date | death_place | relations | relatives | nationality | Nationality | years | Years | teams | Teams | Team(s) | team | Team | engines | Engines | current_team | current team | Current team | 2025 Team | 2026 Team | car_number | car number | Car number | races | Races | championships | Championships | wins | Wins | podiums | Podiums | points | Points | poles | Poles | fastest_laps | fastest laps | Fastest laps | first_race | first race | First race | first_win | first win | First win | last_win | last win | Last win | last_race | last race | Last race | last_position | last position | Last position | last_season | last season | Last season | bf1_years | bf1 years | BF1 Years | bf1_races | bf1 races | BF1 Races | bf1_championships | bf1 championships | BF1 Championships | bf1_wins | bf1 wins | BF1 Wins | bf1_podiums | bf1 podiums | BF1 Podiums | bf1_points | bf1 points | BF1 Points | bf1_poles | bf1 poles | BF1 Poles | bf1_fastest_laps | bf1 fastest laps | BF1 Fastest laps | signature | signature_size | signature alt | signature_alt | website | module | module1 | module2 | module3 | module4 | module5 | record template1 | record template2 | record template3 | record template4 | record template5 | career template1 | career template2 | career template3 | career template4 | career template5 | updated | Updated }} David Ruff Piper (born 2 December 1930)<ref name="WATN"/> is a British former Formula One and sports car racing driver from England. He participated in 3 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 July 1959. He scored no championship points.

Racing career

Early career and Formula One

Piper was born in Edgware, Middlesex<ref name="WATN">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and began his career in the mid-1950s by competing in sprints and hill-climbs, before beginning circuit racing with a Lotus Eleven.<ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite book</ref> He then moved up to a Lotus 16 which he used in 1959 and 1960 to compete in both Formula One and Formula Two,<ref name="ReferenceA"/> by means of changing engines as appropriate.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> His best result with the car was a second place in the Lady Wigram Trophy, in 1960, behind Jack Brabham in a Cooper.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

In 1961, Piper competed in European Formula Junior alongside Jo Siffert but drove the Gilby F1 car in the Gold Cup.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He also competed in non-championship races in 1962, but had become disenchanted with single-seater racing and moved into sports car racing initially with a Ferrari 250 GTO.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Later career

Between 1962 and 1970, Piper raced frequently in many locations worldwide using his personally owned Ferraris and, later, Porsches. He was moderately successful and gained a reputation for reliability and consistency.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Piper's personal sport cars of the period are typically painted in bright green, originally from his BP sponsor which replaced Esso after the Suez Crisis; eventually Piper liked the color and made it his own, having never liked the classic British racing green.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Piper crashed a Porsche 917 during the 1970 shooting of the film Le Mans and lost part of one leg.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Piper later raced his personal, green, Porsche 917 and other cars in historic events.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	WDC	Points
1959	Dorchester Service Station	Lotus 16 (F2)	Climax 1.5l Straight-4	MON	500	NED	FRA	GBR Template:Small	GER	POR	ITA	USA		NC	0
1960	Robert Bodle Ltd.	Lotus 16	Climax 2.5l Straight-4	ARG	MON	500	NED	BEL	FRA Template:Small	GBR Template:Small	POR	ITA	USA	NC	0

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	DC	Pts	Class
1970	Pierre de Plessis	Chevrolet Camaro Z28	Template:Tooltip	BRH DNS	SNE 7	THR	SIL	CRY 2†	SIL	SIL	CRO	BRH	OUL	BRH	BRH	31st	8	6th
1978	Ian Bracey	Triumph Dolomite Sprint	Template:Tooltip	SIL	OUL	THR	BRH	SIL	DON	MAL Ret†	BRH	DON	BRH	THR	OUL	NC	0	NC
Template:Small {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }}

† Events with 2 races staged for the different classes.

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1963	Template:Flagicon North American Racing Team	Template:Flagicon Masten Gregory	Ferrari 250 GTO/LMB	GT 3.0	312	6th	3rd
1964	Template:Flagicon North American Racing Team	Template:Flagicon Jochen Rindt	Ferrari 250 LM	P 4.0	0	DNF	DNF
1965	Template:Flagicon Maranello Concessionaires	Template:Flagicon Jo Bonnier	Ferrari 365 P2	P 5.0	101	DNF	DNF
1966	Template:Flagicon Maranello Concessionaires	Template:Flagicon Richard Attwood	Ferrari 365 P2	P 5.0	33	DNF	DNF
1967	Template:Flagicon JW Automotive Engineering	Template:Flagicon Dick Thompson	Mirage M1	P +5.0	59	DNF	DNF
1968	Template:Flagicon David Piper	Template:Flagicon Richard Attwood	Ferrari 250 LM	S 5.0	302	7th	2nd
1969	Template:Flagicon SpA Ferrari SEFAC	Template:Flagicon Pedro Rodriguez	Ferrari 312P Coupé	P 3.0	223	DNF	DNF
1970	Template:Flagicon AAW Racing Team	Template:Flagicon Gijs van Lennep	Porsche 917K	S 5.0	112	DNF	DNF

Gallery

• 
  Piper/Gardner, Porsche 917, 1969 ADAC 1000 km Nürburgring.
• 
  One of Piper's distinctive green cars; a Lola T70 Mk3B at Mallory Park
• 
  Piper's Porsche 917 which he has owned from new.
• 
  Piper's Porsche 917.