Peter Whitehead (racing driver)

File:ERA of Peter Whitehead, 1938 AGP.jpg

Whitehead (ERA R10B) takes the flag to win the 1938 Australian Grand Prix

Peter Nield Whitehead (12 November 1914 – 21 September 1958) was a British racing driver. He was born in Menston, Yorkshire and was killed in an accident at Lasalle, France, during the Tour de France endurance race. A cultured, knowledgeable and well-travelled racer, he was excellent in sports cars. He won the 1938 Australian Grand Prix, which along with a 24 Heures du Mans win in 1951, probably was his finest achievement, but he also won two 12 Heures internationales de Reims events. He was a regular entrant, mostly for Peter Walker and Graham Whitehead, his half-brother. His death in 1958 ended a career that started in 1935 – however, he was lucky to survive an air crash in 1948.

Early life and pre-war racing

Yorkshireman Whitehead, coming from a wealthy background, gained from the wool industry, started racing in a Riley when he was 19. He moved up to an ERA B-Type the following season and then scored the first major result for the Alta, when he finished third in the Limerick Grand Prix, a Formula Libre race. In 1936, he shared his ERA with Peter Walker, and finished third in the Donington Grand Prix. He took the ERA to Australia in 1938 while touring on business, where he scored his first major victory, winning the 1938 Australian Grand Prix at Bathurst, as well as the inaugural Australian Hillclimb Championship. He returned in England in 1939 and gained a third place in the Nuffield Trophy.<ref name="oldracingcars.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="grandprix.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="kolumbus.fi">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="en.espn.co.uk">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="forums.autosport.com">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="historicracing.com">http://www.historicracing.com/driver_az/cfm?typer=drivers_alpha&tStartRow=1&AlphaIndex=W&driverID=1265Template:Dead link</ref>

Post-war racing career

During World War II, Whitehead was a pilot with the Royal Air Force, and he was back in competition as soon as racing was revived, taking his trusty ERA to second place in the British Empire Trophy, held at the Douglas Circuit on the Isle of Man in the summer of 1947. He also raced in the Lausanne Grand Prix, finishing sixth.<ref name="grandprix.com"/><ref name="en.espn.co.uk"/><ref name="historicracing.com"/><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

In 1948, he survived a plane crash at Croydon Aerodrome, when he was on his way to Milano, to arrange the purchase a Ferrari 125. The accident left him badly hurt and out of racing for a year.<ref name="oldracingcars.com"/><ref name="grandprix.com"/><ref name="en.espn.co.uk"/><ref name="forums.autosport.com"/><ref name="historicracing.com"/>

Grand Prix racer

Peter Whitehead and his good friend and co driver Dudley Folland are notable as being the first people to whom Enzo Ferrari ever sold a Formula One car: a Ferrari 125 in 1949. Dudley Folland had the car painted green, with a red Welsh Dragon painted on the bonnet, being a proud Welshman.

Peter won the Velká cena Československa. In doing so, he became the first Englishman to win a major international motor race outside of the United Kingdom since Richard Seaman. The following season, Whitehead made his debut in the Drivers' World Championship at Monaco, but did not start. His next outing in the championship came in the Grand Prix l’A.C.F., where he came close to winning but was slowed with a gearbox problem which he dropped to third. That was to be his only podium finished in 11 championship starts between 1950 and 1954.<ref name="grandprix.com" /><ref name="kolumbus.fi" /><ref name="en.espn.co.uk" /><ref name="forums.autosport.com" /><ref name="historicracing.com" /><ref name="Williams">Richard Williams, “Enzo Ferrari: A Life" (Yellow Jersey Press, Template:ISBN, 2002)</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

During 1950 season, he won two minor Formula One races, the Jersey Road Race and the Ulster Trophy, but the biggest career victory came in Sports Cars. He continued to race and win in Formula Two across Europe. Later, he added victories in the 1954 Lady Wigram Trophy, in New Zealand, and repeated the feat in 1956 and 1957. He also won the 1956 Rand Grand Prix. All four of those victories, he was driving a Ferrari.<ref name="grandprix.com"/>

Sports car racing

File:Jaguar Heritage Racing (7151624875).jpg

Whitehead takes the flag to win the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans race

1950 saw Whitehead start his first 24 Hours of Le Mans race, together with John Marshall in a Jaguar XK120. The pair finished in 15th place. He teamed up with Peter Walker to win the 1951 race, however, in a Jaguar C-Type, at an average speed of Template:Convert.<ref name="grandprix.com"/><ref name="kolumbus.fi"/><ref name="forums.autosport.com"/><ref>Two Britons Drive Record 93.112 M.P.H. For 24 Hours to Capture French Auto Race, New York Times, 25 June 1951, Page 24.</ref>

In 1953, Whitehead decided to concentrate on sports cars, and in July, he saw more success sharing a Jaguar C-Type with Stirling Moss in the 12 Heures Internationales de Reims. He returned again in 1954, in a full works supported Jaguar D-Type to win the event again partnered by Ken Wharton. Prior to that first win at Reims, he also won the Hyères 12 Hours.<ref name="grandprix.com"/><ref name="forums.autosport.com"/><ref name="historicracing.com"/><ref>French Auto Races To British Drivers, New York Times, 6 July 1953, Page 22.</ref><ref>Article 3-No Title, New York Times, 5 July 1954, Page 15.</ref>

Later in 1954, again paired with Wharton, he was placed sixth in the RAC Tourist Trophy road race.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Laureau, in French Car, Takes Ulster Trophy, 12 September 1954, Page S9.</ref>

Death

Whitehead's last great performance was at Le Mans in 1958 where he came second in an Aston Martin DB3S, sharing the driving with his half-brother, Graham. A couple of months later, on 21 September 1958, Peter and Graham were competing together in the Tour de France, when their Jaguar 3.4-Litre crashed off a bridge into a Template:Convert ravine at Lasalle, near Nîmes after overturning twice, with Graham at the wheel. Graham escaped with serious but not life-threatening injuries, but Peter was killed instantly.<ref name="grandprix.com"/><ref name="kolumbus.fi"/><ref name="en.espn.co.uk"/><ref name="forums.autosport.com"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>The Manchester Guardian, 22 September 1958, Page 2.</ref>

Racing record

Career highlights

Season	Series	Position	Team	Car
1935	Limerick Grand Prix <ref name="grandprix.com"/>	3rd		Alta
1936	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	ERA B-Type
	Donington Grand Prix <ref name="ReferenceA">https://www.goldenera.fi/dw.htmTemplate:Dead link</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	ERA B-Type
1937	JCC 200 <ref name="ReferenceA"/>	2nd	Peter Whitehead	ERA B-Type
	JCC 200 Grand Prix <ref name="ReferenceA"/>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	ERA B-Type
1938	Australian Hillclimb Championship <ref name="oldracingcars.com"/>	1st		ERA B-Type
	Australian Grand Prix <ref>http://www.driversdb.com/championships/standings/australian-grand-prix/1938/Template:Dead link</ref>	1st		ERA B-Type
1939	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	ERA B-Type
1947	British Empire Trophy <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd		ERA B-Type
1949	Velká cena Československa <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st		Ferrari 125
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd		ERA B-Type
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd		ERA B-Type
	Grand Prix de France <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd		Ferrari 125
1950	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st		Ferrari 125
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st		Ferrari 125
	RAC Tourist Trophy <ref>http://www.racingsportscar.com/results/Dundrod-1950-09-16-2063.htmlTemplate:Dead link</ref>	2nd		Jaguar XK120
	Grand Prix de l’A.C.F. <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125
	BRDC International Trophy <ref>http://www.chicanef1.cpm/race.pl?year=1950&gp=BRDC%20International%20Trophy&r=1&type=finalTemplate:Dead link</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125
	FIA Formula One World Championship <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}Template:Dead link</ref>	9th	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125
1951	Les 24 Heures du Mans <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	Peter Walker	Jaguar C-Type
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125/166
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125/166
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd		ERA E-Type
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd		Ferrari 125
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd		Ferrari 125/166
1953	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	P.N. Whitehead	Jaguar C-Type
	12 heures internationales <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	P.N. Whitehead	Jaguar C-Type
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	Atlantic Stable	Cooper-Alta T24
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	Atlantic Stable	Cooper-Alta T24
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	Atlantic Stable	Cooper-Alta T24
	Coronation Trophy <ref name="formula2.net"/>	3rd	Atlantic Stable	Cooper-Alta T24
	Goodwood Nine-Hours <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	W. Lyons	Jaguar XK120C
1954	Lady Wigram Trophy <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125
	12 heures internationales <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Jaguar D-Type
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	Cooper-Jaguar T33
1955	New Zealand Grand Prix <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 500/625
1956	Lady Wigram Trophy <ref name="sergent.com.au">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 500/750S
	Southland Road Race <ref name="sergent.com.au"/>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 500/750S
	Rand Grand Prix <ref>http://teamdan.com/archive/www2/flibre/56fibre.htmlTemplate:Dead link</ref>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 500/750S
	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	Peter Whitehead	Cooper-Jaguar T38
	New Zealand Grand Prix <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 500/750S
	Australian Grand Prix <ref>http://www.driversdb.com/championships/standings/australian-grand-prix/1956/Template:Dead link</ref>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 555
1957	Lady Wigram Trophy <ref name="ReferenceB">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 555/860
	Southland Road Race <ref name="ReferenceB"/>	1st	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 555/860
	New Zealand Grand Prix <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 555/860
	Dunedin Road Race <ref name="ReferenceB"/>	3rd	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 555/860
1958	24 Heures du Mans <ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	2nd	A.G. Whitehead	Aston Martin DB3S

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	WDC	Points
1950	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125	Ferrari V12	GBR	MON Template:Small	500			FRA Template:Small	ITA Template:Small			9th	4
	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari 125	Ferrari V12				SUI DNA	BEL
1951	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125	Ferrari V12	SUI Template:Small	500	BEL	FRA Template:Small		GER	ITA Template:Small			NC	0
		Ferrari 375	Ferrari V12								ESP DNA
	G A Vandervell	Ferrari 375 Thinwall	Ferrari V12					GBR Template:Small
1952	Peter Whitehead	Alta F2	Alta Straight-4	SUI	500	BEL	FRA Template:Small						NC	0
		Ferrari 125/166	Ferrari V12					GBR Template:Small	GER	NED	ITA Template:Small
1953	Atlantic Stable	Cooper T24	Alta Straight-4	ARG	500	NED	BEL	FRA	GBR Template:Small	GER	SUI	ITA	NC	0
1954	Peter Whitehead	Cooper T24	Alta Straight-4	ARG	500	BEL	FRA	GBR Template:Small	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP	NC	0
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Non-Championship Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	28	29	30	31	32	33	34	35
1949	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125	Ferrari V12	BUE	EVA	RIO	SRM Template:Small	PAU	RIC	PAU	JER Template:Small	ROU	MAR	GBR Template:Small	EMP	FRO	BEL Template:Small	SUI Template:Small	ALB	FRA Template:Small	ZAN Template:Small	INT	LAU Template:Small	ITA Template:Small	GOO	AUS	CSR Template:Small	SAL	PER
1950	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125	Ferrari V12	PAU	RIC Template:Small	SRM Template:Small	PAR	EMP	BAR	JER Template:Small	ALB	NED Template:Small	NAT	NOT	ULS Template:Small	PES	STT	INT Template:Small	GOO Template:Small	PEN
1951	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125	Ferrari V12	SYR	PAU	RIC	SRM Template:Small	BOR Template:Small	INT	PAR	ULS Template:Small	SCO	NED ALT	ALB	PES Template:Small	BAR Template:Small	GOO
1952	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari 125/166	Ferrari V12	RIO	SYR Template:Small	VAL Template:Small	RIC DNA	LAV	PAU	IBS DNA			INT Template:Small	ELÄ	NAP	EIF		ALB Template:Small	FRO	ULS							DAI Template:Small	COM	NAT
		Alta F2	Alta L4								MAR Template:Small	AST					PAR Template:Small				MNZ Template:Small	LAC	ESS	MAR Template:Small	SAB DNA	CAE				BAU Template:Small	MOD	CAD	SKA	MAD Template:Small	AVU	JOE Template:Small	NEW Template:Small	RIO
1953	Peter Whitehead	Cooper T24	Alta L4	SYR Template:Small	PAU	LAV Template:Small	AST Template:Small	BOR Template:Small	INT Template:Small	ELÄ	NAP	ULS Template:Small	WIN	FRO	COR Template:Small	EIF	ALB Template:Small	PRI	ESS	MID	ROU	CRY Template:Small	AVU	USF	LAC	BRI	CHE Template:Small	SAB	NEW	CAD	RED Template:Small	SKA	LON	MOD	MAD	JOE	CUR
1954	Peter Whitehead	Cooper T24	Alta L4	SYR	PAU	LAV Template:Small	BOR Template:Small	INT DNA	BAR	CUR	ROM	FRO	COR	BRC	CRY	ROU	CAE	AUG	COR	OUT	RED Template:Small	PES	JOE	CAD	BER	GOO	DAI

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1950	Template:Flagicon P.C.D. Walker	Template:Flagicon John Marshall	Jaguar XK120	S5.0	225	15th	8th
1951	Template:Flagicon Peter Walker	Template:Flagicon Peter Walker	Jaguar C-Type	S5.0	267	1st	1st
1952	Template:Flagicon Jaguar Ltd.	Template:Flagicon Ian Stewart	Jaguar C-Type	S5.0		DNF (Head gasket)
1953	Template:Flagicon Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Template:Flagicon Ian Stewart	Jaguar C-Type	S5.0	297	4th	3rd
1954	Template:Flagicon Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Template:Flagicon Ken Wharton	Jaguar D-Type	S5.0	131	DNF (Gearbox)
1955	Template:Flagicon Cooper Cars Co	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Cooper-Jaguar T38	S5.0	36	DNF (Oil pressure)
1957	Template:Flagicon D. Brown	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Aston Martin DBR2	S5.0	81	DNF (Gearbox)
1958	Template:Flagicon A.G. Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Aston Martin DB3S	S3.0	293	2nd	2nd

Complete 12 Hours of Reims results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1953	Template:Flagicon P.N. Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Stirling Moss	Jaguar C-Type	S+2.0	243	1st	1st
1954	Template:Flagicon Jaguar Cars Ltd.	Template:Flagicon Ken Wharton	Jaguar D-Type		222	1st	1st

Complete 12 Hours of Hyères results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1953	Template:Flagicon P.N. Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Tom Cole	Jaguar C-Type	S+3.0	204	1st	1st
1954	Template:Flagicon Peter Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Duncan Hamilton	Cooper-Jaguar T33			DNS (Broken crankshaft)
1955	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Aston Martin DB3S			DNF (Cooling)

Complete 12 Hours of Pescara results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1953	Template:Flagicon Peter Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Duncan Hamilton	Jaguar C-Type			DNF (Steering)

Complete 12 Hours of Casablanca results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Template:Tooltip	Template:Tooltip
1953	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Template:Flagicon Graham Whitehead	Aston Martin DB3	S+2.0		5th	4th

Further reading

• Template:Cite book

External links

• Peter Whitehead: 1954 Formula One Season By Jeremy McMullen [1]
• Peter Whitehead summary of driving career with Jaguar Cars