Roy Salvadori
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:EngvarB Template:Infobox person
Roy Francesco Salvadori (12 May 1922 – 3 June 2012) was a British racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from Template:F1 to Template:F1. In endurance racing, Salvadori won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in Template:24hLM with Aston Martin.
Born in Dovercourt to parents of Italian descent, Salvadori began competing in Grand Prix motor racing after World War II. His early career successes at tracks such as Silverstone and Snetterton earned him the nickname "King of the Airfields". He graduated to Formula One by 1952 and competed regularly until 1962 for a succession of teams including Cooper, Vanwall, BRM, Aston Martin and Connaught. Also a competitor in other formulae, he won the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans in an Aston Martin with co-driver Carroll Shelby.
In 47 starts he achieved two F1 Championship podium finishes: third place at the 1958 British Grand Prix and second place at that year's German Grand Prix, and won non-championship races in Australia, New Zealand and England. In 1961 he was lying second in the United States Grand Prix when his Cooper's engine failed. At the end of 1962 he retired from F1, and stopped racing altogether a couple of years later to concentrate on the motor trade. He returned to the sport in 1966 to manage the Cooper-Maserati squad for two seasons, and eventually retired to Monaco.
Racing career
Early career
With his ambition thwarted by World War II, Salvadori began his career in 1946, racing purely for pleasure, in minor events, in a MG and an ex-Brooklands offset Riley racer before stepping up to an ex-Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo P3 in 1947.<ref name=Pritchard>Roy Salvadori and Anthony Pritchard, "Roy Salvadori: Racing Driver" (Patrick Stephens, Template:ISBN, 1985)</ref><ref name="ReferenceA">Template:Cite book</ref> It was with this car, he raced in the 1947 Grand Prix des Frontières, where late into the race, his Alfa would remain stuck in top gear. Despite this, Salvadori still cruised home to record an impressive fifth place.<ref name="conceptcarz.com">Template:Cite web</ref> He then decided to become a professional racing driver, and drove a number of different makes as his career progressed.<ref name="ReferenceA"/>
In the May 1951 BRDC International Trophy race at Silverstone, Salvadori had a serious accident when his Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica somersaulted two and a half times, ejecting him into the hay bales. He was in a critical condition, suffering a fractured skull and other severe injuries which left him so close to death he was given the last rites.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
King of the Airfields
Salvadori knew his limitations, and realized that chasing the likes of Stirling Moss at circuits like steeply cambered, high-banked Dundrod or Pescara, with its blind bends and flat-out blinds, was futile, verging on suicidal. Though he was not alone in that, he became known as "King of the Airfields", accumulating wins at Silverstone, Snetterton and flat English airfield tracks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Salvadori twice won the Oulton Park's International Gold Cup<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> where there were plenty of trees to hit and a lake to plunge into, which he did once driving a Jaguar Mk.II 3.8 saloon.<ref name="independent.co.uk">Template:Cite web</ref> Nor was the Le Mans Mulsanne Straight at night a place for the careless or nervous, nevertheless he scored his most notable success there in an Aston Martin DBR1/300 in 1959.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Salvadori's association with tractor magnate David Brown and his Feltham-built Aston Martin sports cars,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> GTs and F1 underscored his career; he joined Brown's team in mid-1953, and would label his 1963 defeat of Ferrari's 250 GTO at Monza in its DP214 in the Inter-Europa Cup, as his favourite victory.<ref name="Pritchard"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Formula One
Salvadori recovered sufficiently from his Silverstone accident to make his first entry into Grand Prix racing in 1952 when he drove a two-litre four cylinder Ferrari 500 in the British Grand Prix for G. Caprara, finishing eighth, three laps down.<ref name="ReferenceB">Template:Cite book</ref> He would continue to race the Ferrari, winning the Joe Fry Memorial Trophy.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For the 1953 season, Salvadori joined the Connaught team and competed in five Grands Prix with the Connaught "A type" but retired from all of them.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> However, he did secured a number of non-championship victories during the season.<ref name="conceptcarz.com"/>
Between 1954 and 1956 Salvadori drove a Maserati 250F in Formula One for Syd Greene's Gilby Engineering team, taking a numerous good results in predominantly non-championship F1 races,<ref name="theguardian.com"/> with one entry for Officine Alfieri Maserati in the 1954 Swiss Grand Prix where he did not start and the car was driven by Sergio Mantovani.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> It was in the 1956 RAC British Grand Prix at Silverstone when only a similarly 250F mounted Moss shaded him and a possible victory was lost to a fuel line problem,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> marked him out as a potential top-level driver. However, he remained particularly active in domestic motor sport and in sports cars for Aston Martin.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
Following his Championship debut in 1952, Salvadori would experience retirement after retirement. Out of the ten races contested between 1953 and 1956, he would retire early in every single one of them.<ref name="chicanef1.com">Template:Cite web</ref> But this all changed in 1957, when he signed with Cooper achieving only one fifth place at RAC British Grand Prix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, 1958 (as teammate to Jack Brabham) was his most successful season, finishing fourth in the World Drivers' Championship for Cooper, behind Mike Hawthorn, Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Over the course of the season, he would earn two podium finishes,<ref name="chicanef1.com"/> including a second place in the German Grand Prix.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However he was not retained by Cooper for 1959 (when Brabham would win the first of his titles) but drove a privately entered Cooper, as well as the works Aston Martin, in which he achieved two sixth-place finishes.<ref name="ReferenceB"/> The Aston Martin was a traditional front engined car, which was soon outclassed by the Cooper rear engined concept.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He did, however, win the London Trophy at Crystal Palace with a Formula Two Cooper.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> The Aston Martin team continued into 1960 but again without success and Salvadori also continued with the privately entered Cooper.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref name="ReferenceB"/>
For 1961, Salvadori moved to Reg Parnell's Yeoman Credit Racing team as partner to John Surtees, competing in five Grands Prix and achieving three sixth-place finishes with the team's 1.5-litre Cooper T53-Climax. The Cooper now had strong competition in the form of Colin Chapman's Lotus cars, but Salvadori was catching Innes Ireland for the lead in the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen when the engine failed.<ref name="theguardian.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He continued with Parnell for 1962, now under the Bowmaker Racing Team name with the Lola Mk4-Climax, but eight attempts yielded seven retirements and one failure to start (as John Surtees took the car).<ref name="ReferenceB"/> 1962 was Salvadori's last season in Formula One. The season had begun with a nasty accident in a Cooper during qualifying for the Warwick Farm '100' in Australia, which left him with a temporary facial paralysis.<ref name="independent.co.uk"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Sports cars
Throughout his Formula One career, Salvadori continued to participate in many other classes, particularly within the United Kingdom and became very well-known domestically as a result.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Throughout 1951 and 1952 seasons, while taking part in sportscar races throughout England, he would become a regular on the podium and would win his first race at the BARC Goodwood in 1952.<ref name="racingsportscars.com GB">Template:Cite web</ref> He would follow this victory up with another at Snetterton and Goodwood later on in the season.<ref name="racingsportscars.com GB"/> He would then sweep all of the events as part of the National meeting at Thruxton.<ref name="racingsportscars.com GB"/> 1953 would see Salvadori earn more podium finishes with a few victories.<ref name="racingsportscars.com GB"/> However, his first attempt at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, driving a works Aston Martin would not fare well. Co-driving with George Abecassis, the clutch failure would lead to the pair retiring early.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He impressed with his aggressive press-on attitude, when he finished second in the Internationales ADAC-1000 km Rennen Weltmeisterschaftslauf Nürburgring in an Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-Type, shared with Ian Stewart<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Ever since he started racing sportscars in the upper levels during the 1950s, he was usually a sure bet to finish in the top five, whether it was in national or international races.<ref name="racingsportscars.com GB"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, in 1959, he would achieve a run of success of which even the best would find themselves envious. Although he only finished one race in the year to March, over the next three months Salvadori would go on an incredible run of success. The run started with a second place in the British Empire Trophy race but followed that with two straight victories in the Aintree 200 and an International race at Silverstone. And then, a pair of second-place finishes and another victory, this time at the National Open race at Crystal Palace in the middle of May. It was on to the Circuit de la Sarthe for the 24 Hours of Le Mans.<ref name="www.racingsportscars.com GB p3">Template:Cite web</ref>
1959 24 Hours of Le Mans
Salvadori was entered in the race by David Brown Racing Dept. in an Aston Martin DBR1/300, partnered by the same co-driver he had had at the 12 Hours of Sebring earlier on in the year, Texan Carroll Shelby.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Attrition would be a constant participant and the field would be down to just 13 cars, heading the surviving cars was that of Salvadori and Shelby. The Englishman would bring the car across the finish line giving himself and Brown the Le Mans victory each had been longing for many years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This would be the high point of his sports car career, especially as Shelby was afflicted by dysentery, therefore Salvadori did the lion's share of the driving.<ref name="theguardian.com"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Before the end of the season, he would score four more victories to make it his best season.<ref name="www.racingsportscars.com GB p3"/>
He followed the '59 season with another successful season in 1960, scoring five victories, including a run of four wins in five races.<ref name="www.racingsportscars.com GB p3"/> While at Le Mans, he allowed his co-driver, Jim Clark sufficient scope to express himself, but provided enough wise counsel for the pairing to finish third in the Border Reivers' DBR1.<ref name=Laban>Brian Laban, "Le Mans 24 Hours: The Complete Story of World's Most Famous Motor Race" (Haynes Publishing, Template:ISBN, 2001)</ref> 1961 would see him take two victories at Crystal Palace on the same day, plus a string of other podium finishes <ref name="www.racingsportscars.com GB p3"/> He returned to the winning ways at the Circuit de la Sarthe in 1962, when he shared a Jaguar E-Type with Briggs Cunningham. The pair finished fourth overall, but won their class.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A year later, he spun on oil dropped by Bruce McLaren's Aston Martin DP214 during the early stages of the race and flipped his E-Type onto its roof; the car then burst into flames. Jean-Pierre Manzon in his Aerodjet LM6 hit Salvadori and stopped in the middle of the track. Christian Heins was unable to avoid the wreckage; his car swerved out of control, hit another car, spun into a lamp car, and exploded in flames. Salvadori and Manzon were both injured; Heins died instantly.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The accident ultimately led to Salvadori retiring from racing in early 1965, after finished second in the Whitsun Trophy race at Goodwood, abroad a Ford GT40.<ref name="ReferenceA"/><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His last sportscar victory came the season before in the Scott-Brown Memorial at Snetterton.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Salvadori returned to Formula One as a team manager for the Cooper racing team in 1966 and 1967.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> However, after a disagreement with the team, he left and focussed on his own business. Away from the track, he was involved with a car dealership in Surrey between 1968-1969.<ref name="theguardian.com"/> Salvadori was also involved in the early stages of the Ford GT40 project but resigned, when the machine's handling appeared problematic, without accepting a fee for his services.<ref name="Tele">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="theguardian.com">Template:Cite web</ref>
Salvadori retired to Monaco in the late 1960s.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He died in Monaco on 3 June 2012 at the age of 90, three weeks after the death of his co-driver at Le Mans in 1959, Carroll Shelby.<ref name="Tremayne">Tremayne, D. (2012). 'Roy Salvadori: Racing driver who triumphed at Le Mans'. Independent. Sunday 10 June 2012. [1]</ref>
Family life
Salvadori married Susan Hindmarsh, one of the daughters of racing driver, long distance record breaker and 'round the world' driver Violette Cordery and her husband, the racing driver and aviator John Stuart Hindmarsh.<ref name="theguardian.com"/><ref name="ODNB">Template:Cite ODNB</ref>
Racing record
Career highlights
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
† Car driven, in the race, by Sergio Mantovani.<ref name="ReferenceB"/>
Non-championship results
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 | DC | Pts | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 | John Coombs | Jaguar 3.4-Litre | Template:Tooltip | GOO 2 |
AIN 2 |
SIL 2 |
GOO | SNE | BRH | BRH | NC | 0 | NC | ||||
| 1960 | John Coombs | Jaguar Mk II 3.8 | +2600cc | BRH | SNE | MAL | OUL | SNE | BRH 1* |
BRH | BRH | NC* | 0* | ||||
| 1961 | John Coombs | Jaguar Mk II 3.8 | Template:Tooltip | SNE Ret |
GOO Ret |
AIN 1 |
SIL Ret |
CRY 1 |
SIL Ret |
BRH 2 |
OUL 1 |
SNE 2 |
5th | 37 | 2nd | ||
| 1962 | John Coombs | Jaguar Mk II 3.8 | Template:Tooltip | SNE 4 |
GOO 2 |
AIN 2 |
SIL Ret |
CRY 1 |
AIN | BRH 3 |
OUL DNS |
9th | 28 | 4th | |||
| 1963 | Tommy Atkins | Jaguar Mk II 3.8 | Template:Tooltip | SNE 1 |
OUL DSQ |
GOO 2 |
AIN 2 |
SIL 2 |
CRY 2 |
SIL | BRH 3 |
4th | 38 | 2nd | |||
| Alan Brown Racing Ltd | Ford Galaxie | BRH 12 |
OUL 7 |
SNE | |||||||||||||
| {{safesubst:#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=|preview=Page using Template:Center with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y| 1 | style }} | |||||||||||||||||
- Car over 1000cc - Not eligible for points.
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Template:Flagicon Aston Martin Ltd. | Template:Flagicon Reg Parnell | Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 24 | DNF Engine | |
| 1956 | Template:Flagicon David Brown & Sons, Ltd. | Template:Flagicon Carroll Shelby | Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 187 | 4th | 1st |
| 1957 | Template:Flagicon Maserati Factory | Template:Flagicon Carroll Shelby | Maserati 250S | S3.0 | 68 | DISQ Illegal refuel | |
| 1958 | Template:Flagicon David Brown | Template:Flagicon Carroll Shelby | Aston Martin DBR1/300 | S3.0 | 62 | DNF Transmission | |
| 1959 | Template:Flagicon David Brown-Aston Martin | Template:Flagicon Carroll Shelby | Aston Martin DBR1/300 | S3.0 | 32 | DNF Gear level | |
Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1964 | Template:Flagicon Dawnay Racing | Template:Flagicon Mike Salmon | Aston Martin DP214 | GT+2.0 | 34 | DNF (Engine) | |
Complete 12 Hours of Reims results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Template:Flagicon Tony Crook | Frazer Nash Le Mans Replica | S2.0 | started result unknown | |||
| 1954 | Template:Flagicon Cliff Davis | Maserati A6GCS | DNS Engine | ||||
Complete 12 Hours of Casablanca results
| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Template:Tooltip | Template:Tooltip |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1953 | Template:Flagicon "Mike Sparken" | Template:Flagicon "Mike Sparken" | Aston Martin DB3 | S+2.0 | 4th | 3rd |
References
Further reading
- Roy Salvadori/Anthony Pritchard. Roy Salvadori: Racing Driver Patrick Stephens. 1985 978-0850596342.
- Template:Cite web
- Template:Cite web
- Template:Cite web
Template:S-start Template:S-sports Template:Succession box Template:S-end
Template:24 Hours of Le Mans winners Template:Aston Martin F1 Template:Aston Martin Racing
- Pages with broken file links
- Pages using center with unknown parameters
- 1922 births
- 2012 deaths
- English racing drivers
- English Formula One drivers
- Connaught Formula One drivers
- Gilby Engineering Formula One drivers
- BRM Formula One drivers
- Vanwall Formula One drivers
- Reg Parnell Racing Formula One drivers
- Aston Martin Formula One drivers
- British Touring Car Championship drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans winning drivers
- 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers
- 12 Hours of Sebring drivers
- 12 Hours of Reims drivers
- English people of Italian descent
- Sportspeople of Italian descent
- World Sportscar Championship drivers
- People from Tendring (district)
- Sportspeople from Essex
- Italian British racing drivers
- Ecurie Ecosse drivers
- 20th-century English sportsmen