kids encyclopedia robot

Peter Collins (racing driver) facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Peter Collins
Peter Collins car racer.jpg
Born (1931-11-06)6 November 1931
Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England
Died 3 August 1958(1958-08-03) (aged 26)
Bonn, Germany
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality United Kingdom British
Active years 19521958
Teams HWM
Vanwall
Maserati
Ferrari
Entries 35 (32 starts)
Championships 0
Wins 3
Podiums 9
Career points 47
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First entry 1952 Swiss Grand Prix
First win 1956 Belgian Grand Prix
Last win 1958 British Grand Prix
Last entry 1958 German Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years 1952 – 1958
Teams Aston Martin
David Brown
Scuderia Ferrari
Best finish 2nd (1955, 1956)
Class wins 2 (1955, 1956)

Peter John Collins (born November 6, 1931 – died August 3, 1958) was a famous British racing driver. He started racing cars when he was just 17 years old in 1949. He quickly became very good, finishing third in the 1951 Autosport National Formula 3 Championship.

Sadly, Peter Collins passed away during the 1958 German Grand Prix. This was only a few weeks after he won the British Grand Prix. In the 2023 movie Ferrari, Peter Collins was played by actor Jack O'Connell.

Early Life and Racing Start

Peter Collins was born in Kidderminster, England, on November 6, 1931. His father owned a car garage and a transport business. This meant Peter became very interested in cars from a young age. He even got into trouble at school for spending time at a local fairground! At 16, he left school and started working as an apprentice in his father's garage. He also began racing in local car events.

Like many British drivers back then, Peter started racing in the "500 cc" category. These were small cars that used powerful Norton motorcycle engines. His parents bought him a Cooper 500 car to start with. He became very successful after he switched to a JBS-Norton car in 1951. Many other famous F1 drivers, like Stirling Moss, also started in these small cars.

Peter got a big break when he met John Wyer, who was in charge of the Aston Martin racing team. Peter managed to get a test drive at Silverstone. While he was testing for Aston Martin, the Formula 2 team HWM was also there. By the end of the day, Peter had signed contracts with both teams!

At HWM, Peter joined a team with Lance Macklin and Stirling Moss. They raced in many F2 events across Britain and Europe. Peter showed he was very fast, but the HWM-Alta car often broke down. His best finish was second place in the Grand Prix des Sables d'Olonne. In 1952, Peter got his chance in Formula One with HWM, replacing Stirling Moss. His best result that year was sixth place in the French Grand Prix.

The HWM team did not have much success, so Peter left after the 1953 season. Peter was known for his natural driving skill, rather than his technical knowledge. He was happy for his mechanics to set up his car. In 1954, he drove the very powerful "Thinwall Special" for Tony Vandervell. This car was exciting to watch in races. He also drove the "Vanwall Special" but only finished seventh in the Italian Grand Prix.

After being a tough competitor against the BRM team, Peter joined them for the 1955 season. He drove a Maserati 250F car and won the BRDC International Trophy and the London Trophy. These wins led him to drive for the official Maserati team in the Italian Grand Prix.

Peter also had great success in sports car racing. He was a strong driver for the Aston Martin team in the early 1950s. He won the 1952 Goodwood Nine Hours race. The next year, he won the RAC Tourist Trophy with Pat Griffith in an Aston Martin DB3S. He also finished second at the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1955 and 1956. He shared the car with Paul Frère and Stirling Moss in those races.

Later Career and Ferrari Success

In 1956, Peter Collins joined the famous Ferrari team. This happened after he drove brilliantly in the 1955 Targa Florio race, where he won with Stirling Moss in a Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR. Joining Ferrari was a big moment for him. He finished second behind Moss at the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix and then won the Belgian and French Grands Prix.

Fangio chases Collins Nurburgring 1957
Collins, in a Ferrari 801, is chased by Juan Manuel Fangio's Maserati 250F during the 1957 German Grand Prix.

During his early time at Ferrari, Peter earned the deep respect of Enzo Ferrari, the team's founder. Enzo Ferrari had recently lost his son, Dino, and found comfort in Peter. He treated Peter like a member of his own family.

Peter was very close to becoming Britain's first F1 World Champion in 1956. But in the 1956 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, he did something amazing. He gave his Lancia-Ferrari D50 car to his team leader, Juan Manuel Fangio. Fangio's car had a problem, and Peter wanted to help him. Peter still finished second in the race. However, this act of kindness meant he ended up third in the championship. Enzo Ferrari admired Peter's selfless act. Fangio also praised him, saying Peter was "one of the finest and greatest gentlemen I ever met."

In sports car racing, Peter continued to do well. In 1956, he finished second in the 1956 Mille Miglia and the Swedish Sports Car GP. In 1957, he was second in the 1957 1000km of Nürburgring and won the 1957 Venezuelan Grand Prix. In 1958, he won the 1958 1000 km Buenos Aires and the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring. These three wins were back-to-back. His last sports car podium was another second place at the Nürburgring with Mike Hawthorn.

In 1956, Peter moved to Monaco to continue his racing career. This also helped him avoid compulsory military service in the British Army.

In January 1957, Peter married American actress Louise King. She was the daughter of an assistant to the UN Secretary General. They lived on a yacht in Monaco. That same year, Peter's good friend Mike Hawthorn joined him at Ferrari. They became very close and even agreed to share their prize money. They also had a strong rivalry with another Ferrari driver, Luigi Musso. Even though Ferrari's 801 car was heavy and not very powerful, Peter still won two non-championship races in 1957. These were the Syracuse and Naples Grands Prix.

1957-05-08 Modena Ferrari 335 Enzo Collins
Collins with Enzo Ferrari (centre background) before the 1957 Mille Miglia
Collins Fangio and Hawthorn celebrate Nurburgring 1957
Collins (left) and teammate Mike Hawthorn celebrate with race winner Juan Manuel Fangio, after the 1957 German Grand Prix.

The 1958 season brought a new, better car for Ferrari, the Ferrari Dino 246. Results started to get better for the team. Peter didn't have many good results early in the season. But then he won the non-championship 1958 BRDC International Trophy and finished third at the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix. However, Enzo Ferrari felt that Peter was not focused enough on racing. He thought Peter's lifestyle in Monaco was too much like a party.

Peter was briefly fired by Ferrari after the 1958 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He had damaged his car's clutch on purpose rather than race in a rainstorm. He was also found drinking in a pub before the race ended. Ferrari then allowed Peter to drive an F2 car. At the 1958 French Grand Prix, Mike Hawthorn refused to start unless Peter was allowed to drive an F1 car. Peter did, and finished fifth. Ferrari fired Peter again! But Mike Hawthorn flew to Italy and insisted that Peter be given his F1 seat back. Enzo Ferrari agreed.

After Luigi Musso's death at Reims, Ferrari needed another top driver. So Peter's place on the team was safe for a while. At the 1958 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Peter had one of his best races ever. He was following team orders and wanted to help his friend Hawthorn win the championship. Peter led the race from the start, pushing his car to the limit to beat Stirling Moss. Even though his car was not as good as Moss's, Peter drove incredibly fast for 45 laps. He pulled away from Moss until Moss's car broke down. Peter won the race! The Ferrari team decided not to tell Peter to slow down and let Hawthorn win, because Peter's drive was so amazing. Stirling Moss's future team owner, Rob Walker, told Peter after the race that his driving was "frightening" and he should never drive like that again. This was Peter's third and final career victory.

Tragic Death

During the 1958 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Peter Collins was chasing Tony Brooks's car. He went into a part of the track called Pflanzgarten too fast. His Ferrari went wide and hit a ditch. Peter lost control of his car, and it flipped into the air, landing upside down. Peter was thrown from the car and hit a tree. He suffered very serious head injuries. Despite getting medical help, Peter passed away later that afternoon in a hospital in Bonn.

His death was very similar to what happened to his Ferrari teammate Luigi Musso earlier. Mike Hawthorn was so upset by Peter's death that he decided to stop racing right after winning the 1958 Drivers' Championship. Mike Hawthorn himself passed away the next year in a car accident in England.

Rivalry with Luigi Musso

Years after Peter Collins passed away, Fiamma Breschi, who was Luigi Musso's girlfriend, spoke about the rivalry between Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn, and Luigi Musso. She said that the competition between Musso and the two English drivers made all three of them take more risks. She explained that Hawthorn and Collins had an agreement to share their winnings. This meant it was "the two of them against Luigi." This rivalry, she said, actually helped Ferrari because the drivers pushed each other to go faster.

Personal Life

Peter Collins married Louise King in 1957, just one week after they met in Miami. He proposed to her after only two days! Louise was American, and her father worked for the United Nations. She became a widow in 1958 when Peter had his fatal crash at the Nürburgring. She was interviewed in the movie Ferrari: Race to Immortality.

Racing Record

Career Highlights

Season Series Position Team Car
1949 Silverstone 100 Mile Race 1st Cooper-Norton Mk III
1950 Goodwood International Trophy [500cc] 2nd Cooper-Norton Mk III
"Royal" Meeting Grand Prix d'Europe [500cc] 3rd Cooper-Norton Mk III
Brighton Speed Trials 3rd Cooper-Norton Mk III
1951 Autosport National Formula 3 Championship 3rd JBS-Norton
1952 9 Hours of Goodwood 1st David Brown Aston Martin DB3
Grand Prix des Sables d'Olonne 2nd HW Motors Ltd. HWM-Alta 52
Grands Prix de France 7th HW Motors Ltd. HWM-Alta 52
1953 RAC Tourist Trophy 1st Aston Martin Aston Martin DB3S
9 Hours of Goodwood 2nd David Brown Aston Martin DB3S
Internationales ADAC-Eifelrennen 3rd HW Motors Ltd. HWM-Alta 52
1954 Whitsuntide Race 1st Vandervell Products Ltd. Ferrari Thinwall
WECC Trophy 1st Vandervell Products Ltd. Ferrari Thinwall
Woodcote Trophy 1st Vandervell Products Ltd. Ferrari Thinwall
Crystal Palace Trophy 2nd R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Connaught-Lea Francis A
Goodwood Trophy 2nd Vandervell Products Ltd. Vanwall
Aintree International 2nd Aston Martin Aston Martin DB3S
1000 km Buenos Aires 3rd David Brown Aston Martin DB3S
1955 Chichester Cup 1st Owen Racing Organisation BRM P30 MkII
BRDC International Trophy 1st Owen Racing Organisation Maserati 250F
London Trophy 1st Owen Racing Organisation Maserati 250F
BARC Trophy 1st Owen Racing Organisation BRM P30 MkII
Targa Florio 1st Daimler Benz AG Mercedes-Benz 300 SLR
Les 24 Heures du Mans 2nd Aston Martin Aston Martin DB3S
9 Hours of Goodwood 3rd Aston Martin Aston Martin DB3S
Oulton Park International 3rd Peter Collins Aston Martin DB3S
1956 Giro di Sicilla 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 857 S
Grote Prijs van Belgie 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555
Gran Premio Supercortemaggiore 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 500 TR Touring
Grand Prix de l'ACF 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555
Mile Miglia 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 860 Monza Scaglietti
Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555
RAC British Grand Prix 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555
24 Heures du Mans 2nd David Brown Aston Martin DB3S
Sveriges Grand Prix 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 290 MM
Gran Premio d'Italia 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555
FIA Formula One World Championship 3rd Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50
Ferrari 555
Gran Premio di Siracusa 3rd Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50A
1957 Gran Premio di Siracusa 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 801
Gran Premio di Napoli 1st Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50
Gran Premio de Venezuela 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 335 S
Internationales ADAC 1000 Kilometer Rennen auf dem Nürburgring 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 335 S
Sveriges Grand Prix 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 335 S
1000 km Buenos Aires 3rd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 290 MM
Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires 3rd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 801
Großer Preis von Deutschland 3rd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 801
FIA Formula One World Championship 9th Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 801
1958 1000 km Buenos Aires 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 250 TR 58
12-Hour International Grand Prix of Endurance 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 250 TR 58
BRDC International Trophy 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246
RAC British Grand Prix 1st Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246
Sussex Trophy 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 206 S
Internationales ADAC 1000 Kilometer Rennen Nürburgring 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 205 TR 58
Coupe International de Vitesse 2nd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 516
Grand Prix Automobile de Monaco 3rd Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246
FIA Formula One World Championship 5th Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246

Complete World Drivers' Championship Results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Pts
1952 HW Motors HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 SUI
Ret
500 BEL
Ret
FRA
6
GBR
Ret
GER
DNS
NED ITA
DNQ
NC 0
1953 HW Motors HWM 53 Alta GP 2.5 L4 ARG 500 NED
8
BEL
Ret
FRA
13
GBR
Ret
GER SUI ITA NC 0
1954 Vandervell Products Vanwall Special Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 ARG 500 BEL FRA GBR
Ret
GER SUI ITA
7
ESP
DNS
NC 0
1955 Owen Racing Organisation Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBR
Ret
NC 0
Officine Alfieri Maserati ITA
Ret
1956 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555 Ferrari 555 2.5 L4 ARG
Ret
3rd 25
Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 2.5 V8 MON
2*
500 BEL
1
FRA
1
GBR
2*
GER
Ret*
ITA
2*
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 2.5 V8 ARG
6*
9th 8
Ferrari 801 MON
Ret
500 FRA
3
GBR
4*
GER
3
PES ITA
Ret
1958 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 246 Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 ARG
Ret
MON
3
NED
Ret
500 BEL
Ret
FRA
5
GBR
1
GER
Ret
POR ITA MOR 5th 14
Source:

* Shared drive

Non-Championship Results

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

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
1952 HW Motors HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 RIO SYR VAL RIC LAV PAU
Ret
IBS MAR
7
AST INT
9
ELÄ NAP EIF PAR
Ret
ALB FRO ULS MNZ LAC ESS MAR
Ret
SAB
2
CAE DMT COM
Ret
NAT BAU
4
MOD CAD
Ret
SKA MAD AVU JOE NEW RIO
1953 HW Motors HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 SYR PAU LAV AST BOR INT
11
ELÄ NAP ULS
Ret
WIN FRO COR
7
EIF
3
ALB PRI ESS MID ROU CRY AVU USF LAC
Ret
BRI CHE SAB
6
NEW CAD RED SKA LON MOD MAD JOE CUR
1954 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Connaught A Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 SYR PAU LAV BOR INT BAR CUR ROM FRO COR BRC CRY
2
ROU CAE AUG COR OUL RED PES JOE CAD BER
Vandervell Products Vanwall Special Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 GOO
2
DTT
1955 Owen Racing Organisation Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 NZL BUE VAL PAU GLO BOR INT
1
NAP ALB CUR COR LON DRT RED AVO
Ret
SYR
BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 DTT
DNS
OUL
Ret
1956 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555 Ferrari 555 2.5 L4 BUE
5
GLV
Lancia-Ferrari D50 Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 SYR
3
AIN INT
Ret
NAP 100 VNW CAE BRH
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 BUE
3
SYR
1
PAU GLV NAP
1
RMS
Ret
CAE INT
Ferrari Dino 156 Ferrari D156 1.5 V6 MOD
4
Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 MOR
Ret
1958 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 246 Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 BUE GLV SYR AIN INT
1
CAE
Source:

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1952 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. United Kingdom Lance Macklin Aston Martin DB3 S3.0 DNF DNF
1953 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. United Kingdom Reg Parnell Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 16 DNF DNF
1954 United Kingdom David Brown Thailand "Bira" Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 137 DNF DNF
1955 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Belgium Paul Frère Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 302 2nd 1st
1956 United Kingdom David Brown United Kingdom Stirling Moss Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 299 2nd 1st
1957 Italy Scuderia Ferrari United States Phil Hill Ferrari 335 S S3.0 2 DNF DNF
1958 Italy Scuderia Ferrari United Kingdom Mike Hawthorn Ferrari 250 TR 58 S3.0 112 DNF DNF
Source:

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring Results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1953 United Kingdom Aston Martin, Ltd. United Kingdom Geoff Duke Aston Martin DB3 S3.0 52 DNF DNF
1954 United Kingdom Aston Martin, Ltd. United Kingdom Pat Griffith Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 26 DNF DNF
1956 United Kingdom David Brown & Sons, Ltd. United Kingdom Stirling Moss Aston Martin DB3S S3.0 51 DNF DNF
1956 Italy Ferrari Factory France Maurice Trintignant Ferrari 315 S S5.0 198 6th 5th
1958 Italy Scuderia Ferrari United States Phil Hill Ferrari 250 TR 58 S3.0 200 1st 1st
Source:

Complete Mille Miglia Results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Pos. Class
Pos.
1953 United Kingdom Aston Martin Lagonda United Kingdom Mike Keen Aston Martin DB3 S+2.0 16th 10th
1954 United Kingdom David Brown United Kingdom Pat Griffith Aston Martin DB3S S+2.0 DNF DNF
1955 United Kingdom Aston Martin Ltd. Aston Martin DB3S S+2.0 DNF DNF
1956 Italy Scuderia Ferrari United Kingdom Louis Klemantaski Ferrari 860 Monza S+2.0 2nd 2nd
1957 Italy Scuderia Ferrari United Kingdom Louis Klemantaski Ferrari 335 S S+2.0 DNF DNF
Source:

|

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Peter Collins para niños

kids search engine
Peter Collins (racing driver) Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.