Peter Collins (racing driver) facts for kids
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Born | Kidderminster, Worcestershire, England |
6 November 1931||||||||||
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Died | 3 August 1958 Bonn, Germany |
(aged 26)||||||||||
Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||||
Nationality | ![]() |
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Active years | 1952 – 1958 | ||||||||||
Teams | HWM Vanwall Maserati Ferrari |
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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 | ||||||||||
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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.
Contents
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.

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.
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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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 |
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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* |
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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 |
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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 |
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* 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 | ||||
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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 |
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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 |
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Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 | MOR Ret |
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1958 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 246 | Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 | BUE | GLV | SYR | AIN | INT 1 |
CAE | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
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1952 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3 | S3.0 | DNF | DNF | |
1953 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 16 | DNF | DNF |
1954 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 137 | DNF | DNF |
1955 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 302 | 2nd | 1st |
1956 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 299 | 2nd | 1st |
1957 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 335 S | S3.0 | 2 | DNF | DNF |
1958 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 250 TR 58 | S3.0 | 112 | DNF | DNF |
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Complete 12 Hours of Sebring Results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
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1953 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3 | S3.0 | 52 | DNF | DNF |
1954 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 26 | DNF | DNF |
1956 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S3.0 | 51 | DNF | DNF |
1956 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 315 S | S5.0 | 198 | 6th | 5th |
1958 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 250 TR 58 | S3.0 | 200 | 1st | 1st |
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Complete Mille Miglia Results
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Pos. | Class Pos. |
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1953 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3 | S+2.0 | 16th | 10th | |
1954 | ![]() |
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Aston Martin DB3S | S+2.0 | DNF | DNF | |
1955 | ![]() |
Aston Martin DB3S | S+2.0 | DNF | DNF | ||
1956 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 860 Monza | S+2.0 | 2nd | 2nd | |
1957 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 335 S | S+2.0 | DNF | DNF | |
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See also
In Spanish: Peter Collins para niños