Peter Gethin facts for kids
Gethin at the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix
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| Born | 21 February 1940 Ewell, Surrey, England |
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| Died | 5 December 2011 (aged 71) Old Henley, Haslemere, Surrey, England |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Active years | 1970–1974 |
| Teams | McLaren, BRM, Hill |
| Entries | 31 (30 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 1 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 11 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1970 Dutch Grand Prix |
| First win | 1971 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1971 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1974 British Grand Prix |
Peter Kenneth Gethin (born February 21, 1940 – died December 5, 2011) was a British racing driver from England. He took part in 31 World Championship Formula One races. His first race was on June 21, 1970.
Peter Gethin won the 1971 Italian Grand Prix. This race was known as the fastest Formula One race for 32 years! No one beat its speed record until 2003. This win was his only time finishing in the top three (a podium finish) in Formula One. He also won other important races that were not part of the main championship, like the 1971 World Championship Victory Race. In 1973, he won the Race of Champions.
Gethin also raced for Team McLaren in 1970 in the Can-Am series. He won one race and finished third in the championship that year. In 1974, he won the Tasman Series, which was a Formula 5000 racing series in Australia and New Zealand. Later, Gethin even ran his own racing team called a Formula 3000 team.
Contents
Career Highlights
McLaren Driver
Starting in Formula One (1970)
Peter Gethin began his F1 career with McLaren in 1970. He joined the team after its founder, Bruce McLaren, sadly passed away. Gethin's first race was the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix. He showed good speed right away, qualifying in 11th place.
He had some tough races early on, sometimes retiring due to accidents or car problems. However, he kept improving. At the 1970 Canadian Grand Prix, Gethin drove very well. He finished in 6th place, earning his first ever F1 points! He ended the 1970 season with one point.
Continuing with McLaren (1971)
Gethin stayed with McLaren for the 1971 season. He continued to race alongside his teammate, Denny Hulme. The season started with some challenges, including a fuel leak that made him retire from the first race.
He showed strong qualifying speed at the 1971 Spanish Grand Prix, starting 7th. However, he often faced bad luck or technical issues during races.
His Big Win: 1971 Italian Grand Prix
The most famous moment of Peter Gethin's career was winning the 1971 Italian Grand Prix. This race was incredibly close and exciting! He won with the fastest average speed in Formula One history at the time. This record stood for 32 years until 2003.
The finish was super tight, with only 0.01 seconds between him and the second-place driver, Ronnie Peterson. It was so close that he actually went from fourth place to first place on the very last lap of the race! This was his only time finishing on the podium in a Formula One World Championship race.
After his big win, Gethin continued to race in Formula One for a few more years with different teams like BRM and Hill. He also had success in other racing series, showing his skill as a versatile driver.
Death
Peter Gethin passed away in December 2011 at 71 years old. He had been ill for a long time.
Images for kids
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Gethin at the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inaugural |
European Formula 5000 Championship Champion 1969–1970 |
Succeeded by Frank Gardner |
| Preceded by Emerson Fittipaldi |
Brands Hatch Race of Champions Winner 1973 |
Succeeded by Jacky Ickx |
| Preceded by Graham McRae |
Tasman Series Champion 1974 |
Succeeded by Warwick Brown |
See also
In Spanish: Peter Gethin para niños
