Peter Whitehead (racing driver) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Peter Whitehead
Nationality	British
Born	Peter Nield Whitehead (1914-11-12)12 November 1914 Menston, Yorkshire, England
Died	21 September 1958(1958-09-21) (aged 43) Lasalle, France
Formula One World Championship career Active years 1950–1954 Teams Ferrari, (incl. non-works) non-works Alta and Cooper Entries 12 (10 starts) Championships 0 Wins 0 Podiums 1 Career points 4 Pole positions 0 Fastest laps 0 First entry 1950 Monaco Grand Prix Last entry 1954 British Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career Years 1950–1955, 1957–1958 Teams Peter Walker, Jaguar Cars Ltd., Cooper Car Co., David Brown, A. G. Whitehead Best finish 1st (1951) Class wins 1 (1951)

Peter Whitehead winning the 1938 Australian Grand Prix in his ERA car.

Peter Nield Whitehead (born November 12, 1914 – died September 21, 1958) was a famous British racing driver. He was born in Menston, Yorkshire, England. Peter was known for being a very skilled and smart racer. He was especially good at driving sports cars.

He won the 1938 Australian Grand Prix and the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1951. These were some of his greatest achievements. He also won two 12 Heures internationales de Reims events. Peter raced for many years, starting in 1935. Sadly, he died in a racing accident in France in 1958.

Peter Whitehead's Early Racing Days

Peter Whitehead came from a wealthy family in Yorkshire. His family was involved in the wool industry. He started racing cars when he was just 19 years old. His first race car was a Riley.

Soon after, he began driving an ERA B-Type. He achieved his first big result for the Alta team. He finished third in the Limerick Grand Prix. This was a Formula Libre race, meaning it allowed many different types of racing cars.

In 1936, Peter shared his ERA car with another driver, Peter Walker. They finished third in the Donington Grand Prix. In 1938, Peter took his ERA car to Australia. He was there for business, but he also raced. He won his first major race, the 1938 Australian Grand Prix, at Bathurst. He also won the first ever Australian Hillclimb Championship. When he returned to England in 1939, he placed third in the Nuffield Trophy race.

Racing After World War II

During World War II, Peter Whitehead was a pilot for the Royal Air Force. As soon as car racing started again after the war, he was back on the track. In 1947, he drove his trusted ERA car to second place. This was at the British Empire Trophy race on the Isle of Man. He also raced in the Lausanne Grand Prix, finishing sixth.

In 1948, Peter had a very scary experience. He survived a plane crash at Croydon Aerodrome. He was on his way to Italy to buy a Ferrari 125 racing car. The accident left him badly hurt. He couldn't race for a whole year while he recovered.

Racing in Formula One

Peter Whitehead and his friend Dudley Folland were very important in racing history. They were the first people to buy a Formula One car directly from Enzo Ferrari. This happened in 1949, and the car was a Ferrari 125. Dudley Folland had the car painted green with a red Welsh Dragon on the front.

Peter won the Velká cena Československa that year. This made him the first English driver to win a major international race outside of the UK since Richard Seaman.

In 1950, Peter made his debut in the official Formula One championship. He raced in Monaco, but didn't start the main race. His next championship race was the Grand Prix l’A.C.F.. He was close to winning but had a problem with his car's gearbox. He ended up finishing third. This was his only podium finish in 11 championship starts between 1950 and 1954.

During the 1950 season, he also won two smaller Formula One races. These were the Jersey Road Race and the Ulster Trophy.

Sports Car Success

Peter Whitehead crossing the finish line to win the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

Peter's biggest career win came in sports car racing. In 1950, he raced in his first 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He teamed up with John Marshall in a Jaguar XK120. They finished 15th.

The next year, in 1951, he teamed up with Peter Walker. They won the 1951 Le Mans race in a Jaguar C-Type. They drove at an average speed of about 150 kilometers per hour (93 miles per hour). This was a huge victory!

In 1953, Peter decided to focus more on sports cars. In July, he had more success. He shared a Jaguar C-Type with Stirling Moss in the 12 Heures Internationales de Reims race. He returned in 1954 with a factory-supported Jaguar D-Type. He won the event again, this time with Ken Wharton as his partner. Before that first win at Reims, he also won the Hyères 12 Hours race.

Later in 1954, he and Ken Wharton finished sixth in the RAC Tourist Trophy road race.

A Sad End

Peter Whitehead's last great race was at Le Mans in 1958. He finished second in an Aston Martin DB3S. He shared the driving with his half-brother, Graham Whitehead.

A couple of months later, on September 21, 1958, Peter and Graham were racing together. They were competing in the Tour de France endurance race. Their Jaguar 3.4-Litre car crashed off a bridge. It fell into a 9-meter (30-foot) deep ravine. Graham was driving and survived with serious injuries. Sadly, Peter was killed instantly in the accident. His death ended a long and successful racing career.

Racing Record

Career Highlights

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

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