Trevor Taylor (racing driver) facts for kids
| Born | 26 December 1936 |
|---|---|
| Died | 27 September 2010 (aged 73) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  British |
| Active years | 1959, 1961–1964, 1966 |
| Teams | Lotus (incl. non-works), BRP, Shannon, non-works Cooper |
| Entries | 29 (27 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 8 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1959 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1966 British Grand Prix |
Trevor Patrick Taylor (born December 26, 1936 – died September 27, 2010) was a British motor racing driver from England. He was known for his time in Formula One racing, especially with the famous Team Lotus. Trevor was a talented driver who competed in many races, achieving one podium finish in his World Championship career.
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Trevor Taylor's Racing Journey
Starting Out in Racing
Trevor Taylor was born in Sheffield, England. His father owned a garage, which might have sparked Trevor's interest in cars and racing. He began his racing journey in a type of racing called Formula Three. He first drove a car called a Staride, and later a Cooper-Norton. In 1958, Trevor won ten races! This amazing performance helped him become the British Formula Three Champion.
After a challenging year in 1959, Trevor got a big opportunity. He was invited to race a Lotus 18 car for the Team Lotus in 1960. He even tied for first place in the Formula Junior championship with another famous driver, Jim Clark. Trevor then went on to win the Formula Junior title by himself in 1961. By the end of 1961, Trevor earned a regular spot in Formula One with Team Lotus. He showed he could compete with top drivers like Jim Clark and Stirling Moss.
Adventures in Formula One
Trevor Taylor took part in 29 World Championship Formula One races, starting in 27 of them. His first race was on July 18, 1959, at the British Grand Prix in Aintree. In 1962, he had his best World Championship result, finishing second at the Dutch Grand Prix. This was his only time standing on the podium in a World Championship race.
He even led for a while in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa. Later in that race, he had a close call with another driver, Willy Mairesse. Both drivers were lucky to avoid serious injury in the high-speed incident. Trevor said that while Mairesse often tried too hard, this time it wasn't his fault.
At the end of 1962, Trevor won a non-championship race, the Mexican Grand Prix, sharing the car and victory with Jim Clark. He also had a win and a second place in two other non-championship events in South Africa. These results helped him keep his place with Team Lotus for 1963.
However, 1963 was a tougher year for Trevor in the World Championship races. His best finish was sixth place at the Monaco Grand Prix. He admitted that two serious accidents had shaken his confidence. After the 1963 season, the team owner, Colin Chapman, suggested Trevor take a break. But Trevor wanted to keep racing in F1.
He then joined the British Racing Partnership team in 1964, but it wasn't a successful season. After that, Trevor decided to step back from Formula One.
Racing Achievements
During his Formula One career, Trevor Taylor achieved one podium finish. He also earned a total of eight championship points. Besides the main championship races, he competed in many other Formula One races that didn't count for the championship. He won three of these races, including the one he shared with Jim Clark, in 1962 and 1963.
Trevor is also known for a cool idea: he came up with the yellow stripe that ran down the middle of Team Lotus cars in the 1960s. This became a famous part of their car design!
After 1964, Trevor continued to enjoy other types of racing. He even tested a Cosworth Formula One car in 1969. In the same year, he was a strong competitor in the F5000 series, winning several races in Europe. He finished as the runner-up in the 1969 F5000 series.
Trevor Taylor passed away at the age of 73 after battling cancer.
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