Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick was born in New Alresford, UK, and is widely recognised as one of the most talented Formula 1 drivers never to win a Grand Prix. Despite his long career in F1, a victory eluded him. In the early 1980s, Warwick was viewed as more likely to achieve World Championship success than his peer, Nigel Mansell.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Born | Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick 27 August 1954 New Alresford, Hampshire, United Kingdom |
Warwick’s Formula One journey saw a promising start with Renault in 1984 after his time with Toleman. He anticipated competing in a top-tier car and initially led the 1984 Brazilian Grand Prix during his debut race for Renault. However, he was forced to retire due to a suspension failure. He achieved second-place finishes at both the Belgian and British Grands Prix in 1984, ultimately finishing seventh in the drivers’ championship that season. The turning point in Warwick’s career came in 1985 when he decided to stay with Renault, turning down an offer from Williams. This seat was then taken by Nigel Mansell, who went on to secure two race wins that season. After a disappointing year, Renault pulled out of Formula 1 at the end of 1985. Further setbacks came when Ayrton Senna blocked Warwick from joining him at Lotus, leaving Warwick without a team at the beginning of 1986. Following Elio de Angelis‘s fatal accident during testing in May, Warwick was invited to replace him at Brabham. He spent subsequent years racing mostly non-competitive cars for Arrows (1987-1989), Team Lotus (1990), and Footwork (1993).
Earlier in his career, Warwick clinched the 1978 British Formula Three Championship. He also excelled in sports car racing, winning the World Sportscar Championship in 1992 and contributing to Peugeot’s victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans the same year. He raced sports cars for Jaguar in 1986 and 1991 and later competed in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), winning a notable wet race at Donington in 1998. He co-founded 888 Racing to manage Vauxhalls in the series.
In 2006, Warwick took part in the inaugural season of the Grand Prix Masters series for retired Formula One drivers.
Derek Warwick Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1981–1990, 1993 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Toleman, Renault, Brabham, Arrows, Lotus, Footwork |
| Entries | 162 (147 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Career points | 71 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 2 |
| First entry | 1981 San Marino Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1993 Australian Grand Prix |
Sources: Wikipedia.com and Historicracing.com
