Formula 1 Teams

 Mike Hawthorn

Races: 47
Podiums: 18
Championships: 1
Career Points: 113

Year	Team	Constructor	Points	Position	Engine	Chassis
1952	LD Hawthorn	Cooper			Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	Cooper T20 MKI
1952	AHM Bryde	Cooper			Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	Cooper T20 MKI
1953	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari			Ferrari 500 2.0 L4, Ferrari 553 2.0 L4	Ferrari 500 F2 553
1954	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari			Ferrari 625 2.5 L4, Ferrari 554 2.5 L4, Ferrari 500 2.0 L4	Ferrari 625 Ferrari 553 Ferrari 500 F2
1955	Vandervell Products				Vanwall 254 2.5 L4	VW 55
1955	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari			Ferrari 555 2.5 L4, Lancia DS50 2.5 V8	Ferrari 625 555 Lancia D50
1956	Vandervell Products				Vanwall 254 2.5 L4	VW 2
1956	Owen Racing Organisation	Maserati			Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6, BRM P25 2.5 L4	Maserati 250F
1957	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari			Ferrari DS50 2.5 V8	Ferrari 801
1958	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari			Ferrari 143 2.4 V6	246 156

Mike Hawthorn: A True Yorkshire Terrier

By Jeremy McMullen
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However, at the French Grand Prix in 1953, Hawthorn would be very interested in the race that day and would be a part of one of the greatest grand prix ever. The first half of the race would see him as a mere part of an incredible performance put together by the race's front-runners. Lap after lap, the top six would race wheel-to-wheel and would never be more than a few feet apart. It was an incredible sight to behold. It would then be topped off by a second half that would see a titanic battle waged between the aged champion Juan Manuel Fangio and Hawthorn.

It was a beautiful thing to behold; age and youth racing side-by-side lap after lap. Every single lap Hawthorn and Fangio would be seen side-by-side peering at each other, giving each other room, but neither giving in. Incredibly, Hawthorn would never give in to the experience and prowess of Fangio. And on the very last lap of the race, Hawthorn would have the lead and would hold off Fangio to take his first World Championship victory. A driver's first World Championship victory is always a memorable affair, but the fact Hawthorn's first race victory would come in such a great moment in grand prix history would make the victory all the more memorable.

In spite of the victory in the French Grand Prix, Hawthorn would be largely overshadowed throughout the whole of the season. So while the question of his inconsistency was certainly well founded, the following season would see him step into his first bit of controversy.

After losing out on another victory at the Argentine Grand Prix major questions would arise about his failure to report for mandatory National Service. The mandatory service was in response to the Korean War and posed a serious disruption to Hawthorn's time with Ferrari. However, to be called up to service one had to be present. But because he was in South America at the time he would not know that he was called up, nor was he at home to receive the call. Therefore, he would be exempted from service, but not the controversy surrounding it.

At the Syracuse Grand Prix Mike would crash and would suffer some rather serious burns to his hands and other parts of his body. The time in the hospital would be painful for reasons beyond the pain suffered from the burns. It would be at this time the whole national service controversy would be brewing. It would also be at this time that Mike would learn that his father had passed away in a car accident. The medical bills mounted. What was worse, at the end of the year he would see yet another doctor for a problem he had been experiencing with his kidneys. What earnings he had went to pay them. It would be the first time in his very young career that he would consider retirement.

After two years with Ferrari, Hawthorn would not renew his contract with the team. The aimlessness of the Formula One effort and all of the other issues suffered throughout 1954 would lead Hawthorn to want to look to other interests. And while he would drive for Vanwall in the World Championship in 1955 he would also finally take the opportunity to drive for Lofty England and Jaguar. Unfortunately, this move would result in one of the darkest and controversial moments in all of motor sports history. Unfortunately, Hawthorn would be right in the middle of it, and in many cases, the source.

Driving for Jaguar in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans, Hawthorn would be in a great duel with Fangio for the outright lead of the race. Hawthorn would overtake Lance Macklin driving an Austin-Healey while Fangio followed behind Pierre Levegh, who was approaching Macklin. As Mike passed Macklin he would see the team wanted him to pit for fuel. In that year, Jaguar would debut the use of disc brakes. That meant there was greater stopping power than on the rest of the cars in the field. Even barely touching his brakes would cause Hawthorn to slow at a greater rate than Macklin. Macklin would swerve to avoid Hawthorn. Unfortunately, Levegh would be too close to Macklin to be able to do anything. He would hit the Austin-Healey and would become airborne at speeds greater than 150 mph. At those speeds parts would be sheered off the car and sent into the immense crowd assembled along the start/finish straight. Even the engine would break loose and would be launched into the crowd.

Year Chassis Engine 1958 156 Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 1958 246 Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 1957 Ferrari 801 Ferrari DS50 2.5 V8 1956 VW 2 Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 1956 Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6, BRM P25 2.5 L4 1955 Lancia D50 Ferrari 555 2.5 L4, Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 1955 555 Ferrari 555 2.5 L4, Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 1955 Ferrari 625 Ferrari 555 2.5 L4, Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 1955 VW 55 Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 1954 Ferrari 500 F2 Ferrari 625 2.5 L4, Ferrari 554 2.5 L4, Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 1954 Ferrari 553 Ferrari 625 2.5 L4, Ferrari 554 2.5 L4, Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 1954 Ferrari 625 Ferrari 625 2.5 L4, Ferrari 554 2.5 L4, Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 1953 553 Ferrari 500 2.0 L4, Ferrari 553 2.0 L4 1953 Ferrari 500 F2 Ferrari 500 2.0 L4, Ferrari 553 2.0 L4 1952 Cooper T20 MKI Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 1952 Cooper T20 MKI Bristol BS1 2.0 L6

As Hawthorn drove down the pitlane without so much as a second thought to anything happening, an absolute horror would be enacted directly across from the pits for all to see. The magnesium-bodied car would burn uncontrollably for a number of hours after an unsuspecting worker tried to douse the flames with water. Smoke and fire continued to rise high into the air. The race would go on but more than 80 would be dead and another 100 severely injured.

Even before the end of the race Hawthorn would be the center of controversy. Some media would claim him culpable. Without meaning to do so, Mike would find himself the very embodiment of evil, something that would haunt him for the rest of his life. This perception wouldn't be helped at all when he and Ivor Bueb would go on to take the overall win in the D-Type Jaguar.

Throughout the 1955 and 1956 seasons, Hawthorn would only set foot on the podium one time in a Formula One World Championship race. Then, in 1957, while back driving with Scuderia Ferrari, he would stand on the podium twice. But still, his last victory in the series would be all the way back in 1954 at the Spanish Grand Prix.Many would suggest the inconsistency was a result of his lack of interest, and this would not be untrue. The usually hard-living, hard-partying Hawthorn would experience great tragedy in 1958 and it was clearly weighing heavily on the usually beaming, blonde-haired gent.

Death and motor racing were regular, and unfortunate, bedfellows during the 1950s. This would lend to a number of drivers, especially Mike Hawthorn and his fellow Brit and friend Peter Collins, to live every day to its fullest. The nature of the sport at the time would also build up a kind of callousness that, when combined with Hawthorn's competiveness, would not endear him to everybody, especially Luigi Musso's girlfriend.

Musso was a third driver for Ferrari during the 1958 season but was not part of the special bond that had formed between the two Brits. This placed incredible pressure on Musso to have to try and outduel Hawthorn and Collins. When Musso was mortally-wounded in the French Grand Prix, his girlfriend would find Hawthorn and Collins laughing and playing as if nothing had happened. This callousness would lead Musso's girlfriend to actually hate the two Brits. But it would certainly seem to be something more akin to a curse as the rest of the year played out.

Despite the jovial mood at the time of Musso's death, the 1958 season would be an extremely depressing year for Hawthorn. Besides Musso's death, Hawthorn would lose his good friend Peter Collins at the German Grand Prix. And despite being in position to win the World Championship, the loss of his good friend would lead Hawthorn, absolutely grief-stricken, to actually begin looking forward to a life outside of motor racing.

                              But at the same time tragedy filled Hawthorn's life, he would be experiencing his greatest moments of achievement. It was clear Hawthorn was interested, for at least one final season. He would start out the season well with a 3rd place finish in the Argentine Grand Prix. He would then score a 2nd place result at the Belgian Grand Prix. When he took the victory at the French Grand Prix yet again, many believed it was to be his year to finally win the World Championship. And four 2nd place finishes in four of the last five races would certainly seem to ensure the claim.

However, it wouldn't be as straight-forward as it would seem. Out of the ten races on the season, Stirling Moss would win four of them. Then, at the Portuguese Grand Prix, Hawthorn would make a mistake. While he would go on to finish the race in 2nd place the stewards were set to disqualify him for his maneuver to try and rejoin the race. Moss would actually stand up for his fellow Brit and the results would stand. This would make a huge difference heading into the last race of the season, the Moroccan Grand Prox.

Moss's actions at the Portuguese Grand Prix meant he would need a victory and the fastest lap of the race, plus, Hawthorn would need to do finish worse than 3rd. Moss would take the lead and would set an absolutely blistering pace that would earn him the fastest lap in the race. Despite all that Moss would do to give himself the best chance at winning the title, Hawthorn would doggedly stay right in the hunt and would end up finishing the race in 2nd.

F1 Drivers From United Kingdom
George Edgar Abecassis Henry Clifford Allison Robert 'Bob' Anderson Peter Arundell Peter Hawthorn Ashdown Ian Hugh Gordon Ashley Gerald Ashmore William 'Bill' Aston Richard James David 'Dickie' Attwood Julian Bailey John Barber Donald Beauman Derek Reginald Bell Mike Beuttler Mark Blundell Eric Brandon Thomas 'Tommy' Bridger Thomas 'Tommy' Bridger David Bridges Anthony William Brise Chris Bristow Charles Anthony Standish 'Tony' Brooks Alan Everest Brown William Archibald Scott Brown Martin John Brundle Ivor Léon John Bueb Ian Burgess Jenson Alexander Lyons Button Michael John Campbell-Jones Anthony Colin Bruce Chapman Max Chilton James 'Jim' Clark, Jr. Peter John Collins David Marshall Coulthard Piers Raymond Courage Christopher Craft Jim Crawford John Colum 'Johnny Dumfries' Crichton-Stuart Tony Crook Geoffrey Crossley Anthony Denis Davidson Colin Charles Houghton Davis Tony Dean Paul di Resta Hugh Peter Martin Donnelly Kenneth Henry Downing Bernard Charles 'Bernie' Ecclestone Guy Richard Goronwy Edwards Victor Henry 'Vic' Elford Paul Emery Robert 'Bob' Evans Jack Fairman Alfred Lazarus 'Les Leston' Fingleston John Fisher Ron Flockhart	Philip Fotheringham-Parker Joe Fry Divina Mary Galica Frederick Roberts 'Bob' Gerard Peter Kenneth Gethin Richard Gibson Horace Gould Keith Greene Brian Gubby Stanley Michael Bailey Hailwood Bruce Halford Duncan Hamilton Lewis Carl Davidson Hamilton David Hampshire Thomas Cuthbert 'Cuth' Harrison Brian Hart Mike Hawthorn Brian Henton John Paul 'Johnny' Herbert Damon Graham Devereux Hill Norman Graham Hill David Wishart Hobbs James Simon Wallis Hunt Robert McGregor Innes Ireland Edmund 'Eddie' Irvine, Jr. Chris Irwin John James Leslie Johnson Thomas Kenrick Kavanagh 'Ken' Kavanagh Rupert Keegan Christopher J. Lawrence Geoffrey Lees Jackie Lewis Stuart Nigel Lewis-Evans Michael George Hartwell MacDowel Lance Noel Macklin Damien Magee Nigel Ernest James Mansell Leslie Marr Anthony Ernest 'Tony' Marsh Steve Matchett Raymond Mays Kenneth McAlpine Perry McCarthy Allan McNish John Miles Robin 'Monty' Montgomerie-Charrington Dave Morgan Bill Moss Sir Stirling Moss David Murray John Brian Naylor Timothy 'Tiff' Needell Rodney Nuckey Keith Jack Oliver	Arthur Owen Dr. Jonathan Charles Palmer Michael Johnson Parkes Reginald 'Tim' Parnell Reginald 'Tim' Parnell Reginald Harold Haslam Parnell David Piper Roger Dennistoun 'Dennis' Poore David Prophet Thomas Maldwyn Pryce David Charles Purley Ian Raby Brian Herman Thomas Redman Alan Rees Lance Reventlow John Rhodes William Kenneth 'Ken' Richardson John Henry Augustin Riseley-Prichard Richard Robarts Alan Rollinson Tony Rolt Roy Francesco Salvadori Brian Shawe-Taylor Stephen South Michael 'Mike' Spence Alan Stacey Ian Macpherson M Stewart James Robert 'Jimmy' Stewart Sir John Young Stewart John Surtees Andy Sutcliffe Dennis Taylor Henry Taylor John Taylor Michael Taylor Trevor Taylor Eric Thompson Leslie Thorne Desmond Titterington Tony Trimmer Peter Walker Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick John Marshall 'Wattie' Watson Peter Westbury Kenneth Wharton Edward N. 'Ted' Whiteaway Graham Whitehead Peter Whitehead Bill Whitehouse Robin Michael Widdows Mike Wilds Jonathan Williams Roger Williamson Justin Wilson Vic Wilson

He had done it! He had endured one of the most painful seasons in his life and came away as Britain's first World Champion. And with that, it was the right time to walk away. At just 29 years of age, Hawthorn would write a letter to Enzo Ferrari delivered just one week later telling him that he was retiring.

Speaking of that moment in which he would become World Champion Hawthorn would recall, 'I don't know what I did…I was about a 100 yards or so beyond my pit when it dawned on me I hadn't really savoured it to the full, for it was the last time I would drive a grand prix car in a race. I had made up my mind—I would retire.' Clearly, at the height of his success, the great loss and implication he had suffered throughout the years had made it clear that all of the success was truly empty.

Nevertheless, a passion for speed and fast living was very much a part of Hawthorn's life. Besides motor racing, Mike would become a pilot and would own a number of aircraft over the course of his life.

He would actually start his introduction to flying while in Argentina in 1954. Upon returning to England, and after recovering from his burns, he would take flying lessons at Fairoak Flying Club in Surrey. He would then use the aircraft to fly to meetings whenever he had the opportunity. He would even fly to the Monaco race and would later recount how he had spotted a, 'rather large town with a tall tower.' It would take him a little bit but he would soon realize he was flying over Paris.

Hawthorn lived life as though he was always heading out to go die. What many people didn't realize is that he really was a dead man walking. All the way back at the end of the 1954 season Hawthorn would see a doctor for a kidney problem that was terribly bothering. What was not so well known was that Mike had a rare kidney disease and his days on this earth were severely limited already.

But then there was that early morning drive on the 22nd of January in 1959. Mike would race in a number of different types events. However, one of the rarest types of racing events in which Hawthorn would take part would be saloon racing. He would only take part in four races and would eventually win three of them. The final win, which would come in 1958 would be in a 3.4-liter Jaguar MK1. VDU 881 would be used by Hawthorn to win the race in '58 and would be loaned to him for his personal use by Lofty England. He would be driving the same car on that dark day in British motoring history.

Hawthorn knew the route well, but what he wasn't expecting was the howling wind that would take a number of others by surprise driving the same stretch of road at the same time. Intriguingly, one of those out driving that morning was Rob Walker, a team owner that entered sportscar and grand prix races.

Hawthorn had a busy day ahead of himself, despite being retired. It was clear he was travelling at a great rate of speed but he would slow down long enough to pull aside Walker, flash him a grin and take off again. After that, events would unfold that snuff out the life of the golden boy forever.

While not entirely clear to Walker it seemed obvious that the backend of the car stepped out, but not more than Hawthorn could handle. In fact, Walker seemed to think Mike's speed actually increased at the time. But this time he could not hold onto it. It was raining at the time, and travelling at what would be suggested to be around 100 mph, the car would strike a lamp post and a lorry sheering the bumper right off and sending the car across the road, over a small embankment and into a tree. The car would strike the tree with such force that it would actually uproot the tree.

Last seeing Hawthorn's famous grin, Walker would now stop to try and find the man. The car would be so mangled from the impact with the tree that Walker couldn't immediately find him. The car would actually be split in half. Then, Walker would find his body in the back seat of the car. Amazingly, another of Mike's friends, Duncan Hamilton, was also in the area and would hear about the terrible accident. Hamilton would be right there with the rescue people extracting Mike's body from the car. The event would make Hamilton fulfill a promise he undoubtedly never wanted to have to do and that was to do the formal identification of Hawthorn's body.

But even in his death there would be a bit of controversy and conjecture. In the days before the accident Hawthorn apparently began to suffer blackouts as a result of kidney failure. This would lead many to believe this was the actual cause of the crash. Other explanations would be derived from Hawthorn's own autobiography Challenge Me The Race. In the autobiography Hawthorn would tell of a close relative that had been killed during the Second World War. As a result, Mike had a deep dislike of anything German. Interestingly enough, the Jaguar he had been driving that day he called 'the Merceater' and he would claim that it could beat any German car. This would lead many to suggest that upon seeing Walker driving a Mercedes-Benz 300SL, Hawthorn sped up and ended up placing himself in the position that would lead to his death. This wouldn't necessarily fit with Walker's testimony about the accident but it would still be a possible explanation for Hawthorn's actions that rainy morning. But in the end, the reasons were of a moot point.

Newspapers printed that day would have simple headlines stating, 'Mike is dead', or, something similar. Such was Hawthorn's fame and reputation amongst his countrymen that everyone immediately knew who 'Mike' was referencing.

Interestingly, Ivor Bueb, Hawthorn's co-driver and friend in the tragic 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans would also die in a wreck during a non-championship race at Clermont-Ferrand. He would also die in 1959, just like Hawthorn.

In less than a decade, the bright shining star of Mike Hawthorn would be extinguished. And while he would not die on the track, he would be one of a number that would not live out his life to some grand old age. Filled with passions and darkness, the World Championship years would end up taking more of Hawthorn's life than most realized. But while the image of the big blonde gentleman with his bowtie would be missing from the grand prix circuits of the world, his legacy as Britain's first World Champion would not. But perhaps what would last all the more would be the final image Rob Walker would have of the Yorkshire terrier, that of his infectious smile.

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Sources:
'Mike Hawthorn Biography', (http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/bio.php). Mike Hawthorn—A Tribute. http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/bio.php. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

'Mike and National Service', (http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/callup.php). Mike Hawthorn—A Tribute. http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/callup.php. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

'Mike's Fatal Accident A Comprehensive Account Part 1', (http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/finality.php). Mike Hawthorn-A Tribute. http://www.mike-hawthorn.org.uk/finality.php. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

'Mike Hawthorn: History', (http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/471/). Formula 1.com. http://www.formula1.com/teams_and_drivers/hall_of_fame/471/. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

'Drivers: Mike Hawthorn', (http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-hawmik.html). GrandPrix.com. http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-hawmik.html. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

'Britain's First Formula One Champion', (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/3216385/Britains-first-Formula-One-champion.html). The Telegraph. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/motorsport/3216385/Britains-first-Formula-One-champion.html. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

Horton, Roger. 'Reflections On Another Age: Mike Hawthorn Remembered', (http://atlasf1.autosport.com/99/jan27/horton.html). Atlas Formula One Journal. http://atlasf1.autosport.com/99/jan27/horton.html. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

'Driver-Entrepreneur that Scored Cooper's First Points', (http://8w.forix.com/brown.html). 8W: The Stories Behind Motor Racing Facts and Fiction. http://8w.forix.com/brown.html. Retrieved 3 April 2012.

Wikipedia contributors, 'Mike Hawthorn', Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, 21 March 2012, 17:40 UTC, http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mike_Hawthorn&oldid=483181073 accessed 3 April 2012

Formula One World Drivers' Champions
1950 G. Farina 1951 J. Fangio 1952 A. Ascari 1953 A. Ascari 1954 J. Fangio 1955 J. Fangio 1956 J. Fangio 1957 J. Fangio 1958 M. Hawthorn 1959 S. Brabham	1960 S. Brabham 1961 P. Hill, Jr 1962 N. Hill 1963 J. Clark, Jr. 1964 J. Surtees 1965 J. Clark, Jr. 1966 S. Brabham 1967 D. Hulme 1968 N. Hill 1969 S. Stewart	1970 K. Rindt 1971 S. Stewart 1972 E. Fittipaldi 1973 S. Stewart 1974 E. Fittipaldi 1975 A. Lauda 1976 J. Hunt 1977 A. Lauda 1978 M. Andretti 1979 J. Scheckter	1980 A. Jones 1981 N. Piquet 1982 K. Rosberg 1983 N. Piquet 1984 A. Lauda 1985 A. Prost 1986 A. Prost 1987 N. Piquet 1988 A. Senna 1989 A. Prost	1990 A. Senna 1991 A. Senna 1992 N. Mansell 1993 A. Prost 1994 M. Schumacher 1995 M. Schumacher 1996 D. Hill 1997 J. Villeneuve 1998 M. Hakkinen 1999 M. Hakkinen	2000 M. Schumacher 2001 M. Schumacher 2002 M. Schumacher 2003 M. Schumacher 2004 M. Schumacher 2005 F. Alonso 2006 F. Alonso 2007 K. Raikkonen 2008 L. Hamilton 2009 J. Button	2010 S. Vettel 2011 S. Vettel 2012 S. Vettel