Chris Bristow

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Chris Bristow
Chris Bristow.gif
Born(1937-12-02)2 December 1937
Lambeth, London, England, UK
Died19 June 1960(1960-06-19) (aged 22)
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Liège, Belgium
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Active years1959–1960
Teamsnon-works Cooper
Entries4
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1959 British Grand Prix
Last entry1960 Belgian Grand Prix

Christopher William Bristow (2 December 1937 – 19 June 1960) was a British Formula One driver. Bristow was the son of a garage owner from London, and was unmarried. Bristow was called the "wild man of British club racing", as he had spun or had collisions on almost every race track on which he had raced.[1] He started four Formula One World Championship races and scored no championship points.

He was killed during the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix at the very fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit, in warm, dry, sunny conditions. Bristow wrecked his Yeoman Credit Racing Cooper T51 at the Burnenville corner on lap twenty while fighting to stay in front of the Ferrari of Willy Mairesse.

Bristow and Alan Stacey died in close proximity and within a few minutes of one another. They both crashed at Burnenville, the same extended fast right hand bend at which Stirling Moss had been severely injured the previous day. Cars regularly sped through the Burnenville corner at 120 miles per hour. There was a four-foot embankment there and barbed wire in the meadow about ten feet back from the road. Bristow's Cooper hit the bank and rolled over; he was hurled into the barbed wire, which decapitated him.

With regard to Bristow's unruly driving style, a friend of his said after the accident, "We all knew this was going to happen. It does no good to say now, but Chris simply did not have the experience to drive that way in Grand Prix racing."[1]

The winner of the annual Autosport BRDC Award for promising young British drivers is also presented with the Chris Bristow Trophy.

Complete Formula One World Championship results[]

(key)

Yr Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Points
1959 British Racing Partnership Cooper T51 (F2) Borgward Straight-4 MON 500 NED FRA GBR
10 		GER POR ITA USA NC 0
1960 Yeoman Credit Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax Straight-4 ARG MON
Ret 		500 NED
Ret 		BEL
Ret 		FRA GBR POR ITA USA NC 0

Non-championship results[]

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6
1959 British Racing Partnership Cooper T51 Climax Straight-4 GLV AIN INT OUL
3 		SIL
1960 Yeoman Credit Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax Straight-4 BUE GLV
3 		INT
DNA 		SIL LOM OUL

References[]

  1. ^ a b 2 Rookie Drivers Die In Grand Prix, The New York Times, 20 June 1960, p.40.

External links[]

  • Paul Narramore (19 June 1960). "Chris Bristow". Find a Grave.
Preceded by Formula One fatal accidents
19 June 1960 		Succeeded by


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