Peter Whitehead

Peter Whitehead (12 November 1914, Menston – 21 September 1958, Lasalle, France) was a British racing driver from England.

Career synopsis
Whitehead was able to fund his racing largely through the family wealth, gained from the wool industry. He began racing at the age of 20 in 1935, initially racing an Alta before buying an ERA B Type in 1936. Whitehead took the ERA to Australia in 1938 while touring on business, where he won the 1938 Australian Grand Prix and the 1938 Australian Hillclimb Championship. After World War II he participated in 12 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 2 July 1950. In his career he achieved a single podium, and scored a total of 4 championship points. He also drove in several non-Championship Formula One races. In addition to his Formula One career he shared victory in the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans race with Peter Walker, racing for Jaguar.

Peter Whitehead is notable as the first person to whom Enzo Ferrari ever sold a Formula One car : a Ferrari 125 and for being the first driver to win a motor race on the Mount Panorama Circuit.

Sports car racer
Whitehead teamed with Peter Walker to win the 1951 24 Hours of Le Mans, in a Jaguar, with an average speed of 93.112 miles per hour. In July 1952 Whitehead qualified his Alta 2nd to Harry Schell for the Grand Prix of Rouen. In July 1953 Whitehead won a 12-hour endurance race together with Stirling Moss, at Reims, driving a Jaguar. In 1954 Whitehead and Ken Wharton piloted a new model 'D' type Jaguar to win the 12-Hour Race of Reims on 4 July. They were victorious with an average speed of 104.3 m.p.h. The same driving pair placed 5th at Belfast, Northern Ireland, in September, in the Ulster Tourist Trophy road race. Whitehead was behind the wheel of an Aston Martin DB3S when he placed 7th in a 1957 Belgian Royal Automobile Club Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.

Death
Whitehead's last great performance was at Le Mans in 1958 where he came second in an Aston Martin, sharing the driving with his half-brother Graham Whitehead. A couple of months later Peter and Graham were competing together in the Tour de France, when their Jaguar crashed off a bridge into a 30-foot ravine at Lasalle, after overturning twice, with Graham at the wheel. Graham was badly injured, but Peter was killed instantly.

Complete World Championship results
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Non-Championship Formula One results
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