Tony Brooks

{{{image}}}
Tony Brooks
Born	{{{birth_date}}} {{{birth_place}}}
Died	{{{death_date}}} {{{death_place}}}
Formula One career
Nationality	{{{nationality}}}
Years	1956–1961

Charles Anthony Standish "Tony" Brooks (born in Dukinfield, Cheshire, 25 February 1932) is a British former racing driver from England also known as the "racing dentist". He participated in 39 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 14 July 1956, and scored the first win by a British driver in a British car in a Grand Prix since 1923, in 1955 driving a Connaught at Syracuse in a non World Championship race.

Career

Brooks was born on 25 February 1932 in Dukinfield, Chesire. He is the son of a dental surgeon, and studied the practice himself. He took up racing in 1952 and drove a Healey at club events until 1955. In that same year, Brooks drove a Formula Two Connaught at Crystal Palace and finished fourth.

Brooks claimed the first victory for a British-constructed car in a World Championship race in the 1957 British Grand Prix at Aintree, which he shared with Stirling Moss. Along with Moss, Brooks is considered one the best drivers never to have been World Champion and both Moss and three-time World Champion Jack Brabham were known to have thought highly of his ability.

Brooks won six races for Vanwall and Ferrari, secured four pole positions, achieved ten podiums, and scored a total of 74 championship points. He drove for BRM but retired from the team at the end of 1961, just before their most successful season.

Brooks shared this Vanwall VW5 with Stirling Moss to win the 1957 British Grand Prix.

Complete World Championship Formula One results

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

Yr	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	WDC	Points
1956	Owen Racing Organisation	BRM P25	BRM Straight-4	ARG	MON DNS	500	BEL	FRA	GBR Ret	GER	ITA				NC	0
1957	Vandervell Products	Vanwall	Vanwall Straight-4	ARG	MON 2	500	FRA	GBR 1*	GER 9	PES Ret	ITA 7**				5th	11
1958	Vandervell Products	Vanwall	Vanwall Straight-4	ARG	MON Ret	NED Ret	500	BEL 1	FRA Ret	GBR 7	GER 1	POR Ret	ITA 1	MOR Ret	3rd	24
1959	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari Dino 246	Ferrari V6	MON 2	500	NED Ret	FRA 1		GER 1**	POR 9	ITA Ret	USA 3			2nd	27
	Vandervell Products	Vanwall	Vanwall Straight-4					GBR Ret
1960	Yeoman Credit Racing Team	Cooper T51	Climax Straight-4	ARG	MON 4	500	NED Ret	BEL Ret		GBR 5	POR 5	ITA	USA Ret		11th	7
	Vandervell Products	Vanwall	Vanwall Straight-4						FRA Ret
1961	Owen Racing Organisation	BRM P48/57	Climax Straight-4	MON 13	NED 9	BEL 13	FRA Ret	GBR 9	GER Ret	ITA 5	USA 3				10th	6

* Tony Brooks won the 1957 British Grand Prix sharing his car with Stirling Moss. Both were awarded half points for their victory (4 instead of 8).
** Brooks was also awarded one point in the 1957 Italian Grand Prix and 1959 German Grand Prix for recording the fastest lap.

References

• Profile at grandprix.com