Username
Password
Ferrari Legends: Mike Hawthorn
By Dale Calkins
August 29 2005
Mike Hawthorn was Great Britain's first ever Formula 1 World Champion and one of Ferrari's great drivers. Hawthorn was a very flamboyant character and this combined with pure racing talent, made him one of the most exciting racers.
Badoer Prepares Ferrari

Ferrari Legends: Mike Hawthorn

Dale Calkins
Mike Hawthorn was born on April 10th, 1929 in Mexborough, England. Ever since he was a young boy he wanted to race, and he did when he entered the Brighton Speed Trials in 1950.

Mike would soon move up into Formula 2 and he impressed when he beat Juan Manuel Fangio in the same machine. This meant Hawthorn's debut in the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix driving a Cooper-Bristol, where he finished fourth. Mike would also come third in the British Grand Prix to finish fourth in the World Championship.

Enzo Ferrari took notice of the flamboyant Englishman and signed him to the Scuderia for the 1953 Formula 1 World Championship season. Hawthorn would take his first career victory at the French Grand Prix, and would stand on the podium twice more. Mike Hawthorn would go on to take fourth in the championship and every took notice. 1954 would see him do even better despite suffering severe burns in a non-championship Syracuse Grand Prix. This would not dent the Englishman's spirits as he went on to claim victory in Spain and finish third in the standings.

Hawthorn's spirits did take a blow in 1955 when his biggest supporter, his father died. Hawthorn would leave Ferrari to tend to the family garage and race Vanwalls in Formula 1. Mike would then return to Ferrari, though they were horribly out-paced by Mercedes. 1955 would continue to be a bad year for Hawthorn as he was involved in an accident at the Le Mans 24 Hours, that saw 80 spectators perish. This event would shake motorsport to the core, but it would not break.

1956 would see Hawthorn move to yet another British team in BRM. The team was extremely slow and Mike would once again return to Ferrari for 1957. Hawthorn would take second in Germany and finish fourth overall.

1958 would see the first ever British Formula 1 World Champion crowned. This was of course, a very consistant Mike Hawthorn. Mike would take only one victory but would come second a remarkable five times. Mike Hawthorn would claim the title by only a single point over countryman Stirling Moss.

Hawthorn would later retire, to run the family garage once again and to settle down and get married. Sadly, Mike was suffering from a kidney ailment and was then killed in a road accident later that year. Mike Hawthorn was 30 years old at the time and will always be remembered as one of Ferrari's greatest drivers.

-45 Grands Prix

-3 Wins

-World Champion in 1958

August 29, 2005

Enjoy this new feature? Then make your feelings known on the Ferrari 1 Message Board

View a Printer Friendly version of this Story.

Bookmark or share this story with: