Tony Brooks

Interesting facts

Tony Brooks, whose father was a dental surgeon and who trained as a dentist himself, was known throughout his career as the 'racing dentist'. He raced in Formula One from 1956 to 1961, taking six Grand Prix wins and three pole positions, and finished runner-up in the 1959 championship, just seven points behind Jack Brabham. His first win came at the 1957 British Grand Prix, shared with Stirling Moss in a Vanwall - the first World Championship race win for a British-built car. In 1958 he won the Belgian, German and Italian Grands Prix, and in 1959 added victories at the French and German Grands Prix. After a crash at the 1956 British Grand Prix and a severe accident at Le Mans in 1957, he vowed never to race in a mechanically unsound car again - that sober, safety-conscious approach earned him his reputation as 'the racing driver's racing driver'. He retired in 1961 after taking his last podium for BRM at the United States Grand Prix - just before the team went on to enjoy its most successful season ever. Tony Brooks raced in Formula 1 from 1956 to 1961, across 6 seasons as a British driver. He scored a total of 75 championship points over his career.