Peter Collins

Interesting facts

He makes his Formula One debut at the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix with HWM, standing in for Stirling Moss. Enzo Ferrari comes to regard him almost as a surrogate son, following the earlier death of his own son, Dino. In January 1957 he marries American actress Louise King, one week after meeting her in Miami and two days after proposing, and the couple live aboard a yacht in Monaco harbour. In 1957 he forms an unusually close bond with teammate Hawthorn: the two agree to split their winnings equally and present a united front against fellow Ferrari driver Musso. His final win, at the 1958 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, helps secure Hawthorn's title bid. Outside Formula One he finishes runner-up at Le Mans twice (1955-56) with Aston Martin, then wins the 1958 12 Hours of Sebring alongside Phil Hill. On 3 August 1958 at the Nürburgring, chasing Tony Brooks too hard into the Pflanzgarten section, his Ferrari flips into a ditch and throws him into a tree, barely four weeks after teammate Musso's fatal crash at Reims. Peter Collins raced in Formula 1 from 1952 to 1958, across 7 seasons as a British driver. He scored a total of 47 championship points over his career.