Roy Salvadori

Interesting facts

Roy Salvadori earned the nickname "King of the Airfields" for his success on flat English circuits like Silverstone and Snetterton, deliberately steering clear of the more dangerous, banked tracks. He made 47 Formula One starts between 1952 and 1962 for Ferrari, Cooper, Vanwall, BRM and Aston Martin - his best season came in 1958, when as Jack Brabham's Cooper teammate he finished fourth in the championship. At the 1961 United States Grand Prix he was closing in on race leader Innes Ireland when his Cooper's engine failed. In 1959 he won the Le Mans 24 Hours in an Aston Martin DBR1 alongside American Carroll Shelby - since Shelby was battling dysentery during the race, Salvadori did the lion's share of the driving. Roy Salvadori made his Formula 1 debut in 1952 and raced until 1962, 11 seasons in total as a British driver. He scored a total of 19 championship points over his career.