Famous British Race Car Drivers

The name Lewis Hamilton has become synonymous with Formula One, and such is the greatness of Hamilton. Honoured with MBE by the Queen, Lewis Hamilton is one of the most successful Formula One Grand Prix Racing Driver. Hamilton was the first Black driver to win the Championship and has 6 World Championship titles and 90 race victories to his name.

James Hunt was a British racing driver who earned the nickname 'Hunt the Shunt' for his action-packed and often reckless exploits on the track. In 1976, he won the Formula One World Championship in his first year with McLaren, which inspired several teenagers to take up motor racing. James Hunt has inspired racers, such as Kimi Räikkönen.

Jenson Button is a British racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 2009. A popular driver, Button is the recipient of several prestigious awards such as the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy and the Hawthorn Memorial Trophy. In 2017, Jenson Button was made an inductee of the FIA Hall of Fame.

Damon Hill is a British retired racing driver best known for winning the Formula One World Championship title in 1996. He is currently a part of the broadcasting team of Sky Sports F1, providing expert analysis. Damon Hill is also known as the son of former Formula One World Champion, Graham Hill.

British Formula One racing-driver James Clark Jr. is counted among the greatest Formula One drivers of all time. He won his first World Driver’s Championships in 1963 making a record of winning seven out of ten races in a season. He again won the championship in 1965. His 1965 Indianapolis 500 win marked the first win for a rear-engined car.

British Formula One race-car driver Stirling Moss won several contests such as the British Grand Prix and the New Zealand Grand Prix. He was inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame, too. He later had a broadcasting career with Wide World of Sports and narrated Roary the Racing Car.

Mike Hawthorn was a British racing driver best remembered as the first Formula One World Champion from the United Kingdom; he achieved the feat when he won the world championship in 1958. Having been affected by the demise of his friend Peter Collins in the 1958 German Grand Prix, Mike Hawthorn announced his retirement after winning the F1 title.  

When British racing driver Max Chilton made his Formula 3 debut at 16, he became the youngest deriver to do so. He now represents the North American racing series IndyCar. While he initially wished to be a farmer, he began his racing career at age 10, racing in karts.

John Surtees was a British motorcycle road racer and racecar driver. He won the Grand Prix motorcycle World Championship title on seven occasions and the 1964 F1 World Championship title, becoming the first person to win World Championships on both four and two wheels.

Roger Williamson was a British racing driver best remembered for winning the British Formula Three Championship title twice. Williamson died at the age of 25 while competing in his second F1 race during the 1973 Dutch Grand Prix in the Netherlands.

A 5-time Le Mans 24 hours winner, British racing driver Derek Bell has raced for prominent F-1 teams such as Ferrari and McLaren. He is a 2-time World Sportscar Champion and a 3-time Daytona 24 hours winner. Apart from being named an MBE, he was also awarded the BRDC Gold Star 4 times.

British racing driver Will Stevens started his career with karts in 2003 and moved on to Formula Renault in 2008. He has driven for teams such as Manor-Ferrari and Caterham and has also been a test driver for Marussia. He has competed for the Belgian Audi team WRT, too.

British racing driver Sam Bird has tested for the Formula One team Mercedes GP and now competes for Jaguar TCS Racing in the Formula E World Championship. He has also participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Apart from racing, he is also an avid fan of football.

British racing-driver Jason Plato presently competes for BTC Racing in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). His achievements so far include becoming BTCC Champion twice, first for Vauxhall in 2001 and then for Silverline Chevrolet in 2010; and holding the record for most overall race wins in the championship. Plato is a co-presenter for the motoring television series Fifth Gear.  

Anthony Davidson is a British retired racing driver best known for competing in Formula One for Super Aguri and Minardi. Since his retirement as a racer, Anthony Davidson has established himself as a TV personality. He currently works for Sky Sports F1 as an analyst.

British racing-driver Andy Priaulx is best-known for winning the European Touring Car Championship title in 2004 and the World Touring Car Championship title in 2005, 2006 and 2007. Such feat of Priaulx led him to become the only FIA Touring Car champion to win four international-level championship titles in four successive years. He also won the 1999 Renault Spider Cup.

Henry Segrave was a British race car driver and an early pioneer in water speed and land speed records. The first person to travel at more than 320 kilometers per hour in a land vehicle, Segrave set one water and three land record during his career. He died at the age of 33, when his speed boat capsized at full speed.

British-French motor racer, aviator, and aircraft manufacturer Maurice Farman was also a champion in tandem cycling. He and his brother, Henri, completed the world’s first circular flight of over 1km. He also made pioneering studies in aerial radiotelephony, while his company introduced the world’s first long-distance passenger plane, Goliath.

Colin Davis was an English conductor best remembered for his work with the popular London Symphony Orchestra. He also served as the principal conductor of the Royal Opera House for more than 15 years. Colin Davis was the recipient of several prestigious awards, such as the Queen's Medal for Music, the Elgar Medal, and a Grammy Award.