Peter Whitehead (racing driver)


Peter Nield Whitehead was a British racing driver. He was born in Menston, Yorkshire and was killed in an accident at Lasalle, France, during the Tour de France endurance race. A cultured, knowledgeable and well-travelled racer, he was excellent in sports cars. He won the 1938 Australian Grand Prix, which along with a 24 Heures du Mans win in 1951, probably was his finest achievement, but he also won two 12 Heures internationales de Reims events. He was a regular entrant, mostly for Peter Walker and Graham Whitehead, his half-brother. His death in 1958 ended a career that started in 1935 – however, he was lucky to survive an air crash in 1948.

Early life & pre-war racing

Yorkshireman Whitehead, coming from a wealthy background, gained from the wool industry, started racing in a Riley when he was 19. He moved up to an ERA B-Type the following season and then scored the first major result for the Alta, when he finished third in the Limerick Grand Prix, a Formula Libre race. In 1936, he shared his ERA with Walker, and finished third in the Donington Grand Prix. He took the ERA to Australia in 1938 while touring on business, where he scored his first major victory, winning the 1938 Australian Grand Prix at Bathurst, as well as the inaugural Australian Hillclimb Championship. He returned in England in 1939 and gained a third place in the Nuffield Trophy.

Post-war racing career

During World War II, Whitehead was a pilot with the Royal Air Force, and he was back in competition as soon as racing was revived, taking his trusty ERA to second place in the British Empire Trophy, held at the Douglas Circuit on the Isle of Man in the summer of 1947. He also raced in the Lausanne Grand Prix, finishing sixth.
In 1948, he survived a plane crash at Croydon Aerodrome, when he was on his way to Milano, to arrange the purchase a Ferrari 125. The accident left him badly hurt and out of racing for a year.

Grand Prix racer

Peter Whitehead is notable as the first person to whom Enzo Ferrari ever sold a Formula One car: a Ferrari 125 in 1949. With the car painted green, he won the Velká cena Československa. In doing so, he became the first Englishman to win a major international motor race outside of the United Kingdom since Richard Seaman. The following season, Whitehead made his debut in the Formula One championship at Monaco, but did not start. His next outing in the championship came in the Grand Prix l’A.C.F., where he came close to winning but was slowed with a gearbox problem which he dropped to third. That was to be his only podium finished in 11 championship starts between 1950 and 1954.
During 1950 season, he won two minor Formula One races, the Jersey Road Race and the Ulster Trophy, but the biggest career victory came in Sports Cars. He continued to race and win in Formula Two across Europe. Later, he added victories in the 1954 Lady Wigram Trophy, in New Zealand, and repeated the feat in 1956 and 1957. He also won the 1956 Rand Grand Prix. All four of those victories, he was driving a Ferrari.

Sports car racing

1950 saw Whitehead start his first 24 Hours of Le Mans race, together with John Marshall in a Jaguar XK120. The pair finished in 15th place. He teamed up with Peter Walker to win the 1951 race, however, in a Jaguar C-Type, at an average speed of.
In 1953, Whitehead decided to concentrate on sports cars, and in July, he saw more success sharing a Jaguar C-Type with Stirling Moss in the 12 Heures Internationales de Reims. He returned again in 1954, in a full works supported Jaguar D-Type to win the event again partnered by Ken Wharton. Prior to that first win at Reims, he also won the Hyères 12 Hours.
Later in 1954, again paired with Wharton, he was placed sixth in the RAC Tourist Trophy road race.

Death

Whitehead's last great performance was at Le Mans in 1958 where he came second in an Aston Martin DB3S, sharing the driving with his half-brother, Graham. A couple of months later Peter and Graham were competing together in the Tour de France, when their Jaguar 3.4-Litre crashed off a bridge into a 30-foot ravine at Lasalle, near Nîmes after overturning twice, with Graham at the wheel. Graham escaped with serious but not life-threatening injuries, but Peter was killed instantly.

Racing record

Career highlights

SeasonSeriesPositionTeamCar
1935Limerick Grand Prix3rdAlta
1936Nuffield Trophy3rdPeter WhiteheadERA B-Type
Donington Grand Prix3rdPeter WhiteheadERA B-Type
1937JCC 2002ndPeter WhiteheadERA B-Type
JCC 200 Grand Prix3rdPeter WhiteheadERA B-Type
1938Australian Hillclimb Championship1stERA B-Type
Australian Grand Prix1stERA B-Type
1939Nuffield Trophy3rdPeter WhiteheadERA B-Type
1947British Empire Trophy2ndERA B-Type
1949Velká cena Československa1stFerrari 125
Richmond Trophy2ndERA B-Type
Woodcote Cup2ndERA B-Type
Grand Prix de France3rdFerrari 125
1950Jersey Road Race1stFerrari 125
Ulster Trophy1stFerrari 125
RAC Tourist Trophy2ndJaguar XK120
Grand Prix de l’A.C.F.3rdPeter WhiteheadFerrari 125
BRDC International Trophy3rdPeter WhiteheadFerrari 125
FIA Formula One World Championship9thPeter WhiteheadFerrari 125
1951Les 24 Heures du Mans1stPeter WalkerJaguar C-Type
Preis der Ostschweiz-Erlen1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 125/166
Gran Premio del V Centenario Colombiano2ndPeter WhiteheadFerrari 125/166
Hastings Trophy2ndERA E-Type
Grand Prix de Bordeaux3rdFerrari 125
Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts3rdFerrari 125/166
195312 Hours of Hyères1stP.N. WhiteheadJaguar C-Type
12 heures internationales1stP.N. WhiteheadJaguar C-Type
Mid-Cheshire M.C. F2 race2ndAtlantic StableCooper-Alta T24
RedeX Trophy2ndAtlantic StableCooper-Alta T24
AMOC Trophy3rdAtlantic StableCooper-Alta T24
Coronation Trophy3rdAtlantic StableCooper-Alta T24
Goodwood Nine-Hours3rdW. LyonsJaguar XK120C
1954Lady Wigram Trophy1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 125
12 heures internationales1stJaguar Cars Ltd.Jaguar D-Type
Circuito do Porto3rdPeter WhiteheadCooper-Jaguar T33
1955New Zealand Grand Prix2ndPeter WhiteheadFerrari 500/625
1956Lady Wigram Trophy1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 500/750S
Southland Road Race1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 500/750S
Rand Grand Prix1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 500/750S
Ardmore Grand Prix2ndPeter WhiteheadCooper-Jaguar T38
New Zealand Grand Prix3rdPeter WhiteheadFerrari 500/750S
Australian Grand Prix3rdPeter WhiteheadFerrari 555
1957Lady Wigram Trophy1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 555/860
Southland Road Race1stPeter WhiteheadFerrari 555/860
New Zealand Grand Prix2ndPeter WhiteheadFerrari 555/860
Dunedin Road Race3rdPeter WhiteheadFerrari 555/860
195824 Heures du Mans2ndA.G. WhiteheadAston Martin DB3S

Complete Formula One World Championship results

Non-Championship Formula One results

YearEntrantChassisEngine123456789101112131415161718192021222324252627282930313233343536373839
1949Peter WhiteheadFerrari 125Ferrari V12BUEEVARIOSRM
Ret		PAURICPAUJER
7		ROUMARGBR
8		EMPFROBEL
4		SUI
9		ALBFRA
3		ZAN
DNS		ACFINTLAU
10		ITA
Ret		GOOAUSCSR
1		SALPER------------
1950Peter WhiteheadFerrari 125Ferrari V12PAURIC
Ret		SRM
Ret		PAREMPBARJER
1		ALBNED
4		NATNOTULS
1		PESSTTINT
3		GOO
Ret		PEN----------------------
1951Peter WhiteheadFerrari 125Ferrari V12SYRPAURICSRM
Ret		BOR
3		INTPARULS
DNS		SCONED
ALT		ALBPES
5		BAR
6		GOO-------------------------
1952Peter WhiteheadFerrari 125/166Ferrari V12RIOSYR
5		VAL
4		RIC
DNA		LAVPAUIBS
DNA		INT
5		ELÄNAPEIFALB
5		FROULSDAI
11		COMNAT----
1952Peter WhiteheadAlta F2Alta L4MAR
Ret		ASTPAR
Ret		MNZ
Ret		LACESSMAR
Ret		SAB
DNA		CAEBAU
Ret		MODCADSKAMAD
4		AVUJOE
Ret		NEW
7		RIO----
1953Peter WhiteheadCooper T24Alta L4SYR
5		PAULAV
5		AST
3		BOR
Ret		INT
8		ELÄNAPULS
4		WINFROCOR
3		EIFALB
5		PRIGREESSMIDROUSTRCRY
5		AVUUSFLACDREBRICHE
2		SABNEWCADSACRED
2		SKALONMODMADBERJOECUR
1954Peter WhiteheadCooper T24Alta L4SYRPAULAV
Ret		BOR
Ret		INT
DNA		BARCURROMFROCORBRCCRYROUCAEAUGCOROUTRED
Ret		PESSACJOECADBERGOODAI--------------

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete 12 Hours of Reims results

Complete 12 Hours of Hyères results

Complete 12 Hours of Pescara results

Complete 12 Hours of Casablanca results