thumb|Whitehead (ERA R10B) takes the flag to win the [[1938 Australian Grand Prix]]
Peter Nield Whitehead (12 November 1914 – 21 September 1958) 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 and 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 Peter 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, Whitehead 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.
During 1950 season, Whitehead 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.
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, on 21 September 1958, Peter and Graham were competing together in the Tour de France, when their Jaguar 3.4-Litre crashed off a bridge into a 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
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;"|-
! Season
! Series
! Position
! Team
! Car
|-
| 1935
| Limerick Grand Prix
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| ERA B-Type
|-
|
| Donington Grand Prix
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| ERA B-Type
|-
| 1937
| JCC 200
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|
| ERA B-Type
|-
| 1939
| Nuffield Trophy
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| ERA B-Type
|-
| 1947
| British Empire Trophy
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| ERA B-Type
|-
| 1949
| Velká cena Československa
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| Richmond Trophy
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| ERA B-Type
|-
|
| Woodcote Cup
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| ERA B-Type
|-
|
| Grand Prix de France
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
|
| Ferrari 125
|-
| 1950
| Jersey Road Race
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| Ulster Trophy
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| RAC Tourist Trophy
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
|Jaguar XK120
|-
|
| Grand Prix de l’A.C.F.
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| BRDC International Trophy
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| FIA Formula One World Championship
| 9th
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 125
|-
| 1951
| Les 24 Heures du Mans
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Peter Walker
| Jaguar C-Type
|-
|
| Preis der Ostschweiz-Erlen
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 125/166
|-
|
| Gran Premio del V Centenario Colombiano
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 125/166
|-
|
| Hastings Trophy
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|
| ERA E-Type
|-
|
| Grand Prix de Bordeaux
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
|
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
|
| Ferrari 125/166
|-
| 1953
| 12 Hours of Hyères
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| P.N. Whitehead
| Jaguar C-Type
|-
|
| 12 heures internationales
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| P.N. Whitehead
| Jaguar C-Type
|-
|
| Mid-Cheshire M.C. F2 race
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Atlantic Stable
| Cooper-Alta T24
|-
|
| RedeX Trophy
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Atlantic Stable
| Cooper-Alta T24
|-
|
| AMOC Trophy
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Atlantic Stable
| Cooper-Alta T24
|-
|
| Coronation Trophy
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| W. Lyons
| Jaguar XK120C
|-
| 1954
| Lady Wigram Trophy
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 125
|-
|
| 12 heures internationales
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Jaguar Cars Ltd.
| Jaguar D-Type
|-
|
| Circuito do Porto
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| Cooper-Jaguar T33
|-
| 1955
| New Zealand Grand Prix
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 500/625
|-
| 1956
| Lady Wigram Trophy
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 500/750S
|-
|
| Southland Road Race
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 500/750S
|-
|
| Ardmore Grand Prix
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Peter Whitehead
| Cooper-Jaguar T38
|-
|
| New Zealand Grand Prix
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 500/750S
|-
|
| Australian Grand Prix
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 555
|-
| 1957
| Lady Wigram Trophy
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 555/860
|-
|
| Southland Road Race
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| Peter Whitehead
| Ferrari 555/860
|-
|
| Dunedin Road Race
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| A.G. Whitehead
| Aston Martin DB3S
|-
|}
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! WDC
! Points
|-
|rowspan=2| 1950
! Peter Whitehead
! Ferrari 125
! Ferrari V12
| GBR
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| MON<br>
| 500
|
|
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| FRA<br>
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| ITA<br />
|
|
!rowspan=2| 9th
!rowspan=2| 4
|-
! Scuderia Ferrari
! Ferrari 125
! Ferrari V12
|
|
|
| SUI<br /><small>DNA</small>
| BEL
|
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan=3|1951
!rowspan=2| Peter Whitehead
! Ferrari 125
! Ferrari V12
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SUI<br />
| 500
| BEL
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FRA<br>
|
| GER
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ITA<br />
|
|
!rowspan="3"| NC
!rowspan="3"| 0
|-
! Ferrari 375
! Ferrari V12
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| ESP<br><small>DNA</small>
|
|-
! G A Vandervell
! Ferrari 375 Thinwall
! Ferrari V12
|
|
|
|
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR<br>
|
|
|
|
|-
|rowspan="2"| 1952
!rowspan="2"| Peter Whitehead
! Alta F2
! Alta Straight-4
| SUI
| 500
| BEL
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| FRA<br>
|
|
|
|
|
!rowspan="2"| NC
!rowspan="2"| 0
|-
! Ferrari 125/166
! Ferrari V12
|
|
|
|
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR<br>
| GER
| NED
|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| ITA<br />
|
|-
| 1953
! Atlantic Stable
! Cooper T24
! Alta Straight-4
| ARG
| 500
| NED
| BEL
| FRA
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR<br>
| GER
| SUI
| ITA
! NC
! 0
|-
| 1954
! Peter Whitehead
! Cooper T24
! Alta Straight-4
| ARG
| 500
| BEL
| FRA
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR<br>
| GER
| SUI
| ITA
| ESP
! NC
! 0
|-
!colspan="15"|
|}
Non-Championship Formula One results
(key)
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! 9
! 10
! 11
! 12
! 13
! 14
! 15
! 16
! 17
! 18
! 19
! 20
! 21
! 22
! 23
! 24
! 25
! 26
! 27
! 28
! 29
! 30
! 31
! 32
! 33
! 34
! 35
|-
| 1949
! Peter Whitehead
! Ferrari 125
! Ferrari V12
| BUE
| EVA
| RIO
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SRM<br />
| PAU
| RIC
| PAU
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| JER<br />
| ROU
| MAR
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| GBR<br />
| EMP
| FRO
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BEL<br />
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| SUI<br />
| ALB
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| FRA<br />
| ZAN<br />
| INT
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| LAU<br />
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ITA<br />
| GOO
| AUS
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| CSR<br />
| SAL
| PER
|-
| 1950
! Peter Whitehead
! Ferrari 125
! Ferrari V12
| PAU
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RIC<br />
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SRM<br />
| PAR
| EMP
| BAR
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| JER<br />
| ALB
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| NED<br />
| NAT
| NOT
|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ULS<br />
| PES
| STT
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| INT<br />
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GOO<br />
| PEN
|-
| 1951
! Peter Whitehead
! Ferrari 125
! Ferrari V12
| SYR
| PAU
| RIC
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| SRM<br />
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| BOR<br />
| INT
| PAR
| ULS<br />
| SCO
| NED<br /><small>ALT</small>
| ALB
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| PES<br />
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| BAR<br />
| GOO
|-
|rowspan=2| 1952
!rowspan=2| Peter Whitehead
! Ferrari 125/166
! Ferrari V12
| RIO
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SYR<br />
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| VAL<br />
| RIC<br /><small>DNA</small>
| LAV
| PAU
| IBS<br /><small>DNA</small>
|
|
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| INT<br />
| ELÄ
| NAP
| EIF
|
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ALB<br />
| FRO
| ULS
|
|
|
|
|
|
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| DAI<br />
| COM
| NAT
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|-
! Alta F2
! Alta L4
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MAR<br />
| AST
|
|
|
|
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| PAR<br />
|
|
|
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MNZ<br />
| LAC
| ESS
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MAR<br />
| SAB<br /><small>DNA</small>
| CAE
|
|
|
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BAU<br />
| MOD
| CAD
| SKA
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MAD<br />
| AVU
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| JOE<br />
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| NEW<br />
| RIO
|-
| 1953
! Peter Whitehead
! Cooper T24
! Alta L4
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SYR<br />
| PAU
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| LAV<br />
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| AST<br />
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BOR<br />
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| INT<br />
| ELÄ
| NAP
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ULS<br />
| WIN
| FRO
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| COR<br />
| EIF
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ALB<br />
| PRI
| ESS
| MID
| ROU
|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| CRY<br />
| AVU
| USF
| LAC
| BRI
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| CHE<br />
| SAB
| NEW
| CAD
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| RED<br />
| SKA
| LON
| MOD
| MAD
| JOE
| CUR
|-
| 1954
! Peter Whitehead
! Cooper T24
! Alta L4
| SYR
| PAU
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| LAV<br />
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| BOR<br />
| INT<br /><small>DNA</small>
| BAR
| CUR
| ROM
| FRO
| COR
| BRC
| CRY
| ROU
| CAE
| AUG
| COR
| OUT
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| RED<br />
| PES
| JOE
| CAD
| BER
| GOO
| DAI
|}
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|-
! 1950
|align="left"| P.C.D. Walker
|align="left"| John Marshall
|align="left"| Jaguar XK120
| S5.0
| 225
| 15th
| 8th
|-
! 1951
|align="left"| Peter Walker
|align="left"| Peter Walker
|align="left"| Jaguar C-Type
| S5.0
| 267
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|-
! 1952
|align="left"| Jaguar Ltd.
|align="left"| Ian Stewart
|align="left"| Jaguar C-Type
| S5.0
|
| colspan=2|DNF<br>(Head gasket)
|-
! 1953
|align="left"| Jaguar Cars Ltd.
|align="left"| Ian Stewart
|align="left"| Jaguar C-Type
| S5.0
| 297
| 4th
| style="background:#ffdf9f;"| 3rd
|-
! 1954
|align="left"| Jaguar Cars Ltd.
|align="left"| Ken Wharton
|align="left"| Jaguar D-Type
| S5.0
| 131
| colspan=2|DNF<br>(Gearbox)
|-
! 1955
|align="left"| Cooper Cars Co
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Cooper-Jaguar T38
| S5.0
| 36
| colspan=2|DNF<br>(Oil pressure)
|-
! 1957
|align="left"| D. Brown
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Aston Martin DBR2
| S5.0
| 81
| colspan=2|DNF<br>(Gearbox)
|-
! 1958
|align="left"| A.G. Whitehead
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB3S
| S3.0
| 293
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
| style="background:#dfdfdf;"| 2nd
|-
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Reims results
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|-
! 1953
|align="left"| P.N. Whitehead
|align="left"| Stirling Moss
|align="left"| Jaguar C-Type
| S+2.0
| 243
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|-
! 1954
|align="left"| Jaguar Cars Ltd.
|align="left"| Ken Wharton
|align="left"| Jaguar D-Type
|
| 222
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|-
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Hyères results
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|-
! 1953
|align="left"| P.N. Whitehead
|align="left"| Tom Cole
|align="left"| Jaguar C-Type
| S+3.0
| 204
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
| style="background:#ffffbf;"| 1st
|-
! 1954
|align="left"| Peter Whitehead
|align="left"| Duncan Hamilton
|align="left"| Cooper-Jaguar T33
|
|
| colspan=2|DNS<br>(Broken crankshaft)
|-
! 1955
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB3S
|
|
| colspan=2|DNF<br>(Cooling)
|-
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Pescara results
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|-
! 1953
|align="left"| Peter Whitehead
|align="left"| Duncan Hamilton
|align="left"| Jaguar C-Type
|
|
| colspan=2|DNF<br>(Steering)
|-
|}
Complete 12 Hours of Casablanca results
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Team
! Co-Drivers
! Car
! Class
! Laps
!
!
|-
! 1953
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Graham Whitehead
|align="left"| Aston Martin DB3
| S+2.0
|
| 5th
| 4th
|-
|}
References
Further reading
External links
- Peter Whitehead: 1954 Formula One Season By Jeremy McMullen [http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/f1/teamsBySeason.aspx?driverTeamArticleID=141&driverID=13]
- Peter Whitehead summary of driving career with Jaguar Cars