Roy Salvadori

Roy Francesco Salvadori (12 May 1922 - 3 June 2012): British racing driver of Italian descent who competed in 47 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix between 1952 and 1962, achieving two podium finishes and winning the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans with Carroll Shelby for Aston Martin. Born in Dovercourt, Essex, to an Italian father and British mother, Salvadori began racing in the immediate post-war period, initially competing in motorcycles before transitioning to automobiles. His racing career spanned the 1950s and early 1960s, during which he drove for numerous teams including Cooper, Vanwall, BRM, Aston Martin, and Connaught. Salvadori achieved his two Formula One podium finishes in 1958: third place at the British Grand Prix and second place at the German Grand Prix, both driving for Cooper.

These results demonstrated genuine frontrunning speed when provided with competitive machinery. He scored championship points on multiple occasions and finished fifth in the 1958 World Championship, his best season. For 1959, Salvadori had verbal commitments to both Aston Martin for sports cars and Cooper for Formula One. Honoring his agreement with Aston Martin, he drove their DBR4 Formula One car, which proved hopelessly uncompetitive against the nimble rear-engined Coopers that were revolutionizing Grand Prix racing.

Apart from second place at the non-championship May Silverstone race, the front-engined Aston Martin was never competitive, and Salvadori's F1 results suffered accordingly. However, 1959 brought Salvadori his greatest triumph: victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans co-driving an Aston Martin DBR1 with American Carroll Shelby. This prestigious endurance racing victory represented the pinnacle of Salvadori's career and remains one of British motorsport's celebrated achievements. Aston Martin won the World Sports Car Championship that year, with Salvadori contributing significantly to their success.

After his driving career ended, Salvadori remained involved in motorsport as a team manager and later ran a successful driver training school at Brands Hatch circuit. He became a respected elder statesman of British racing, frequently attending historic events and reunions. Salvadori died on 3 June 2012 at age 90, having witnessed motorsport's complete transformation from the dangerous amateur era of his youth to the highly professional modern age. He is remembered as one of the leading British drivers of the 1950s, particularly in sports car racing, and a gentleman racer who competed alongside legends like Stirling Moss, Mike Hawthorn, and Tony Brooks.

Known for: Winning the 1959 24 Hours of Le Mans with Carroll Shelby for Aston Martin, finishing second at the 1958 German Grand Prix, competing in 47 Formula One races between 1952 and 1962, and remaining active in motorsport into his later years as a driver trainer and historic racing participant.