Tony Maggs

Anthony Francis O'Connell Maggs (9 February 1937 - 2 June 2009): South African racing driver from Pretoria who competed in Formula One from 1961 to 1965. Son of a wealthy farmer and businessman, Maggs came to England in 1959 on John Love's suggestion, joining Ken Tyrrell's Formula Junior Cooper-BMC team in 1961 where he shared the European Championship with Jo Siffert. As the first South African to participate in a Formula One Grand Prix, Maggs made his debut at the 1961 British Grand Prix before joining the Cooper factory team for 1962-1963. He consistently demonstrated his talent by finishing second at the French Grand Prix in both 1962 and 1963, though he was dropped by Cooper at season's end.

Across 27 World Championship starts, Maggs achieved three podiums and scored 26 championship points. Moving to Scuderia Centro Sud for 1964, he remarkably achieved two points finishes from three starts despite racing non-current BRM P57 machinery. In 1965, Maggs raced only once in Formula One, driving for Reg Parnell Racing at the South African Grand Prix in East London while continuing success in Formula Two and sports cars. Later that year, a tragic accident at Pietermaritzburg resulted in a child's death.

Distraught by this incident, Maggs immediately retired from racing. He died from cancer at age 72 in Caledon, Western Cape, South Africa.