Peter Collins

PETER COLLINS d1958. British racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1952 to 1958. He won three Formula One Grands Prix across seven seasons. In endurance racing, he won the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1958 with Ferrari. He raced in Formula Two with HWM in 1952 who then promoted him to Formula One that season to replace Stirling Moss making his debut at the Swiss Grand Prix. He then made intermittent appearances over the next four seasons for HWM / Vanwall and Maserati scoring no World Championship points. He took major wins at the 1953 RAC Tourist Trophy with Aston Martin and the non-championship 1955 BRDC International Trophy. Following his victory at the 1955 Targa Florio with Mercedes, he was signed by Ferrari in 1956. He was immediately successful at Ferrari, taking his maiden wins at the Belgian and French Grands Prix and finishing third in the World Drivers' Championship. After a win-less 1957 season, he died during the 1958 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, just weeks after winning the British Grand Prix. After pushing hard to keep pace, he went into the Pflanzgarten section of the circuit too quickly which caused his Ferrari to run wide and encounter a ditch. Collins lost control of his car, it flipped into the air and landed upside down. He was thrown from the car and struck a tree sustaining critical head injuries. Despite treatment, he sadly died aged just 26 later that afternoon at the hospital in Bonn