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Until his passing yesterday at the age of 90, Tony Brooks was the last surviving F1 race winner of motorsport's golden era, the 1950s.
A six-time Grand Prix winner, Brooks stood alongside Stirling Moss as one of Britain's greatest talents to race among the elite. Unfortunately, his achievements were often obscured by his good friend's exploits.
But as a measure of Brooks' accomplishments during F1's hectic first decade, consider that 49 of the 75 Grands Prix held during that period were won by just three drivers: Juan Manuel Fangio enjoyed 24 wins, Alberto Ascari claimed 13 victories and Moss clinched 12 triumphs.
Brooks was F1's fourth most successful driver with six wins, four of which were achieved with Vanwall while two were enjoyed with Ferrari.
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By today's standards, six wins in F1 appears as insignificant. But between 1956 and 1959, Brooks won 46% of the races he finished, while his best classification in the F1 world championship came in 1959 when he finished runner-up to Jack Brabham.
Parallel to his career in F1, Brooks applied his remarkable skills to sportscar racing, co-driving with Moss and winning the 1957 Nürburgring 1000 km and the 1958 RAC Tourist Trophy, with the pair racing an Aston Martin DBR1.
Brooks wrapped up his career in F1 with BRM in 1961 at just 29, a year before the manufacturer's most successful season.
A quiet and modest man despite his outstanding achievements, Brooks never raced again after he stepped away from F1, choosing instead to devote his time to his family and to his successful car dealership in Surrey.
RIP Tony Brooks, 1932 - 2022
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