Гонщики, B | |
Brabham, David Курсивом отмечены гонщики, |
| Дэвид БрэбэмBrabham, David |
 (c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000 Родился: 05.09.1965 Уимблдон, Лондон, Англия Сезонов в Ф1: Лет в Ф1: 5 Гран При: Старты: 24* *не стартовал: 6 Победы: - подряд: Подиумы: - подряд: Поул-позиции: - подряд: Первый ряд: - подряд: Быстрые круги: - подряд: Лучший финиш: Лучший старт: 21 Дубли: Хет-трики: Лидирование старт/финиш: Большие шлемы: |
Год | Команда | Шасси |
The youngest of the Brabham dynasty, David is the only one of the three brothers to have emulated his father in having started a World Championship Grand Prix. He will never be able to match the feats achieved by the legendary Sir Jack, but that should not reflect badly on David, who has thus far managed a worthy career without the aid of the massive finances needed for ultimate success.
A quick learner, David soon outgrew the Australian and New Zealand single-seater scene and headed first to the States to race in Formula Atlantic, then to England in 1988, initially to contest the Formula Vauxhall Lotus championship. This proved a backward step but a switch to Class B of the Formula 3 series was an instant success, Brabham winning five times from just nine starts. Moving up to Class A with the Jewson-backed Bowman Rait the following season, he had a season-long battle for the F3 championship with Allan McNish in 1989, which was only resolved in David's favour on appeal the following February. With a win in the prestigious Macau F3 race, Brabham seemed set for a year in F3000 with Middlebridge Racing, but this was suddenly to become a Grand Prix chance when they acquired the Brabham team and Gregor Foitek quit his seat after just two races of the 1990 season. He applied himself sensibly and did as much as a novice could in an uncompetitive car, but was not retained at season's end. Turning to sports cars, David drove for TWR Jaguar in 1991 (winning at the Nürburgring with Warwick) and Toyota in 1992 while waiting for the opportunity to return to Grand Prix racing, which finally presented itself with the ambitious but unproven Simtek team hiring him to lead their assault in 1994. It was a character-building year in which David was the team's mainstay. Following the tragic death of Roland Ratzenberger, he was partnered by no fewer than four other drivers and his determination and dedication in the face of adversity (which included a huge testing accident at Silverstone) were exemplary.
With Nick Wirth's fledgling outfit facing an uncertain future at the beginning of 1995, David amicably took his leave for the chance of a paid seat with BMW in the ever-growing BTCC. The aerodynamic regulations and rear-wheel drive configuration of the 318i left him at a great disadvantage, but typically Brabham got on with the job and was certainly not overshadowed by his much more experienced team-mate, multiple saloon champion Johnny Cecotto.
David understandably grabbed the chance to contest the 1996 All-Japan GT championship in a McLaren F1 GTR and had the satisfaction of snatching the title from main rival Ralf Schumacher. His success in this form of racing brought the opportunity to race a Panoz in 1997, and he has since been a standard-bearer for the marque, putting in a succession of excellent performances over the past three seasons which have seen him become a regular contender for honours. His disappointment must then have been immense when he found himself pipped at the last in the 1999 American Le Mans series by a team which failed to register a single win, but benefited from the idiosyncratic points scoring system. A true gentleman, however, and one of motor racing's most sporting competitors, David was the first to congratulate the victors.
(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000
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