David Walker (racing driver)

Dave Walker

Walker at the wheel of the Lotus 56B Formula One car during the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix
Born (1941-06-10) 10 June 1941
Sydney, Australia
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Australia Australian
Active years 19711972
Teams Team Lotus
Entries 11
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Career points 0
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First entry 1971 Dutch Grand Prix
Last entry 1972 United States Grand Prix

David Walker (born 10 June 1941 in Sydney) is an Australian former racing driver who drove for Lotus in the 1971 and 1972 Formula One World Championships.

Career

During the 1960s Walker's racing career faltered (he was the 1969 British Formula Ford Champion and finished third in the 1969 European Formula Ford Championship), however finally broke through racing a Lotus in Formula Three during 1971. He won 25 out of 32 races that year, including the Formula Three support races at the Monaco Grand Prix and the British Grand Prix at Silverstone. By the end of the year he had won both the Shell and Forward Trust UK Formula Three titles. Coming to the attention of Lotus founder Colin Chapman, Walker was handed his Formula One debut at the 1971 Dutch Grand Prix to drive the Lotus 56B, powered by a Pratt & Whitney turbine engine. During the rain-affected race, Walker used the turbine car's advantages of four wheel drive and superior torque to rise from his starting position of 22nd to 10th place within five laps, but eventually spun off into retirement.

Walker was given a full-time Formula One seat to drive the Lotus 72 in the 1972 season, as number two driver to Emerson Fittipaldi. As the season went on, however, both Walker and the team became increasingly disenchanted. After Lotus discovered Walker had tested a Formula Two car for another team, he was dropped from the team for the Italian GP and the Canadian GP, where he was replaced by Reine Wisell. Walker was back for the US GP, but retired.

In all, Fittipaldi won five races and scored 61 points, winning the championship, while Walker never finished a Grand Prix higher than ninth place (in Spain). Lotus blamed Walker's allegedly inadequate driving technique, poor fitness and lack of mechanical sensitivity; while Walker claimed Lotus gave him inferior equipment and gave far more attention to Fittipaldi's needs than his. He was not retained for the 1973 season, and was replaced by Ronnie Peterson. David Walker remains the only driver not to score a single Formula One Championship point in the same season his team-mate won the drivers' title.

For 1973, Walker drifted into Formula Two but was unfortunate to be badly injured in two road accidents that year. He retired from motor racing at the end of 1975, and now lives in Queensland running a boat charter business.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points
1971 Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 56B Pratt & Whitney Turbine RSA ESP MON NED
Ret
FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0
1972 John Player
Team Lotus
Lotus 72D Cosworth V8 ARG
DSQ
RSA
10
ESP
9
MON
14
BEL
14
FRA
18
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
AUT
Ret
ITA CAN USA
Ret
NC 0
Source:[1]

References

  1. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 391. ISBN 0851127029.

Sources

External links

Sporting positions
Preceded by
Emerson Fittipaldi
(Combined championship)
British Formula 3 Championship
BRSCC Lombank Series Champion

1970
Succeeded by
Roger Williamson
Preceded by
Tony Trimmer
Monaco Formula Three
Race Winner

1971
Succeeded by
Patrick Depailler
Preceded by
Carlos Pace
British Formula 3 Championship
BARC Series Champion

1971
Succeeded by
Roger Williamson
Preceded by
Tony Trimmer
British Formula 3 Championship
BRSCC Motorsport/Shell Series Champion

1971
Succeeded by
Roger Williamson
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