After Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari and Stirling Moss, Brooks was the most successful driver of his era. Brooks is regarded alongside Moss as the best British driver never to win the F1 title. He entered F1 in 1956 with BRM, but he raced only twice in a car that was not a success – and Brooks was lucky to escape without serious injury from a crash when its throttle stuck open during the 1956 British Grand Prix. Brooks was suffering from injuries sustained in a heavy crash at Le Mans the month before, but still qualified third. And after Moss retired from the race while leading, a fatigued Brooks handed over his car and Moss went on to a famous win. Brooks was a devout Catholic, and did not believe in taking unnecessary risks with his life, despite his profession. Brooks left Ferrari after that and although he continued in F1 in 1960 and ’61, he was already thinking of moving on.

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