Great promises

After a brief career as a driver and a mechanic, Frank Williams founded Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1966. He ran drivers – including Piers Courage – for several years in Formula Two and Formula 3. Williams then purchased a Brabham Formula 1 chassis and a Cosworth engine, which Courage drove during the 1969 Formula 1 season, showing great promise by finishing twice in second place, at Monaco and Watkins Glen.

A year later, driving a Williams-entered De Tomaso, Courage was killed at the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort (picture below). Piers is remembered as being a gentleman and as courageous a driver as there has ever been. He was quick, if not a little erratic – something he was quickly overcoming. Sadly he never got the chance to prove how good he was.