Christopher Adrian Craft (17 November 1939 – 20 February 2021) was a versatile British racing driver whose career stretched from humble saloon cars to Formula One and the podium at Le Mans.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | British |
| Birthplace | Porthleven, England, UK |
| Born | 17 November 1939 |
| Died | 20 February 2021 |
| First Grand Prix | 1971 Canadian Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1971 United States Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1971 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Ecurie Evergreen Brabham |
Racing career
Born in Porthleven, Cornwall, Craft began racing in 1962 behind the wheel of a Ford Anglia. He quickly established a reputation as an outstanding saloon car racer, becoming particularly associated with Team Broadspeed and its rapid Ford Escorts, which he campaigned between 1968 and 1970.
Craft was never interested in sticking to a single discipline. After gaining Formula Three experience in a Tecno, he moved into sports cars in 1968, initially driving a Chevron. A partnership with Alain de Cadenet followed, putting Craft behind the wheel of machinery including the Porsche 908 and fearsome McLaren M8C.
That relationship also provided Craft with his unlikely shot at Formula One. In 1971, he entered two World Championship Grands Prix in a Brabham BT33 prepared by de Cadenet’s Ecurie Evergreen operation.
His first attempt, at the Canadian Grand Prix at Mosport Park, became a particularly frustrating case of what might have been. Craft initially failed to qualify, only for two competitors to withdraw following accidents during race-day warm-up sessions. That should have opened the door for him to start – except his Brabham developed engine trouble of its own and the opportunity disappeared.
Craft finally made his World Championship race debut at the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen. His afternoon was hampered by suspension trouble and tyre problems, leaving him without a championship point from his brief Formula One adventure.
Success beyond Formula One
F1 represented only a tiny part of a wonderfully varied career. Craft continued competing in saloon cars, including the Ford Capri, while also racing sports cars, Formula Three and Formula 5000. In the early 1980s he added another unusual chapter by driving for the Japanese Dome sports-car operation.
Some of his greatest achievements came in endurance racing. Driving a Lola T92, Craft won the 1973 European Sportscar Championship, giving him one of the major titles of his career.
Three years later came another standout result. At the 1976 24 Hours of Le Mans, Craft finished third overall – earning a place on the podium at the world’s most famous endurance race and providing a fitting highlight for a driver who had built his reputation by being quick in almost anything he was handed.
Life after racing
Craft’s fascination with cars continued long after his competitive career had wound down. He later joined forces with celebrated Formula One designer Gordon Murray to establish the Light Car Company.
Their creation was the Light Car Company Rocket, an extraordinarily lightweight, minimalist road car that channelled the spirit of a racing machine into something built for the road.
Craft died on 20 February 2021, aged 81, leaving behind a career notable not simply for Formula One, Le Mans or championship success, but for the sheer variety of machinery he mastered along the way.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 2 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 1 |
| Best Race Start | 27th |
| Best Race Finish | – |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 2 |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1971 | Privateer: Ecurie Evergreen Brabham | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 27 | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
