Born on 11 July 1941 in Bulawayo, Clive Puzey is a former Rhodesian racing driver whose career spanned the golden era of Southern African single-seater racing. Best known for his involvement in the South African Formula One Championship during the 1960s, where he regularly took on some of the region’s leading drivers.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | Rhodesian |
| Birthplace | Bulawayo, Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) |
| Born | 11 July 1941 |
| First Grand Prix | 1965 South African Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1965 South African Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1965 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Lotus |
His Formula One journey began in earnest when he entered the 1963 South African Formula One Championship driving a Lotus 18/21. Progress came quickly, and the following year he recorded a notable seventh-place finish in the Rand Grand Prix.
Puzey’s sole attempt to compete in a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix came at the 1965 South African Grand Prix. Entering the event with a Lotus-Climax, he aimed to secure a place on the starting grid against an international field. However, he was unable to make it through the pre-qualifying stages and did not start the race. Despite this setback, his entry earned him a place among a select group of Rhodesian drivers to have entered a Formula One World Championship event. In total, only six drivers from Rhodesia—whose territory today forms part of Zimbabwe and Zambia—made entries for World Championship Formula One races.
Away from the World Championship, Puzey continued to compete in the South African Formula One Championship through to 1969. His strongest season came in 1966, when he claimed three podium finishes.
Following his retirement from racing, Puzey returned to his native Bulawayo, where he operated a successful garage business for many years. He remained active in the local community and ran the business until 2000.
In later life, Puzey became an outspoken critic of the government of Robert Mugabe. His public opposition reportedly led to repeated threats and increasing pressure, ultimately prompting him to leave Zimbabwe. He subsequently relocated to Australia, where he settled after bringing an end to both his business and his long association with his homeland.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 0 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | None (Did not pre-qualify) |
| Best Race Finish | None (Never classified) |
| Retirements | 0 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | None (Never classified) |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 0 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1965 | Privateer: Lotus | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | None (DNPQ) | None (DNPQ) | 0 | 0 | Never classified |
