Born Derek Reginald Bell on 31 October 1941 in Pinner, Middlesex, this modest farm-raised Brit would grow into one of endurance racing’s most decorated and universally admired drivers. Five victories at Le Mans, three at Daytona, two World Sportscar Championships. Even Formula One wasn’t safe. Bell appeared in sixteen Grands Prix between 1968 and 1974, starting nine of them across spells with Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees and Tecno, scoring a single championship point and a best finish of sixth at Watkins Glen in 1970. Not statistics that shout — but what came next certainly did.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Born | Derek Reginald Bell 31 October 1941 Pinner, Middlesex, England, UK |
Bell’s story began far from the glamour of pit lanes. He boarded at The King’s School, Worcester, and split his home life between farm work and helping run the family caravan park near Pagham Harbour — complete with its own pub. Luckily, his stepfather Bernard Hender saw racing potential behind the wholesome country lad and nudged him into the cockpit of a Lotus Seven in 1964. Good decision. Derek won his very first race at Goodwood.
From there, his ascent was brisk:
- 1965: Formula Three in a Lotus 31
- 1966: New mount — Lotus 41 — plus his first F3 win at Goodwood
- 1967: Seven victories and growing attention
- 1968: Into Formula Two in a private Brabham BT23C — and right onto Enzo Ferrari’s radar
Before long, Bell was thrust into his Formula One debut with Ferrari at Monza. By 1969 he was jetting off to contest the Tasman Series, finishing runner-up twice, and even piloting McLaren’s rare, four-wheel-drive M9A in its sole Grand Prix appearance.
That same era delivered a near-disastrous but unforgettable footnote — while filming the movie Le Mans with Steve McQueen, Bell escaped a blazing Ferrari 512 moments before it was consumed by fire. The two families lived together during shooting; Bell walked away with only minor burns and one extraordinary story.
Le Mans — His Kingdom, His Castle, His Playground
If F1 gave him his start, Le Mans gave him immortality.
Bell made his first appearance in 1970 in a works Ferrari 512, alongside Ronnie Peterson. Twenty-six years later, in 1996, he bowed out of the great race at the wheel of a McLaren F1 GTR — but the years between were legend.
The tally that defines him: Five outright wins — 1975, 1981, 1982, 1986, 1987
Three of those triumphs were shared with Jacky Ickx, another two with Hans-Joachim Stuck and Al Holbert. Along the way, he set a personal Le Mans top speed of a breathtaking 246 mph during 1971 testing in a Gulf-liveried Porsche 917LH — a moment that still sounds like fiction.
A World Champion Beyond La Sarthe
Bell’s career away from Le Mans was just as rich. Twice crowned World Sportscar Champion (1985, 1986) and thrice a Daytona 24 Hours winner (1986, 1987, 1989), he collected silverware at circuits around the world.
Highlights include:
- 1973: Won the RAC Tourist Trophy in a BMW 3.0CSL
- 1974, 1975, 1984: Spa 1000 km victories — at both the classic long track and the newer, shorter layout
- 1984: Nürburgring 1000 km win with Stefan Bellof in a Porsche 956
Only he and Jacky Ickx have conquered the Spa 1000 km on both versions of the Belgian circuit — a rare piece of motorsport symmetry.
After the Chequered Flag
Retirement didn’t slow him down. Bell steered the Spectre R42 supercar project as chairman in the late ’90s, later advising the Bentley Speed 8 programme that conquered Le Mans in 2003. He continues to split life between the U.S. and Chichester with his wife, Misti, while working as a commentator, after-dinner speaker, historic racer and global Bentley ambassador. He’s also part of Bentley Naples in Florida.
Family remains part of the story. Bell raced with his son Justin at Daytona in 1991 and at Le Mans in 1992 — proud memories matched only by their joint third-place finish for McLaren in 1995, landing on the podium together on Father’s Day.
Honours, Charities & One Very British Pram Race
Bell lends his name to Dementia Support, Hope for Tomorrow, Mission Motorsport, the Henry Surtees Foundation and the Fly Navy Heritage Trust. Somewhat wonderfully, he’s also president of the Pagham Pram Race, the world’s oldest event of its kind — run annually on Boxing Day since 1946.
He returned to Le Mans in 2012 to race a Porsche 962 at the Group C support event, and in 2014 was awarded Honorary Life membership of the AA after half a century in motorsport. He has served as grand marshal for major endurance events, including the 2010 Sebring 12 Hours, the 2014 Silverstone 6 Hours and the 2021 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Derek Bell — more than a five-time Le Mans winner
He is a racer’s racer. A gentleman with a fireproof suit and a sense of humour. A figure respected in the paddock, loved by his peers, and quoted as one of the most likeable drivers of his generation.
Cars change. Records fall. Yet Derek Bell MBE remains one of motorsport’s golden benchmarks — fast, gracious, fearless, unforgettable.
Derek Bell Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1968–1972, 1974 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Ferrari, McLaren, Surtees, Tecno |
| Entries | 16 (9 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 1 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1968 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1974 Canadian Grand Prix |
Derek Bell Teammates
| 11 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jacky Ickx | 1 | 1968 | |
| Chris Amon | 2 | 1968 | |
| Bruce McLaren | 1 | 1969 | |
| Denny Hulme | 1 | 1969 | |
| John Surtees | 1 | 1970 | |
| Henri Pescarolo | 2 | 1971 | |
| Nanni Galli | 5 | 1972 | |
| Jochen Mass | 2 | 1974 | |
| Jean-Pierre Jabouille | 1 | 1974 | |
| José Dolhem | 1 | 1974 | |
| Helmuth Koinigg | 1 | 1974 |
Derek Bell Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1968 | Scuderia Ferrari SpA SEFAC | Ferrari 312/68 | Ferrari 242C 3.0 V12 | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA Ret | CAN | NC | 0 | |||||
| Ferrari 312/67/68 | Ferrari 242 3.0 V12 | USA Ret | MEX | NC | 0 | |||||||||||||||
| 1969 | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren M9A | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | RSA | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR Ret | GER | ITA | CAN | USA | MEX | NC | 0 | ||||
| 1970 | Tom Wheatcroft Racing | Brabham BT26A | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL Ret | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | 22nd | 1 | ||||
| Team Surtees | Surtees TS7 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | USA 6 | MEX | 22nd | 1 | ||||||||||||||
| 1971 | Team Surtees | Surtees TS9 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | RSA | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR Ret | GER | AUT | ITA | CAN | USA | NC | 0 | ||||
| 1972 | Martini Racing Team | Tecno PA123 | Tecno Series-P 3.0 F12 | ARG | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | FRA DNS | GBR | GER Ret | AUT | ITA DNQ | CAN DNS | USA Ret | NC | 0 | |||
| 1974 | Bang & Olufsen Team Surtees | Surtees TS16 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ARG | BRA | RSA | ESP | BEL | MON | SWE | NED | FRA | GBR DNQ | GER 11 | NC | 0 | ||||
| Team Surtees | Surtees TS16 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | AUT DNQ | ITA DNQ | CAN DNQ | USA | NC | 0 |
