Retired

Eddie Cheever

American

  • Phoenix, Arizona, U.S. Place of Birth
  • 10 January 1958 Date of Birth
  • 1978 Argentine Grand Prix F1 Debut
  • Arrows Current/Last Team

American racing driver Eddie Cheever had a nearly thirty-year career across various motorsport series, including Formula One, sports cars, CART, and the Indy Racing League, eventually transitioning to team ownership in the IRL. Cheever competed in 132 Formula 1 Grand Prix races from 1978 to 1989, the most of any American, driving for nine different teams. In 1997, he established his own IRL team and achieved a memorable victory in the 1998 Indianapolis 500, both as an owner and a driver.

NationalityAmerican
BornEdward McKay Cheever Jr.
January 10, 1958
Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.

Born in Phoenix, Arizona, Cheever moved to Rome during his childhood, where he was first exposed to motorsports at the age of eight during a visit to a race in Monza, Italy. His early start in go-kart racing led to winning Italian and European Karting championships by age 15. He climbed through the ranks of European Formula racing, partnering with fellow American Danny Sullivan in Formula Three and driving for Ron Dennis in Formula Two.

Cheever’s Formula One debut came at the age of 20 in 1978. Despite a challenging start, including a failure to qualify in Argentina and an early retirement in South Africa, he eventually secured a regular spot with the Osella team in 1980. Over the seasons, he achieved nine podium finishes and scored a total of 70 championship points. His peak in Formula One was during the 1983 season with the Renault alongside Alain Prost, where he was a consistent podium finisher.

Parallel to his Formula One career, from 1986 to 1988, Cheever also claimed ten sports car race victories driving for Jaguar. In 1990, he transitioned to racing in the United States, competing in the Indy Car series and at the Indianapolis 500, where he made a significant mark, including a second-place qualifying finish in 1992.

With the inception of the Indy Racing League in 1996, Cheever embraced the new series, establishing his own racing team. His crowning achievement came in 1998 when he won the Indianapolis 500 as both a driver and a team owner. Although he retired from driving in 2002, his team continued to compete, fielding cars for drivers like Alex Barron and Patrick Carpentier as late as 2005.

Eddie Cheever Formula One World Championship career

F1 Career1978, 1980–1989
TeamsTheodore, Hesketh, Osella, Tyrrell, Ligier, Renault, Alfa Romeo, Haas Lola, Arrows
Entries143 (132 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums9
Career points70
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1978 Argentine Grand Prix
Last entry1989 Australian Grand Prix

Sources: Wikipedia.com and historicracing.com

Teammates

Driver Nationality Current/Last Team F1 Debut Status
Italian Minardi 1981 San Marino Grand Prix Died
French Williams 1974 German Grand Prix Retired
French Williams 1980 Argentine Grand Prix F1 Legend
Italian Benetton 1977 Monaco Grand Prix Retired
Australian Arrows 1975 Spanish Grand Prix Died, F1 Legend
British Footwork Arrows 1981 San Marino Grand Prix Retired

Teams

Team Nationality Debut Season Status
Theodore Hong Kong 1977 Historic
Hesketh British 1973 Historic
Osella Italian 1980 Historic
Tyrrell British 1970 Historic
Ligier French 1976 Historic
Renault French 1977 Historic
Alfa Romeo Italian 1950 Historic
Arrows British 1978 Historic