William Michael “Mike” Wilds, born on 7 January 1946, built a racing career far longer than his brief spell around the Formula One grid. His early-1970s progress included Formula Three victories, Formula 5000 and opportunities in privately entered F1 machinery.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | British |
| Birthplace | Chiswick, England, UK |
| Born | 7 January 1946 |
| First Grand Prix | 1974 British Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1976 British Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1974–1976 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Team PR Reilly Shadow |
His first World Championship entry came on 20 July 1974. Across eight entries he drove cars associated with March, Ensign, BRM and Shadow, but scored no points. Not all those attempts produced starts; his final championship qualifying attempt came at the 1976 British Grand Prix in a Shadow.
Wilds later recalled a memorable exchange from the 1974 United States Grand Prix. After qualifying the Ensign N174, he initially believed that Jody Scheckter, through Ken Tyrrell, had complained about his driving. The message instead praised the way he had controlled the difficult car. It was a welcome compliment during an F1 career spent largely in uncompetitive machinery.
Success came more readily elsewhere. In 1978 he won the Formula Two class of the Aurora series in a Ralt, finishing ninth overall. Historic competition later became an important part of his racing life, including the 1984 Thoroughbred Sports Car championship in an Aston Martin DB4 and further historic sports-car titles in 1992, 1993, 1996 and 1998.
Endurance racing also provided substantial opportunities. Wilds made eight Le Mans appearances and helped Ecurie Ecosse secure the Group C2 teams’ title in 1986. In 1988 he shared Nissan Group C machinery with Win Percy, continuing a programme that put him in much faster and more sophisticated cars than the historic racers he also enjoyed.
His competitive life remained active well into later decades. In 2008, racing an ING-backed BMW with Ian Lawson and his son Anthony, he won the Britcar Drivers Championship, and the family partnership enjoyed further championship success in 2013. The same 2008 season brought Group C endurance success in a Porsche 962 with Henry Pearman.
At the Silverstone Classic he raced both the 962 and an Elva Mk5, showing the breadth of machinery still on his calendar. In May 2016 he and Anthony won a Britcar race in a Ferrari 458. Two years later, at the age of 72, Wilds appeared in the Porsche Carrera Cup GB finale at Brands Hatch with Redline Racing.
Away from circuits, he also worked as a commercial helicopter pilot and instructor. Flying and racing both demanded precise control, and Wilds maintained professional involvement in each. His F1 record is a small opening chapter in a much larger story of endurance racing, historic competition and an unusually long driving career.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 8 |
| Race Starts | 3 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 22nd |
| Best Race Finish | – |
| Retirements | 2 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 1 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 5 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 8 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 5 |
