Peter Ashdown is a British former racing driver whose career blended mechanical know-how, fearless independence, and a knack for wringing every ounce of speed from small, nimble machines. Though he appeared in just one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix—driving a Cooper—Ashdown’s story goes far beyond that single race.
| Nationality | British |
|---|---|
| Born | Peter Hawthorn Ashdown 16 October 1934 Danbury, Essex, England, UK |
A trained vehicle mechanic and former Royal Air Force serviceman, Ashdown brought a practical, hands-on edge to his racing career. His debut came behind the wheel of a Dellow powered by a Ford 10 engine, before he graduated to a Lotus Mark IX around 1955, running as a privateer long before it was fashionable to do so.
His breakthrough came at Karlskoga’s Gelleråsen Circuit in Sweden, where he stormed to a class win and third overall at the Kanonloppet on 26 August 1956, once again in his beloved Lotus Mark IX (registration “KH9”). In a move that captures his adventurous spirit, Ashdown then drove the little Lotus all the way back to Britain, only for the car to meet its end in a crash en route, damaged beyond repair.
Before his brief taste of Formula One, Ashdown was a standout in the British Formula Junior ranks. However, an accident at Rouen-Les-Essarts in 1958, which left him with a broken collarbone, interrupted what had been a rapidly rising trajectory. Undeterred, he pressed on.
In 1959, he lined up at the British Grand Prix at Aintree, piloting a Formula Two Cooper-Climax entered by Alan Brown. Ashdown brought the car home 12th overall, finishing third among the F2 entrants, albeit six laps adrift of the leaders—an impressive result for a driver making his debut on such a grand stage.
The early 1960s saw Ashdown continue to shine in Formula Junior and small-capacity sports cars. He scored class victories in the 1000 km of Nürburgring in both 1960 and 1962, the latter being particularly noteworthy. Partnered with Bruce Johnstone, Ashdown steered the new Lotus 23, powered by a 997cc Cosworth Mk.III, to its first-ever class win in the 1-litre Sports Car category. The feat was achieved under the banner of Ian Walker Racing, while the sister car, entered by Essex Racing Stable and driven by none other than Jim Clark, crashed out on lap 12 of the 44-lap contest.
After a lively and determined career at the wheel, Ashdown retired from racing in 1962 to focus his engineering instincts on a more grounded pursuit: running his own Vauxhall dealership in Essex. Though his time in top-flight motorsport was brief, his blend of skill, independence, and quiet ingenuity made him a quintessential figure of Britain’s golden era of racing.
Peter Ashdown Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1959 |
|---|---|
| Teams | non-works Cooper |
| Entries | 1 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1959 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1959 British Grand Prix |
Peter Ashdown Teammates
| 1 driver | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mike Taylor | 1 | 1959 |
