Brian Redman

Redman raced F1 for McLaren, Shadow, Cooper, Williams

Redman driving a Ferrari 312PB at the Nürburgring in 1972

Redman driving an Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 TT 12 at the Nürburgring in 1974

He participated in 15 World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 1 January 1968. He achieved one podium in the 1968 Spanish Grand Prix, finishing third in a Cooper-BRM behind Graham Hill in a Lotus-Ford and Denny Hulme in a McLaren-Ford. He then had an accident at the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, crashing his Cooper-BRM when the suspension broke at the Les Coombes corner; he survived with a badly broken arm. He scored a total of 8 championship points in his career, with two 5th places in 1972, at the Monaco Grand Prix and the German Grand Prix driving a Yardley McLaren.

He achieved spectacular success in sports-car racing, particularly in 1968 as a John Wyer Gulf driver, in 1969 and 1970 as a Porsche works driver and in 1972 with the Ferrari 312 PB; Winning at Spa Francorchamps 1000 Ks 5 times, the Nurburgring 1000 Ks 3 times, Daytona 24 Hours 3 times, Sebring twice, Watkins Glen 6 Hours, Osterreichring twice, Monza 1000 Ks twice, the Targa Florio, Brands Hatch 6 Hours twice etc.

Redman driving at the 1972 French Grand Prix.

In 1973 Redman started racing in the USA full-time and won the SCCA/USAC Formula 5000 Championship three times in a row from 1974 to 1976 driving a Jim Hall/Carl Haas Lola T330/332C against considerable opposition, including Mario Andretti and Al Unser, Jody Scheckter, Jackie Oliver, Alan Jones, David Hobbs, Brett Lunger, Sam Posey, "Vern" Schuppan et al. At the end of 1976 the SCCA announced new rules. The F5000 single-seaters had use full-width bodywork and the new series would be called Can-Am. On the first day of practice for the first race of the new season, at St.Jovite, Canada the new car took off at 160 mph went 40 feet in the air and turned over, landing upside down. Redman suffered a broken neck (C1), fractured shoulder and sternum, plus bruising of the brain. The ambulance blew a tire on the way to hospital. Redman was declared dead. It took him 9 months to recover and he returned to racing on a spectacular note by winning the 12 Hours of Sebring in 1978 driving a Porsche 935. He continued driving for Dick Barbour Racing through '79 and '80. In 1981, driving the brand new Lolas T600 IMSA GTP car he won the first race at Laguna Seca and went on to win the IMSA Camel GTP championship. His last year of professional racing was at the age of 52, driving for the works Aston Martin team in the 1989 World Sports Prototype Championship.

Redman has now taken out his 61st racing licence, lives in Florida and is active in historic racing.

• Road America hosts The WeatherTech International Challenge with Brian Redman for vintage/historic cars, one of the largest and most prestigious vintage racing events in the US
• Redman is inducted in the following Halls of Fame: Daytona International Hall of Fame, Sebring Hall of Fame, Talladega Hall of Fame, Motor Sport Hall of Fame (UK), Long Beach Pavement of Fame.

• "Porsche experience" interview of Brian Redman
• "Targa 66 club" started by Brian Redman