Piers Raymond Courage was the eldest son of Richard Courage, Lord of the Manor of Edgcote, and heir to the Courage brewing dynasty. His aunt, Dorothy Courage, is referenced in Burke's Landed Gentry having married cricketer Herman de Zoete in July 1903. Courage was educated at Eton College and began his racing career in his own Lotus 7.
Courage began racing in the European Formula Three circuit in 1964 with a Lotus 22, alongside Jonathan Williams. Good results persuaded him to pursue a full season in 1965, driving a 1.0L Formula Three Brabham for Charles Lucas. It was during this season that he first formed an alliance with Frank Williams, who was Lucas’s other driver and mechanic. In 1966, Colin Chapman offered Courage a seat in a Lotus 41 for the Formula Three season, and he later stepped up to Formula Two, crashing out during the German Grand Prix.
In 1967, Courage was signed by the BRM works Formula One team alongside Chris Irwin, but was dropped after the Monaco Grand Prix. He completed the remainder of the season concentrating on his alternative drive, in John Coombs’s McLaren M4A, finishing fourth in the unclassified drivers’ championship. He purchased the McLaren from Coombs at the end of the season and achieved a win in the final race of the Tasman Series. In 1968, Tim Parnell offered Courage a drive in his works-supported Reg Parnell Racing BRM team, where he scored points in France and Italy. He also drove for Frank Williams's Formula Two team that year.
When Frank Williams Racing) Cars moved up to Formula One in 1969, Courage was their first driver choice. He finished second in both the Monaco Grand Prix and the US Grand Prix, driving the dark-blue Brabham BT26. At the 1969 Italian Grand Prix at Monza, despite having an older car and a power deficit, Courage stayed with the leading pack for most of the race, ultimately finishing fifth due to fuel starvation. A second fifth-place finish at the British Grand Prix resulted in Courage finishing the season eighth in the drivers’ championship with sixteen points.
During the 1970 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the De Tomaso’s front suspension or steering broke on the bump at Tunnel Oost, causing the car to crash into an embankment and disintegrate. The magnesium chassis ignited, causing a fire. Courage was fatally injured when one of the front wheels broke off and hit Courage in the head, tearing away his helmet.
Piers Courage died on 21 June 1970, following the accident at the Dutch Grand Prix. He was survived by his wife, Lady Sarah Marguerite Curzon, and their two sons, Jason Piers Courage and Amos Edward Sebastian Courage. He was buried in St Mary the Virgin churchyard, Shenfield, Essex.
Following Courage’s death, Jochen Rindt crashed fatally at the 1970 Italian Grand Prix, and Lotus withdrew all cars from the race. Rindt won the World Drivers' Championship posthumously. Three years later, Roger Williamson also crashed fatally at the same spot, Tunnel Oost, where Courage’s accident began.
Courage also competed in the Tasman Series, achieving a win at the final race in 1968. He participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the European Formula Two Championship.
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