richard-attwood

Origins

Attwood began his career in the motor industry as an apprentice at Jaguar. He started racing in 1960, driving a Triumph TR3. In 1961, he joined the Midlands Racing Partnership to drive for them in club-level Formula Junior events, continuing with the team until the end of 1962.

Breakthrough

In 1963, Attwood achieved motorsport headlines by winning the Monaco Grand Prix Formula Junior support race in a Lola Mk5a. This performance, along with others during the year, earned him the inaugural Grovewood Award, voted for by a Guild of Motoring Writers panel. In 1964, the Midlands Racing Partnership stepped up to Formula Two, where Attwood won in Vienna and took second places in the Pau Grand Prix, Eifelrennen, and Albi Grand Prix.

Peak Seasons

Attwood’s performances in Formula Two prompted Alfred Owen, proprietor of BRM, to offer him a drive with his works Formula One team. His first outing for BRM was in the non-Championship News of the World Trophy race at Goodwood, where he finished fourth, the first non-Lotus finisher. He qualified BRM’s experimental four-wheel-drive P67 for the 1964 British Grand Prix, though the car was withdrawn before the race.

In 1965, Attwood drove a formerly class-leading Lotus 25 for Tim Parnell’s Reg Parnell Racing team, but the chassis was past its best and uncompetitive. He secured a pair of sixth-place points finishes towards the end of the season.

Attwood competed in Australia and New Zealand as part of BRM’s Tasman Series squad in 1966, winning at Levin. After a period away from regular Formula One racing, he returned as a substitute for Pedro Rodríguez at the 1967 Canadian Grand Prix, finishing tenth.

In 1968, Attwood rejoined BRM following Mike Spence’s death at Indianapolis. He achieved his best Formula One result, a second-place finish, at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, setting the fastest lap. However, his form declined and he was replaced by Bobby Unser four races from the end of the season.

Attwood made his final Formula One start in 1969, substituting for the injured Jochen Rindt at Monaco, finishing fourth. He also competed in a Formula Two Brabham for Frank Williams at the 1969 German Grand Prix, finishing sixth overall and second in the Formula Two class.

Defining Incidents

The 1968 Monaco Grand Prix saw Attwood achieve a strong second-place finish, setting the fastest lap, marking a high point in his Formula One career.

Sports Car Racing

In 1964, Attwood began driving for the Ford GT prototype project team, becoming one of the first drivers to test the iconic car. He retired from the 1964 24 Hours of Le Mans with Jo Schlesser due to a fire. He achieved his first major international sports car victory at the 1964 Rand 9 Hours race in South Africa, driving for David Piper.

Attwood developed a long-lasting professional relationship with David Piper, driving Piper’s Ferraris and achieving point finishes in World Sportscar Championship events, including third place in the 1967 Spa 1000 km and second in the 1967 500km Zeltweg. He also drove for other teams, including Porsche and Alfa Romeo. He drove the Ford P68 at the 1968 1000km Nürburgring, but failed to finish.

In 1969, Attwood joined the Porsche works team, commonly paired with Vic Elford. They achieved second places at the BOAC 500 and the Watkins Glen 6h race. He was also involved in the development of the Porsche 917, leading for a substantial portion of the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans before a gearbox failure.

Attwood won the 1970 24 Hours of Le Mans with Hans Herrmann, driving a Porsche 917K. He and Herrmann also took second place in the 1970 Nürburgring race, driving a 908. In 1971, he finished second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Herbie Müller for the John Wyer privateer team, and won the 1000km Zeltweg race with Pedro Rodríguez, before retiring from motorsport at the end of the season.

Beyond the Primary Series

Attwood briefly came out of retirement in 1984 to drive for the Aston Martin Nimrod Le Mans project. Following a violent accident during the 1984 24 Hours of Le Mans, he retired from front-line racing. He later became active in historic motorsport, frequently appearing at events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed and Revival, often driving his own Porsche 917, which was used in Steve McQueen’s film Le Mans. He sold the car in 2000 for £1 million, referring to it as “my pension”. Today, he remains active in historic motorsport.

Personal Life

Attwood owned a 1989 Peugeot 405 estate for 415,000 miles, with the original engine and clutch, a story documented in Evo magazine. An advertisement for the car, put up for sale by a subsequent owner in 2017, received almost 2000 views but no offers as of 18 June 2017.