FAVOURITE RACERS
THE AUSSIE’S PICK OF THE BUNCH
In a 30-year career, David Brabham scored successes in Formula 3, touring cars, GT racing and sportscar events on both sides of the Atlantic, and reached F1. He’s driven some great cars, and some poor ones too. Here are the ones he rates as the very best. “It was quicker than my Formula 1 Brabham,” is pretty much all the explanation needed for David’s first choice, the Ross Brawn-penned Jaguar XJR-14.
After a year in the F1 BT59 in 1990, Brabham’s first sportscar gig came with Tom Walkinshaw Racing in the remarkable highdownforce Jaguar that dominated the early stages of the 1991 World Sportscar Championship against Mercedes and Peugeot.
TWR used three drivers across its two cars. Initially, Martin Brundle joined Teo Fabi and Derek Warwick, but from the Nurburgring in August Brabham played the ‘third man’ role. That meant helping both Warwick and Fabi’s title bids.
“It taught me so much about sharing in sportscars – Teo and Derek’s driving styles were very different,” recalls the 52-year-old.
Although Peugeot and Mercedes caught up with the relatively underfunded Jaguar operation in the second half of the year, rookie Brabham’s results were impressive. He finished first (with Warwick) and second (with Fabi) in Germany, was third (Fabi) and fifth (Warwick) at Magny-cours, helped Warwick to sixth in Mexico City, and partnered Fabi to third in the Autopolis finale, enough to secure the drivers’ crown for the Italian.
It was a fine way to start what would turn out to be an illustrious endurance racing career.