Robert McGregor Innes Ireland, Great Britain 1930-06-12 - 1993-10-22

F1 Career: Dutch 1959 - Mexico 1966

Races Wins Pole Podiums FastLaps Points

50 1 0 4 1 47

% Wins % Poles % Podiums % FastLap Points/Race

2,00% 0,00% 8,00% 2,00% 0,94p

Ireland was a jovial and gregarious Scot who had great skill and natural talent, but just enjoyed life a little bit too much to really get the best out of his real racing talent. 1963 he dislocated his hip at an accident in Seattle. In 1961 he was badly injured during practice for Monaco, breaking his collarbone, wrist and leg, and almost suffering a worse fate as doctors tried to give him morphine, to which he was allergic. Only the intervention of Moss, who had gone to his aid, prevented a more serious outcome. He recovered in time to record his only F1 win in the USA GP at Watkins Glen. It gave Lotus their first F1 win but Ireland's reward was to be sacked a few weeks later, Colin Chapman decided Jim Clark was a better prospect. After retiring he became sports editor of Autocar for a year before leaving to compete in the London-Sydney Rally. His experiences formed the basis of the book Marathon in the Dust, the follow-up to his acclaimed autobiography All Arms and Elbows. Eventually settling back to writing, and at the time of his death was President of the British Racing Drivers Club.