Tom Pryce
Tom Pryce | |
|---|---|
Pryce at the 1974 British Grand Prix | |
| Born | Thomas Maldwyn Pryce 11 June 1949 Ruthin, Denbighshire, Wales |
| Died | 5 March 1977 (aged 27) |
| Cause of death | Injuries sustained at the 1977 South African Grand Prix |
| Spouse |
Fenella Warwick-Smith
(m. 1975) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality | British |
| Active years | 1974–1977 |
| Teams | Token, Shadow |
| Entries | 42 (42 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Career points | 19 |
| Pole positions | 1 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1974 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1977 South African Grand Prix |
Thomas Maldwyn Pryce (11 June 1949 – 5 March 1977) was a British racing driver from Wales, who competed in Formula One from 1974 to 1977.
Pryce started his career in Formula One with the small Token team, making his only start for them at the 1974 Belgian Grand Prix. Shortly after winning the Formula Three support race for the 1974 Monaco Grand Prix, Pryce joined the Shadow team and scored his first points in Germany in only his fourth race. He later claimed two podium finishes, his first in Austria in 1975 and the second in Brazil a year later. He won the non-championship Race of Champions in 1975, becoming the first—and to this date, only—Welsh driver win a Formula One race; he also became the first Welsh driver to lead a Grand Prix, as well as the first to achieve a pole position, at the 1975 British Grand Prix. Pryce was noted for his ability in wet-weather conditions.
Pryce set the fastest lap during the rain-affected practice sessions for the 1977 South African Grand Prix. During the Grand Prix, he collided at high speed with a safety marshal, Frederik Jansen van Vuuren, and both men were killed. A memorial to Pryce was unveiled in 2009 in his home town of Ruthin.