Mike Thackwell

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Mike Thackwell
Nationality  New Zealander
Formula One World Championship career
Active years	1980, 1984
Teams	Arrows, Tyrrell, RAM
Races	5 (2 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podium finishes	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First race	1980 Dutch Grand Prix
Last race	1984 German Grand Prix

Michael Thackwell (born March 30, 1961) is a former Formula One driver from Auckland, New Zealand. The youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five, debuting on August 31, 1980. He scored no championship points.

Although he is often listed as the youngest driver to start a Formula One event, this is arguable. In his debut race, the New Zealander was involved in an accident on the first lap which caused the race to be stopped. The race was then restarted after the wreckage was cleaned up. Under Formula One regulations, when the race is stopped on the first lap, the racing on that lap is annulled and the race starts anew when the cars take to the grid for the second time. If a driver was involved in the first lap incident and then can not bring their car back to the second start, they have technically not taken part in the Grand Prix. This is because the Grand Prix actually begins from the second start and the original start is stricken from the results.^[1] His first full start was not for another four years. Using these criteria, Ricardo Rodriguez was in fact the youngest race starter. Sebastian Vettel became in August 2006 the youngest driver to appear at a Grand Prix meeting, but only as a test driver.

Thackwell's debut in a Tyrrell was unsuccessful and returning to Formula Two he suffered a massive testing accident (which many claim permanently affected his driving). His career stalled until he rejoined the works Ralt team in 1983, coming second in that year's F2 championship and winning the final championship in 1984, during which year he had a few more F1 drives. Despite further race wins in Formula 3000 and success in sports cars for Jaguar and Sauber-Mercedes, Mike failed to reestablish himself in F1 and turned his back on the sport at the end of 1987. He is widely felt to have been one of the great 'lost talents' - a driver in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mike now lives on the South Coast of England and is interested in watersports, particularly surfing.

[edit] Complete Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	WDC	Points
1980	Warsteiner Arrows Racing Team	Arrows A3	Cosworth V8	ARG	BRA	RSA	USW	BEL	MON	FRA	GBR	GER	AUT	NED DNQ	ITA					-	0
	Candy Tyrrell Team	Tyrrell 010														CAN Ret	USA DNQ
1984	Skoal Bandit F1 Team	RAM 02	Hart V8	BRA	RSA	BEL	SMR	FRA	MON	CAN Ret	USE	USA	GBR							-	0
	Tyrrell Racing Organisation	Tyrrell 012	Cosworth V8											GER DNQ	AUT	NED	ITA	EUR	POR

[edit] References

Preceded by Jonathan Palmer

European Formula Two Champion 1984

Succeeded by 1985 Formula 3000 champion was Christian Danner