| Born | 26 March 1964 |
|---|---|
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality | British |
| Active years | 1989 - 1990 |
| Teams | Arrows, Lotus |
| Races | 15 (13 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1989 French Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1990 Spanish Grand Prix |
Hugh Peter Martin Donnelly (born in Belfast, 26 March 1964), is a former motor racing driver from Northern Ireland. After competing in Formula 3 and Formula 3000 where he won 3 races and was a championship contender, Donnelly raced in Formula One in 1989 and 1990, until a serious crash during qualifying at the Jerez circuit ended his Formula One career.
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During 1988, as well as his racing commitments, Donnelly was the test driver for Lotus Formula One team. But it was during 1989 that Donnelly got his first race start when he substituted for Arrows driver Derek Warwick at the 1989 French Grand Prix after Warwick injured his back in a non-competitive karting accident. He impressed in France qualifying 14th compared to his much more experienced team mate Eddie Cheever who started 25th on the grid. Donnelly finished his first F1 race 3 laps down in 12th place and was the last car running to finish while Cheever's experience told and he had a better race finishing only 1 lap down in 7th place.
In 1990 he continued in F1 with Lotus though this time not as a test driver but as a race driver alongside new team mate Derek Warwick. However, after a frustrating season of scoring no points driving the V12 powered Lotus-Lamborghini which often saw him retire with engine failure, he suffered a serious crash during qualifying at the Jerez circuit which ended his Formula One racing career. He sustained multiple injuries in the crash, in which he was ejected from his car on to the track, with his seat still attached to his back.
Donnelly has since managed to race in smaller club events, and managed a Formula Vauxhall team.
In 2004, Donnelly raced a Mazda RX-8 in a Britsports 24hr race at Silverstone and finished in 27th place. 2006 saw Donnelly return to Lotus, participating in a track day sponsored by a Lotus owner's club.
In September 2007, Donnelly beat 35 other Lotus Elises to win Class A in the Donington Park round of the Elise Trophy. This class win was closely followed by the race win in the 2nd Elise Trophy race of the day. Later in the season he raced at Spa-Francorchamps and in 2008, campaigned and won races outright in a Lotus 2-Eleven.
In June 2010, Martin Donnelly drove as a guest in the Ginetta G50 Cup at Oulton Park.
On July 2, 2011 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Donnelly drove a Lotus 102 similar to that which nearly took his life. The Lamborghini-powered car was the same specification as the car he drove in 1990, the original car having been completely destroyed in the crash.
He has been appointed as the driver representative on the FIA stewards panel for the 2011 Korean Grand Prix.
Having worked as sporting director and driver development manager at Comtec Racing, Donnelly has recently formed the Donnelly track academy specialising in Lotus trackday events and racing services in Norfolk.[1]
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Jordan Racing | JER |
VAL |
PAU |
SIL |
MNZ |
PER |
BRH 1 |
BIR 2 |
BUG 2 |
ZOL Ret |
DIJ 1 |
3rd | 30 |
| 1989 | Jordan Racing | SIL Ret |
VAL DSQ |
PAU Ret |
JER Ret |
PER Ret |
BRH 1 |
BIR 3 |
SPA Ret |
BUG 7 |
DIJ 17 |
8th | 13 |
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1989 | Arrows Grand Prix International | Arrows A11 | Ford V8 | BRA | SMR | MON | MEX | USA | CAN | FRA 12 |
GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | ESP | JPN | AUS | NC | 0 |
| 1990 | Camel Team Lotus | Lotus 102 | Lamborghini V12 | USA DNS |
BRA Ret |
SMR 8 |
MON Ret |
CAN Ret |
MEX 8 |
FRA 12 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
HUN 7 |
BEL 12 |
ITA Ret |
POR Ret |
ESP DNS |
JPN | AUS | NC | 0 |
| Sporting positions | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Andy Wallace |
Macau Grand Prix Winner 1987 |
Succeeded by Enrico Bertaggia |