| Born | 20 April 1930 |
|---|---|
| Died | 25 October 1958 (aged 28) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality | British |
| Active years | 1957 - 1958 |
| Teams | Connaught, Vanwall |
| Races | 14 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Career points | 16 |
| Pole positions | 2 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First race | 1957 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last race | 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix |
Stuart Nigel Lewis-Evans (20 April 1930, Luton, Bedfordshire – 25 October 1958, East Grinstead, Sussex) was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 14 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 19 May 1957. He achieved two podiums, and scored a total of 16 championship points. He also achieved two pole positions.
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Lewis-Evans began racing in 1951 with a Cooper 500 Formula 3 car, encouraged by and sometimes racing against his father, Lewis "Pop" Evans, who had created the family's double-barrelled surname.[1]. He achieved many wins and podiums and continued to race in 500s until 1956.
In his first Formula One race, the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix, Lewis-Evans finished fourth in an inferior Connaught Type-B, beaten only by multiple winners Fangio and Brooks, and Masten Gregory in one of the dominant Maserati 250F cars. This performance brought him to the attention of Tony Vandervell, owner of the rising Vanwall team, and by the next Grand Prix Lewis-Evans was driving the third Vanwall car. The 1957 Vanwall was fast when its engine held together, but was not always reliable. Lewis-Evans took his first F1 win at the non-championship Moroccan Grand Prix, and pole position at the final World Championship event, the 1957 Italian Grand Prix.
The 1958 Formula One season would prove to be a much better year, at least initially, for the entire Vanwall team. Principal drivers Stirling Moss and Tony Brooks took three victories each, and Lewis-Evans added to the team's points haul with podium finishes in the Belgian and Portuguese events. He also took pole position at the Dutch Grand Prix, but failed to finish in the race. This was not his only retirement of the year - indeed his only other finish, although points-scoring, was a fourth place at the British Grand Prix.
Lewis-Evans crashed heavily at the dusty Ain-Diab circuit during the season finale 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix. His Vanwall engine seized and sent him lurching into barriers at high speed, and his car burst into flames. He was airlifted back to the UK, but died in hospital of his burn injuries six days after the accident.[2] His death cast a pall over Vanwall's victory in the 1958 Constructors' Championship, an achievement to which Lewis-Evans had contributed significantly. Tony Vandervell never fully recovered from Lewis-Evans' death and withdrew from motorsport at the end of 1958.
(key; Grands Prix in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Connaught Engineering | Connaught Type B | Alta Straight-4 | ARG | MON 4 |
12th | 5 | |||||||||
| Vandervell Products Ltd. | Vanwall | Vanwall Straight-4 | 500 | FRA Ret |
GBR 7 |
GER Ret |
PES 5 |
ITA Ret |
||||||||
| 1958 | Vandervell Products Ltd. | Vanwall | Vanwall Straight-4 | ARG | MON Ret |
NED Ret |
500 | BEL 3 |
FRA Ret |
GBR 4 |
GER DNA |
POR 3 |
ITA Ret |
MOR Ret |
9th | 11 |
| Preceded by Peter Collins |
Formula One fatal accidents September 19, 1958 |
Succeeded by Jerry Unser |