Jonathan Williams former F1 driver obit 19422014 - FOXSports.com
Jonathan Williams, perhaps best known for driving a works Ferrari on his one and only GP start in Mexico in 1967, passed away in Spain on Sunday at the age of 71. A true gentleman, and a gentle man, he will be much missed by his friends. Born in Cairo in 1942 – his parents ran a school there – Jonathan’s passion for racing was fired by a trip to Silverstone in 1951. He began racing in 1961 with a Mini, and on one famous afternoon crashed at Mallory Park. Thus Jonathan and Frank Williams met for the first time, and later through Jonathan Frank met a man who would play a big role in his life, Piers Courage. In 1964 he teamed up with Courage to run in the new F3 category, and the pair both bought Lotus 22s. Using the Anglo-Swiss Racing name in an attempt to impress continental race organizers, they raced all over Europe before funding ran out. Help was at hand however, and for 1965 friend Charles Lucas – who had recently come into some money – set up his own team, employing Jonathan, Piers and Peter Gethin. He was duly signed up for 1967 and spent the year racing for the Scuderia in sportscars, CanAm and F2. He drove three CanAm races with a Ferrari P4 at the end of the year, at Laguna Seca, Riverside and Las Vegas, without much luck. Source: www.foxsports.com
