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Michael Christopher Thackwell (born 30 March 1961) is a former racing driver from New Zealand, who participated in a number of prominent racing categories, including Formula 1. The sixth youngest driver ever to qualify for a Grand Prix, he participated in five of them, making his first start on 28 September 1980 at the Canadian Grand Prix. He scored no championship points. He had previously attempted unsuccessfully to qualify for the Dutch Grand Prix which was held on 31 August 1980. Thackwell has been described as a "teenage sensation", a "maverick" and as "something of a cult hero". Outside Formula One, he competed successfully in Formula Three, Formula Two, Formula 3000 and sports cars, amongst other categories. In 1984, Thackwell won the European Formula Two Championship. He was runner up in that championship in 1983, and in its successor, the International Formula 3000 Championship, in 1985. In each case, he was driving a works Ralt. Also in 1986, he won the Pau Grand Prix, again in a works Ralt. Later in the year, he combined with Henri Pescarolo to win the 1000km Nürburgring sports car race, in a Sauber C8. Early life Thackwell was born into a motor racing family. For many years, his father, Ray, was a successful international speedway rider and racing driver. When Mike was six years old, his family emigrated from New Zealand to Perth, Western Australia, where he spent his formative years, and also began racing. Michael Thackwell has 4 siblings Joan Caccioppoli – Kerry John Thackwell – Lisa Brabham – Heidi Thackwell. Lisa is married to David Brabham. Between 1972 and 1976, Thackwell attended Christ Church Grammar School, in Claremont, a suburb of Perth. By the time of his Formula One debut in 1980, he spoke with an Australian accent, and regarded himself as Australian, but he competed, and liked to be known, as a New Zealander. For three years from the age of nine, Thackwell competed in motocross events on motorcycles supplied by his father, an importer of high performance racing and sports cars. He then switched to karts, winning the Western Australian championship at the age of 14. After also winning the Hong Kong Kart Grand Prix in 1975 and 1976, he moved to England. A friend of Ray's, who built Formula Ford race cars put Mike in touch with Mike Eastick Scorpion Racing Drivers School at Thruxton in Hampshire. Career Starter formulae In early 1978, Thackwell began his European career, in the Dunlop Star of Tomorrow Formula Ford championship, held in the United Kingdom. He campaigned with a Van Diemen-Scholar RF78, entered by the Rushen Green team. In a closely fought, 11-round series, he won five rounds, and made the podium on two other occasions, but finished only third in the championship, with 72 points, behind Canadian entrant Robert Zurrer (77 points) and British driver Terry Gray (76 points). The following year, 1979, Thackwell moved up to the Vandervell British Formula 3 Championship, at the wheel of a March-Toyota 793, entered by the March works team. In a 19-race series, he managed five more wins and four other podium finishes, along with a pole position and a fastest lap. Once again, he finished the championship in third place, this time with 71 points, behind Chico Serra (103 points) and Andrea de Cesaris (90 points), but ahead of Stefan Johansson (fourth), Nigel Mansell (eighth), Alain Prost (equal 12th) and Thierry Boutsen (19th), all four of whom were later to have lengthy, and in most cases race-winning, Formula One careers. Also in 1979, March entered Thackwell and the March 793 in two races of the FIA European Formula Three Championship. He achieved a win and a fastest lap, at Monza in the Gran Premio della Lotteria. In a championship won by Alain Prost, he also finished equal eighth overall, ahead of Boutsen (nine races), Arie Luyendyk (11 races), Serra (one race) and Philippe Streiff (five races) (equal thirteenth), and Jo Gartner (3 races; 21st). Thackwell and the March 793 also managed pole position and fastest lap in the non-championship RAC FOCA Trophy race at Donington Park, but finished only ninth. For 1980, Thackwell decided to follow Serra and de Cesaris into Formula Two. However, before that he returned to New Zealand to race a Marlboro-backed works March 792 in Aurora AFX New Zealand International Formula Pacific series, alongside de Cesaris. The cars, modified F2 cars, were overweight and under performed. His return to Europe saw him again driving a March. As early as round two at Hockenheim he was on the pace, setting fastest lap, a feat he would repeat in the following round on the 14.272 mile Nürburgring Nordschleife. However it was at Zandvoort that he marked himself as a genuine talent. Formula One debut In 1980, having tested for both Ensign and Tyrrell, Thackwell had been signed by Ken Tyrrell to be a test driver for the Tyrrell F1 team, alongside his F2 campaign. He was invited to the Dutch Grand Prix by Tyrrell as a spectator, both to learn about the track and the Tyrrell 010 when Arrows team boss Jackie Oliver approached him after the first unofficial practice session to ask if he'd like to drive the Arrows A3. Oliver's regular driver, Jochen Mass had been injured at the previous grand prix, but his car was at Zandvoort. Although the car was still set up for Mass, including his seat and pedal arrangement, Thackwell got permission to drive the car from Tyrrell and though he failed to qualify, eventually set a faster time than Keke Rosberg in the Fittipaldi. He made his official debut a few weeks later, when Tyrrell made the third car available for him at the Canadian Grand Prix. Because he took part in this event, Thackwell was often listed as the youngest driver to start a Formula One race, but this claim is arguable. On the first lap of the race, Alan Jones and Nelson Piquet collided at the first turn and were subsequently hit by a number of other cars, including Jean-Pierre Jarier and Derek Daly, both driving Tyrrells. Thackwell negotiated his way through the carnage and returned to the start/finish line undamaged by which time, the race had been red flagged. As both Jarier's and Daly's cars were too badly damaged to repair quickly, Thackwell was instructed by Ken Tyrrell to give up his car for Jarier. Under Formula One regulations, when the race is stopped after less than two full laps, the original start is declared null and void and the race starts anew. If a driver cannot bring their car back to the second start, they have technically not taken part in the Grand Prix. Using these criteria, Ricardo Rodríguez remained the youngest race starter until Jaime Alguersuari broke the record at the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix; a record that was subsequently broken by Max Verstappen in 2015. Thackwell had another opportunity at the next race with Tyrrell, the United States Grand Prix. After he suffered a fractured brake disc during qualifying, he was unable to qualify to race at Watkins Glen. Between.... Discover the Andrea Dunlop Mike Weber popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Andrea Dunlop Mike Weber books.