Bruce Leslie McLaren (August 30, 1937 – June 2, 1970) was a New Zealand race-car designer, driver, engineer and inventor. Between 1958 and 1970, McLaren was a Formula One driver who most notably founded the McLaren team, and scored four race wins. He was the first New Zealander race winner in Formula One history when he took the victory in the 1959 United States Grand Prix.
Aged 22 years, 104 days, he was the youngest Grand Prix winner for 43 years[2], until Fernando Alonso broke the record at the 2003 Hungarian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen is the current holder of the record, being 18 years, 228 days old when he won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
McLaren spent the first eight years of his career at Cooper, before founding the McLaren team in 1966, driving for them from that point onward.
McLaren was the second Grand Prix winner in his own car after Jack Brabham. He died in June 1970 in a test crash at Goodwood Circuit.
Formula One Career[]
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1958 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 0 | NC | Report |
| 1959 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 16.5 | 6th | Report |
| 1960 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 34 (37) | 2nd | Report |
| 1961 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 11 | 8th | Report |
| 1962 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 27 (32) | 3rd | Report |
| 1963 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 17 | 6th | Report |
| 1964 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 13 | 7th | Report |
| 1965 | Cooper Car Company | Cooper-Climax | 10 | 9th | Report |
| 1966 | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren-Ford McLaren-Serenissima |
3 | 16th | Report |
| 1967 | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren-BRM | 3 | 14th | Report |
| Anglo American Racers | Eagle-Weslake | ||||
| 1968 | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren-Ford Cosworth | 22 | 5th | Report |
| 1969 | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren-Ford Cosworth | 26 | 3rd | Report |
| 1970 | Bruce McLaren Motor Racing | McLaren-Ford Cosworth | 6 | 14th | Report |
Career Statistics[]
| Entries | 106 |
| Starts | 100 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Front Row Starts | 7 |
| Race Wins | 4 |
| Podiums | 27 |
| Fastest Laps | 3 |
| Points | 196.5 |
| Laps Raced | 5018 |
| Distance Raced | 26,387 km (16,396 mi) |
| Races Led | 5 |
| Laps Led | 41 |
| Distance Led | 186 km (116 mi) |
Race Wins[]
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1959 United States Grand Prix |
| 2 | 1960 Argentine Grand Prix |
| 3 | 1962 Monaco Grand Prix |
| 4 | 1968 Belgian Grand Prix |
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | Pts | Pos | ||||||||||
| 1958 | 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
0 | NC | ||||||||||||
| 5th* | 12th | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1959 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
16.5 | 6th | ||||||||||||||
| 5th | 5th | 3rd | Ret | Ret | Ret | 1st | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1960 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
34 (37) | 2nd | |||||||||||||
| 1st | 2nd | Ret | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 2nd | 3rd | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1961 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
11 | 8th | |||||||||||||||
| 6th | 12th | Ret | 5th | 8th | 6th | 3rd | 4th | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1962 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
27 (32) | 3rd | ||||||||||||||
| Ret | 1st | Ret | 4th | 3rd | 5th | 3rd | 3rd | 2nd | |||||||||||||||||
| 1963 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
17 | 6th | |||||||||||||
| 3rd | 2nd | Ret | 12th | Ret | Ret | 3rd | 11th | Ret | 4th | ||||||||||||||||
| 1964 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
13 | 7th | |||||||||||||
| Ret | 7th | 2nd | 6th | Ret | Ret | Ret | 2nd | Ret | 7th | ||||||||||||||||
| 1965 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
10 | 9th | |||||||||||||
| 5th | 5th | 3rd | Ret | 10th | Ret | Ret | 5th | Ret | Ret | ||||||||||||||||
| 1966 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 | 16th | ||||||||||||||
| Ret | DNS | 6th | DNS | 5th | Ret | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 1967 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 | 14th | ||||||||||||
| 4th | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 7th | Ret | Ret | Ret | |||||||||||||||||
| 1968 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
22 | 5th | |||||||||||
| Ret | Ret | 1st | Ret | 8th | 7th | 13th | Ret | 2nd | 6th | 2nd | |||||||||||||||
| 1969 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
26 | 3rd | ||||||||||||
| 5th | 2nd | 5th | Ret | 4th | 3rd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | DNS | DNS | |||||||||||||||
| 1970 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 | 14th | ||||||||||
| Ret | 2nd | Ret | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Meaning | Symbol | Meaning | ||
| 1st | Winner | Ret | Retired | ||
| 2nd | Podium finish | DSQ | Disqualified | ||
| 3rd | DNQ | Did not qualify | |||
| 5th | Points finish | DNPQ | Did not pre-qualify | ||
| 14th | Non-points finish | TD | Test driver | ||
| Italics | Fastest Lap | DNS | Did not start | ||
| 18th† | Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) | NC | Non-classified finish (<90% race distance) | ||
| 4thP | Qualified for pole position | [+] More Symbols | |||
Note:
- * Ineligible for points as he was driving a Formula Two car.
Notes[]
- ↑ McLaren's entry to the 1958 German Grand Prix was in a Formula Two car, as the F1 and F2 races were run together. His first Formula One start was in the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix
- ↑ Troy Ruttman won the 1952 Indianapolis 500 at a younger age, but McLaren was recognised as the youngest winner of an official Grand Prix.