Editing Piers Courage

{{Infobox Driver
|name = Piers Courage
|image = [[File:Piers_Courage.jpg|200px]]
|birth date = {{Birth date|1942|5|27|df=yes}}
|birthplace = Colchester, Essex, England, UK
|death date = {{Death date and age|1970|6|21|1942|5|27|df=yes}}
|placeofdeath = Zandvoort, Netherlands
|nationality = {{Flag|GBR}}
|status = Deceased (fatal accident)
|firstrace = [[1967 South African Grand Prix]]
|lastrace = [[1970 Dutch Grand Prix]]
}}
'''Piers Raymond Courage''' (born [[May 27|27 May]] 1942 – died [[June 21|21 June]] 1970) was a British racing driver who was killed during the [[1970 Dutch Grand Prix]].

==Helmet Design==
[[File:Piers_Courage_Helmet.jpg|thumb|Piers Courage's helmet.]]
Courage wore a simple blue helmet. There was a white dashed line going through the middle of the helmet.

Like most of the helmets at the time, the helmet had no visor. It resembled the layout of a baseball cap.

==Formula One Career==

===1966===
Courage raced his first Formula One race driving a Formula Two car. He had entered into the [[1966 German Grand Prix]], which was a mixed race between Formula One and Formula Two drivers and cars.

Courage was unable to complete the race after being involved in an accident on the 3rd lap of the race.

===1967===
For the [[1967 Formula One Season|1967 season]] Courage was signed with [[BRM]] to play teammate to [[Chris Irwin]]. Because of his "wild" driving style, he crashed more than the average driver and would do so at important moments. After only his second race with the team, BRM decided to drop Courage because of this.

He focused the rest of his season on Formula Two. He did manage to qualify for the [[1967 British Grand Prix|British Grand Prix]] with BRM, but was unable to start the race. Although unsuccessful in Formula One, he would become great in Formula Two.

===1968===
After losing most of his "wild" driving traits in Formula Two, BRM decided to give Courage a second change for the [[1968 Formula One Season|1968 season]]. He still proved to be unsuccessful in Formula One after only finishing 4 of his 11 races.

It was announced at the end of the season, that BRM would again be releasing Courage.

===1969===
[[File:Piers_Courage_1969_British_Grand_Prix.jpg|thumb|Piers Courage in the 1969 British Grand Prix.]]
While racing Formula Two, Courage spent most of is times with a Formula Two team owned by [[Frank Williams]]. For the [[1969 Formula One Season|1969 season]], Williams had decided to create a Formula One team and that Courage would be one of the drivers.

The Williams car was quite competitive and Courage managed to finish runner-up in both the [[1969 Monaco Grand Prix|Monaco Grand Prix]] and the [[1969 United States Grand Prix|United States Grand Prix]], these being his highest finishes of his career in Formula One.

Perhaps the greatest race of the season was the [[1969 Italian Grand Prix|Italian Grand Prix]] where Courage had managed to keep pace with the leading pack for the majority of the race, despite having an older car. He eventually finished 5th in the event when a fuel shortage forced him to lose pace on the other cars.

===1970===

====Death====
Because of the severity of the accident, it is unknown what failed in the car and exactly how Courage died.

While racing in the [[1970 Dutch Grand Prix|Dutch Grand Prix]], Courage's car suffered either a suspension or steering failure at the ''Tunnel Oost'' that caused the car to fly off of the high speed turn. The car flew over an embankment and disintegrated.

A tire disconnected from the car and struck Courage in the head forcing his helmet off, inflicting fatal neck and head injuries. The engine of the car flew off and caught fire. The burning magnesium allowed the fire to spread to many surrounding trees and bushes.

==Formula One Statistical Overview==

===Formula One Record===
{| class=wikitable
! Year
! Entrant
! Team
! <span style="cursor:help" title="World Drivers' Championship">WDC</span> <span style="cursor:help" title="Points">Pts.</span>
! <span style="cursor:help" title="World Drivers' Championship">WDC</span> <span style="cursor:help" title="Position">Pos.</span>
! Report
|-
! {{F1|1965}}
| {{GBR}} ''[[Bob Gerard Racing]]''
| ''{{Cooper-Ford}}''
|colspan="2" style="text-align:center"| ''Non-championship only''
|
|-
! {{F1|1966}}
| {{GBR}} Team Lotus
| {{Team Lotus-Ford Cosworth}}*
|style="text-align:center"| 0
|style="text-align:center"| NC
| [[1966 Piers Courage Season|Report]]
|-
!rowspan="3"| {{F1|1967}}
|rowspan="2"| {{GBR}} [[Reg Parnell Racing]]
| {{Team Lotus-BRM}}
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"| 0
|rowspan="3" style="text-align:center"| NC
|rowspan="3"| [[1967 Piers Courage Season|Report]]
|-
| {{BRM-CON}}
|-
| {{GBR}} ''[[Charles Lucas Engineering]]''
| ''{{Team Lotus-Martin}}''
|-
! {{F1|1968}}
| {{GBR}} [[Reg Parnell Racing]]
| {{BRM-CON}}
|style="text-align:center"| 4
|style="text-align:center"| 19th
| [[1968 Piers Courage Season|Report]]
|-
! {{F1|1969}}
| {{GBR}} [[Frank Williams Racing Cars]]
| {{Brabham-Ford Cosworth}}
|style="text-align:center"| 16
|style="text-align:center"| 8th
| [[1969 Piers Courage Season|Report]]
|-
! {{F1|1970}}
| {{GBR}} [[Frank Williams Racing Cars]]
| {{De Tomaso-Ford Cosworth}}
|style="text-align:center"| 0
|style="text-align:center"| NC
| [[1970 Piers Courage Season|Report]]
|}
*''Italic'' donates as entrants used in non-championship races.
*<nowiki>*</nowiki> Classified as a [[Formula Two]] entrant.

===Career Statistics===
{{Stats}}

===Career Results===
{{Career Results/13}}
{{1966 Results||||||{{Ret}}||||0|NC}}
{{1967 Results|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}||||{{DNS}}||||||0|NC}}
{{1968 Results||{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|{{6th}}|8th|8th|{{4th}}|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|4|19th}}
{{1969 Results||{{Ret}}|{{2nd}}|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|{{5th}}|{{Ret}}|{{5th}}|{{Ret}}|{{2nd}}|10th|16|8th}}
{{1970 Results|{{Ret}}|{{DNS}}|{{NC}}|{{Ret}}|{{Ret}}|||||||||0|NC}}
{{Career Results end}}

==External links==
* [http://en.espnf1.com/brabham/motorsport/driver/890.html ESPN Driver Profile]
* [http://racing-reference.info/driver/Piers_Courage Racing Statistics]

{{Fatal Accidents}}
{{Wiki banner bottom}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Courage, Piers}}
[[Category:F1 drivers killed while racing]]
[[Category:1970 deaths]]
[[Category:1942 births]]
[[Category:Team Lotus Drivers]]
[[Category:Reg Parnell Racing Drivers]]
[[Category:BRM Drivers]]
[[Category:Frank Williams Racing Cars Drivers]]
[[Category:1966 Début Drivers]]
[[Category:Deceased Drivers]]
@@ Line 45: / Line 45: @@
 ===1970===
-Following a business agreement with [[Alejandro de Tomaso]], Williams switched to racing the new De Tomaso chassis for the [[1970 Formula One Season|season]]. This chassis was overweight and unreliable causing Courage to retire for all of his 1970 events.
-He would be unable to complete the season after an accident in the [[1970 Dutch Grand Prix|Dutch Grand Prix]] took his life.
 ====Death====