David Brabham Profile
| Date of birth: |
5th September 1965 |
| Place of birth: |
Wimbledon, England |
| Nationality: |
Australian |
| Lives: |
Henley-on-Thames, England |
| Family: |
Married to Lisa, children Jayson (21), Sam (15) and Finn (9).
Youngest son of Sir Jack Brabham, Formula One World Champion 1959, 1960 and 1966: the first driver to win an F1 title in a car of his own construction ('66) and to be knighted for services to British motorsport. Brothers Geoff and Gary are both successful drivers in their own right.
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| Hobbies: |
Tennis, golf, fitness, reading self-help/spiritual guidance books |
| Helmet Colours: |
Blue, gold, green, Southern Cross stars and the Earth |
Career Highlights
David Brabham, one of Australia's most successful racing drivers, has competed across the highest echelons of worldwide motorsport. His illustrious career stretches from karting through single-seaters to F1 while latterly he has become renowned as one of the world's leading sportscar racers.
Outright victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours and capturing the American Le Mans Series title sealed two of the sportscar legend's career ambitions in 2009, continuing his own powerful legacy fitting of the Brabham name.
The youngest son of three-times F1 World Champion, Sir Jack Brabham, David first got behind the wheel at the tender age of eight, driving an EH Holden on the family farm at Wagga Wagga in Australia. He began his racing career in 1983 in karts, before progressing to Formula Ford single-seaters in 1986. He moved up again, to Formula 2 the following year, winning the Australian Gold Star title in 1987.
Keen to make his name internationally, David moved to England in 1988, initially to compete in Formula Vauxhall Lotus and then Class B of the British Formula 3 Championship. Stepping up to Class A with the Bowman team in 1989, he promptly took the F3 Championship title, and also won the Macau Grand Prix - beating Michael Schumacher in the process.
David made his F1 debut in 1990 with the Brabham team, which had been founded by his father in 1962, but, with the team struggling to keep pace with better-funded rivals, he was afforded just a single season.
He joined the Tom Walkinshaw Racing-run Jaguar sportscar team in 1991, winning twice, while also taking victory in the Spa 24 Hours endurance marathon for Nissan. The following season, David took top GTP class honours and second overall in the 24 Hours of Daytona for Jaguar, and claimed GT class victory for the marque at Le Mans in 1993 before the car was disqualified on a technicality.
He then had the chance to return to F1 in 1994 with the new Simtek team but, again, it proved to be a frustrating experience. As a result, David returned to sports and touring cars from 1995, initially with a BMW in the British Touring Car Championship, before winning the 1996 Japanese GTC GT500 Championship in a McLaren F1 GTR and the Bathurst 1000 in 1997 with his brother Geoff.
His sportscar exploits attracted the attention of Panoz Motor Sports and, during his first six years with the American marque, David's notable achievements included taking the 1998 USA Professional Sports Car Championship title with seven wins, overall victory in the 1999 Petit Le Mans, and five ALMS race wins against the all-conquering Audis.
Branching out into the Grand-Am Rolex Sportscar series, he claimed the first ever Daytona Prototype class victory, at the Daytona 24 Hours, with a Multimatic Ford, but the ALMS remained his spiritual home. He captured the Sebring 12 Hours GT1 class spoils for Aston Martin in 2005, and recorded another Sebring upset after returning to both Panoz and Multimatic, in GT2, the following year.
David seized the opportunity to return to the prototype classes with Highcroft Racing and Acura for the ALMS in 2007, but it was a stellar second season with the Patrón-sponsored team that saw him return to the top of the podium, capturing four wins including one outright victory and the first overall win for Acura and Highcroft. Despite those efforts he narrowly missed out on seizing the LMP2 championship spoils with team-mate Scott Sharp.
Undoubtedly, David's blistering form and characteristic charges to the chequered flag, often producing thrilling race conclusions, ensured that he was voted 'Most Popular Driver' by ALMS fans and Motors TV viewers and was placed as a first team choice from the road racing category by the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association.
Since his ALMS debut in 1999, David has become one of the series' most accomplished drivers, with 19 race wins and 12 pole positions from 91 starts to his credit. He is also the only driver to boast pole positions and race wins in each of the four ALMS classes.
A double Le Mans 24 Hours GT1 class winner with Aston Martin in 2007 and 2008, David was also awarded the BRDC Woolf Barnato trophy to mark the achievement each time.
In June 2009 David took overall victory at the world famous endurance race with Team Peugeot Total, ending Audi's reign of domination. Sealing a consecutive hat-trick of class titles in the process, the win marked Peugeot's first in 16 years when in 1993 David's older brother Geoff took the spoils for the French manufacturer.
A dream season for the British-born Australian, who is a long-time UK resident, David also claimed the ALMS title spoils in his 11th year racing in the Series. Patrón Highcroft Racing and Acura's first year in the LMP1 category produced a thrilling season-long battle with the sister de Ferran Acura team. Three pole positions and a trio of victories, including the first LMP1 win for Highcroft and Acura at St. Petersburg, and five second-place finishes, helped secure the title by 17 points.
The double Le Mans and ALMS titles sealed an important year for the entire Brabham family in 2009 as Sir Jack celebrated the 50th anniversary of his first F1 World title in 1959.
The reigning LMP1 champion will return to do battle once again in 2010 with Patrón Highcroft Racing in the newly combined ALMS LMP class alongside new team mates Simon Pagenaud and Marino Franchitti. With Highcroft heading for its Le Mans 24 Hours debut, contesting the LMP2 category with the ARX-01c, 2010 is shaping up to be another promising year.
With a passion for putting plenty back into the sport he loves, David is the National Race Coach for the MSA Team UK driver education and development scheme, helping to groom the next generation of British racing drivers. He is also an ambassador of two other important projects - the EEMS programme to help stimulate energy efficiency in motorsport, and the MSA's Go Motorsport initiative, which encourages people to get involved in motorsport as a competitor, spectator or volunteer.
Outside of motorsport, David's charity work has helped the Racing4Charity organisation raise over £350,000 for numerous worthy causes over the past 15 years. He also supports Humanity's Team and has joined the global fight to end malaria deaths by becoming a Special Ambassador for Malaria No More UK.
Career Achievements
2010
American Le Mans Series (ALMS) with Patrón Highcroft Racing contesting the newly combined LMP category
Le Mans 24 Hours LMP2 class with Patrón Highcroft Racing
2009
Winner of the Le Mans 24 Hours with Team Peugeot Total in the Peugeot 908 HDi FAP
American Le Mans Series Champion with Patrón Highcroft Racing, with three pole positions, three wins, including the first LMP1 race victory for Highcroft and Acura at St. Petersburg, and five second-place finishes
Voted joint fastest sportscar driver in the world, alongside Allan McNish, by Speedtv.com
2008
ALMS with Patrón Highcroft Racing - second overall in LMP2 with seven podium finishes, three overall pole positions, four race wins, including the first LMP2 victory for the team at Long Beach, and outright race victory at Lime Rock - the first for Patrón Highcroft and Acura
Voted 'Most Popular Driver' by ALMS fans and Motors TV viewers
First team choice from the American Auto Racing Writers & Broadcasters Association for road racing
Won the Le Mans 24 Hours GT1 class for the second consecutive year with Aston Martin and was awarded the BRDC Woolf Barnato Trophy
2007
ALMS with Highcroft Racing and the Acura LMP2
Four podium finishes and one overall pole position, becoming the first driver in ALMS history to capture a pole position in four different classes
Took GT1 class victory at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Aston Martin Racing and received the BRDC Woolf Barnato Trophy
2006
ALMS with Multimatic Team Panoz
XCaptured GT2 class win in the Sebring 12 Hours, sixth at Houston, second at Mid Ohio and third at Petit Le Mans
Fourth in GT1 class and ninth overall at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Team Modena in the Aston Martin DBR9
Fourth in GT1 at the FIA GT Silverstone round
2005
Winner of the Sebring 12 Hours GT1 class in the first race for the Prodrive-prepared Aston Martin DBR9
Second in the Silverstone Tourist Trophy, after setting qualifying record for the race
Finished third at the Le Mans 24 Hours in the Aston Martin DBR9
Joined Ford Performance Racing (FPR) as part of the highly experienced Ford-powered endurance quartet with Jason Bright, Greg Ritter and Cameron McLean, for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 kilometre races
2004
Competed in select races during the ALMS season, with Krohn-Barbour Lamborghini, and the Le Mans Endurance Series
Provisional pole position holder at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Zytek Engineering
Secured victory at the Bahrain GT Festival in a Prodrive Ferrari 550
Returned to V8 Supercars with Shell Helix Ford team at the Bathurst and Sandown endurance races
2003
Fifth season in the ALMS, racing to third at Sebring for Team Bentley and finishing second overall in GTS class, driving the Prodrive Ferrari 550
Second overall (and in class) at the Le Mans 24 Hours with Team Bentley
Class winner in Daytona Prototypes at the Grand-Am Rolex Daytona 24 Hours driving a Multimatic Ford
Competed in a V8 Supercar for the Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 endurance races with Dick Johnson Racing
Contested the Bathurst 24 Hours race with BE Racing
2002
Secured sixth in the ALMS with two victories, (Sears Point and Washington DC) during his sixth season with Panoz Motor Sports
Competed in the 24 Hours races at Daytona, Le Mans and Bathurst
2001
Seventh overall in the ALMS with two victories (Portland and Mid Ohio) with Panoz Motor Sports
Competed in both the Daytona and Le Mans 24 Hours races
2000
Seventh overall in the ALMS with Panoz Motor Sports
European Le Mans Series with Panoz Motor Sports - victory at the Nurburgring
1999
ALMS with Panoz Motor Sports, capturing second in the drivers' championship with team-mate Eric Bernard
Winner of the Petit Le Mans and Portland races
Seventh at the Le Mans 24 Hours
1998
Professional Sports Car Champion (USA) with seven victories for Panoz Motor Sports
Winner of the GT class at the Sebring 12 Hours and seventh in the Le Mans 24 Hours
Two third-place podium finishes in the FIA GT World Championship races at Hockenheim and Dijon
1997
Winner of the Bathurst 1000 co-driving with his brother Geoff in a BMW
Joined Panoz Motor Sports and captured class victories in both the Watkins Glen 6 Hour race and Laguna Seca GP
1996
Japanese GTC GT500 Champion with the Lark McLaren team
Fifth in the Le Mans 24 Hours in a Gulf McLaren
Sixth in the Zuhai International race driving a Marlboro McLaren
1995
British Touring Car Championship with BMW
1994
Formula One with the Simtek Grand Prix team
1993
Winner, GT class, Le Mans 24 Hours for TWR in a Jaguar XJ 220 but the car was later disqualified on a technicality
Winner of the British Rallycross Grand Prix Nova Challenge
Fourth in Bathurst 1000 driving a Winfield Holden, winning Rookie of the Year
Formula One test driver for the Footwork Arrows team
1992
World Sportscar Championship with Toyota
Winner - GTP class, Daytona 24 Hours
Formula One test driver for the Footwork team
1991
Competed in four races for Team Roni Ralt in the international Formula 3000 Championship
FIA World Sportscar Championship race winner at the Nurburgring and Sugo 1000 with TWR in a Jaguar XJR 14
Winner of the Spa 24 Hours race in a Nissan Skyline GTR
Jaguarsport Intercontinental Challenge in an XJR 15
1990
Formula One debut with Brabham, the team founded by his father, Sir Jack Brabham, in 1962
1989
British Formula 3 Champion with six victories, seven pole positions and 13 front row starts from 15 races
Winner of the Formula 3 World Cup in Macau with the Bowman team
Second in the Cellnet Superprix
1988
Third in the Formula Atlantic Tasman Series (New Zealand)
Competed in six Formula Vauxhall Lotus Series races (UK)
Third in the Formula 3 B Class Championship with five victories and five pole positions
1987
Australian Formula 2 Gold Star Champion
Sixth in the Formula Atlantic Tasman Series (New Zealand)
Competed in four American Formula Atlantic Series races
Contested three South American Formula 3 Championship races
1986
Fourth in the Australian Formula Ford 1600 Championship with three race victories
1985
Australian Ford Laser Series - winner of two races
1984
Won the Canberra Cup in the New South Wales Country Championships (karting)
1983
Racing debut in a 100cc Sprint kart in Australia
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