Crispian Besley

Inspired by James Hunt’s Formula 1 exploits with Hesketh and having become friends with the World Champion’s youngest brother at school, Crispian Besley competed in Formula Ford during the late 1970s against future Grand Prix stars, including Nigel Mansell and Jonathan Palmer, but had to face the reality that his results were not going to earn him a place in Formula 1.

Under pressure from his parents to get a ‘proper’ job, he embarked on a 30-year career in the city. Later he returned to racing as an enthusiastic amateur, firstly in Ferraris but mainly in historic single-seaters, which have included a Formula 1 Cooper car as well as Surtees TS15 and Brabham BT38 Formula 2 cars. His main focus has been historic Formula Junior, in which he has competed all over Europe, in New Zealand and America in a variety of cars including Gemini, Lotus, OSCA, Elva and Cooper.