Rupert Keegan (26 February 1955 – 23 September 2024) was an English racing driver. He participated in 37 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 8 May 1977. He scored no championship points.
.jpg) Hesketh 308E driven by Keegan | |
| Born | 26 February 1955 Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex, England |
|---|---|
| Died | 23 September 2024 (aged 69) Portoferraio, Elba, Tuscany, Italy |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  British |
| Active years | 1977–1978, 1980, 1982 |
| Teams | Hesketh, Surtees, RAM, March |
| Entries | 37 (25 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 0 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1977 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1982 Caesars Palace Grand Prix |
| British Formula One Championship career | |
| Active years | 1979 |
| Races | 13 |
| Championships | 1 |
| Wins | 5 |
| Podium finishes | 6 |
| Career points | 65 |
| Pole positions | 5 |
| Fastest laps | 4 |
Biography
editKeegan won the 1976 British Formula 3 Championship, which propelled him into Formula One. After seasons with Hesketh and Surtees, neither of them particularly competitive teams, he won the Aurora Formula One Championship in 1979. A return to the Formula One World Championship with RAM driving their Williams FW07B yielded little in the way of results, as did a few races with March. His best career result was 7th at the 1977 Austrian Grand Prix scored in Hesketh 308E/1.[1]
After Formula One, Keegan raced in the United States in CART, and also in endurance racing. After his retirement, he pursued business interests and also worked as a racing instructor.
Keegan died in Portoferraio after a long battle with cancer[2] on 23 September 2024, at the age of 69.[3][4]
Racing record
editComplete Formula One World Championship results
edit(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | WDC | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Penthouse Rizla Racing | Hesketh 308E | Ford V8 | ARG | BRA | RSA | USW | ESP Ret |
MON 12 |
BEL Ret |
SWE 13 |
FRA 10 |
GBR Ret |
GER Ret |
AUT 7 |
NED Ret |
ITA 9 |
USA 8 |
CAN Ret |
JPN | NC | 0 |
| 1978 | Durex Team Surtees | Surtees TS19 | Ford V8 | ARG Ret |
BRA Ret |
RSA Ret |
USW DNS |
MON Ret |
BEL DNQ |
NC | 0 | |||||||||||
| Surtees TS20 | Ford V8 | ESP 11 |
SWE DNQ |
FRA Ret |
GBR DNQ |
GER DNQ |
AUT DNQ |
NED DNS |
ITA | USA | CAN | |||||||||||
| 1980 | RAM Williams Grand Prix Engineering | Williams FW07 | Ford V8 | ARG | BRA | RSA | USW | BEL | MON | FRA | GBR 11 |
NC | 0 | |||||||||
| RAM Penthouse Rizla Racing | GER DNQ |
AUT 15 |
NED DNQ |
ITA 11 |
CAN DNQ |
USA 9 |
||||||||||||||||
| 1982 | Rothmans March Grand Prix Team | March 821 | Ford V8 | RSA | BRA | USW | SMR | BEL | MON | DET | CAN | NED | GBR | FRA | GER DNQ |
AUT Ret |
SUI Ret |
ITA DNQ |
CPL 12 |
NC | 0 |
Complete British Formula One Championship results
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | Pos. | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1979 | C. W. Clowes Racing | Arrows A1 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ZOL | OUL 11 |
BRH Ret |
MAL 1 |
SNE 1 |
THR Ret |
ZAN NC |
DON 1 |
OUL Ret |
NOG | MAL Ret |
BRH DNS |
THR 1 |
SNE 1 |
SIL 2 |
1st | 65 |
Indy Car World Series
edit(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Rank | Points | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1985 | Machinists Union Racing | LBH |
INDY |
MIL |
POR |
MEA |
CLE |
MCH |
ROA |
POC |
MDO 19 |
SAN |
MCH |
LAG 12 |
PHX |
MIA 10 |
35th | 4 | [5] | ||
| 1986 | Gohr Racing | PHX | LBH | INDY DNQ |
MIL | POR | MEA | CLE | TOR | MIC | POC | MDO | SAN | MIC | ROA | LAG | PHX | MIA | NC | - | [6] |
References
edit- ^ "Who were the Jewish F1 drivers: A Look at Their Careers - F1 BLAST". 24 April 2024.
- ^ "Obituary: Playboy F1 racer Rupert Keegan billed as 'next James Hunt'".
- ^ Thurgood, Julius (23 September 2024). "With the saddest heart, I write this to say that we have lost Rupert Keegan after a heroic battle with a long term illness". Instagram. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
- ^ "In Memoriam Rupert Keegan". Autosport NL. 23 September 2024. Retrieved 26 September 2024.
- ^ "Rupert Keegan – 1985 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
- ^ "Rupert Keegan – 1986 CART Results". Racing-Reference. NASCAR Digital Media, LLC. Retrieved 6 November 2023.