The sight of his vermilion-red helmet at the front of an F1 grid should have been a regular one during the mid-sixties, but sadly Grand Prix racing was to see the true Peter Arundell on only four occasions before a massive accident in a Formula 2 race at Reims effectively ended his aspirations to emulate his team-mate Jim Clark.

   Arundell began his career with an MG TC in 1957 before racing a Lotus XI, and then a Lola sports car, soon becoming the fastest private practitioner behind the works entries. When Peter then won an end-of-season Junior race in the front-engined Elva-DKW, Colin Chapman was not slow to recognise the Essex man's potential and signed him for his Junior team in 1960, a season which saw him beat both his team-mates - Trevor Taylor and Jim Clark - on occasion. As number two to Taylor during 1961, Peter maintained his progress, highlighted by winning the Monaco Junior race, and for 1962 he rightfully assumed the team leadership, dominating proceedings with some brilliant displays, taking 18 wins from 25 starts, and easily claiming the BARC Junior championship.

   In truth he should have been promoted to Formula 1 at this stage, and there would certainly have been a drive for him elsewhere had he chosen to seek it. Instead Peter waited patiently for his opportunity, knowing that a better prospect than a Lotus would be hard to find. So it was more Formula Junior in 1963, with occasional F1 outings merely confirming his talent. A superb drive into second place at the Solitude GP was matched in the Mediterranean GP at Enna,

   Arundell's fully deserved promotion finally came in 1964, and the season began in tremendous style, his Grand Prix performances being backed by some equally impressive results in non-championship Formula 1 races. He was second in the News of the World Trophy at Goodwood and third at both the Aintree 200 and the Syracuse GP (shared with Spence). In the newly inaugurated Formula 2, Peter was just as impressive, taking third place at Pau, second in the Grovewood Trophy at Mallory Park and fourth in the London Trophy before the fateful Reims race, when his spinning Lotus was hit broadside by Ginther. The car was smashed into an earth bank and Arundell was hurled from the cockpit, suffering a broken arm, thigh and collarbone and severe concussion.

   His rehabilitation was long and slow, but Chapman promised him a place in the team when fit, and he reappeared at the South African GP on New Year's Day in 1966, to take third place in the Lotus 33. Once the season got under way, Peter seemed a shadow of his former self, though, to be fair, the machinery at his disposal hardly gave him a chance to shine. Racing the works Formula 2 car brought only a second place at the Eifelrennen, so when Graham Hill was signed for 1967 Arundell was released. Really that was the end for Peter, though in 1968 he briefly raced Alan Mann's Escort before a short spell with the McNamara F3 and Formula Vee projects in 1969.

(c) 'Who is Who' by Steve Small, 2000