article by Andrea La Rovere adapted from Formula 1, the stories
In the history of Formula 1, especially that of the first decades, It often happens that we come across stories of eclectic pilots, very strong but often little known: this is the case of Richard James David Attwood.
Many very successful drivers, such as Jim Clark or Jochen Rindt, are still legends today, but they had to pay the ultimate price to fate. Others, like Attwood, they had a good career, often writing their name in the rolls of honor, but without becoming legendary. Many of them, however, are still alive and active in motorsport, proving that sometimes happiness doesn’t necessarily come through the paths of success.
Richard Attwood started racing at a very young age, as an apprentice at Jaguar. At twenty he made his debut on the track with one Triumphthen – as happens at the time – his career is very fast. Attwood races in Formula Junior, then in Formula 2. At the time the greats of the top category also often raced in the cadet formula and Attwood had the opportunity to compete with them. Often beating them.
In 1964 BRM hired him to test and debut the four-wheel drive P67. However, the car was too young and Richard never competed. The following year Tim Parnell made him debut with a Lotus. Attwood was sixth in qualifying on his debut, in Monte Carlo, which will always be his favorite circuit. However, the Lotus is old and unreliable, Attwood only achieved a couple of sixth places, in Monza and Mexico.
In 1966 and ’67 Attwood shined in Formula 2in the Tasman Cup and in Sportbut he only runs one Formula 1 race, with Cooper in Canada where he finishes tenth. In 1968, after the death of Mike Spence, Richard replaced him at BRM.
Again in Monte Carlo, Attwood runs the best race of his career. Sixth in qualifying, in the race he is always faster, so much so that he set the best lap and finished second just behind Graham Hill. It seems like the beginning of a triumphal season, but BRM is less competitive than it seemed and Attwood no longer scores points. In the last few races he is even replaced by Bobby Unser, who however certainly doesn’t do any better.
The following year Attwood ran another excellent race, again in Monte Carlo and again in place of an injured colleague, Jochen Rindt. Richard shines again: he is fourth but, inexplicably, no one offers him a steering wheel of those that count. Richard takes it philosophically and returns to his beloved endurance racing, not before obtaining a brilliant sixth place in Germany with Brabham, his last appearance in Formula 1, despite racing with a Formula 2 car.
His most important victory came in 1970, at Le Mans with Porsche, paired with Hans Hermann. At the end of the season, at just thirty years of age, Attwood left racing. Richard remains actively in the environment, often participating in classic car events with his personal Porsche 917.
This is the example used by Steve McQueen in the film “Le Mans”which Attwood has repainted in the colors of his 1970 triumph. Richard describes the car as his “pension”, which he collected in 2000, when sells it at auction for a million pounds.