Robin Widdows

{{Short description|British racing driver and bobsledder (born 1942)}} {{BLP sources|date=December 2025}} {{Use dmy dates|date=May 2015}} {{Use British English|date=May 2015}} {{Infobox F1 driver | image = Robin Widdows 1970 Nürburgring.JPG | caption = Widdows in 1970 | name = Robin Widdows | nationality = {{flagicon|GBR}} British | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1942|5|27|df=y}} | birth_place = Cowley, Middlesex, England | years = {{F1|1968}} | teams = Cooper | races = 1 | championships = 0 | wins = 0 | podiums = 0 | points = 0 | poles = 0 | fastest_laps = 0 | first_race = 1968 British Grand Prix }} '''Robin Michael Widdows''' (born 27 May 1942 in Cowley, Middlesex) is a British former racing driver from England. He participated in Formula One, Formula Two, Formula Three and sportscars including Le Mans.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=St Moritz Tobogganing Club |date=2019–2020 |title=Annual Report - The Cresta Run |journal=Annual Report of the Cresta Run |volume=100 |pages=308}}</ref>

Widdows began his career with an MG Midget and a Lotus 23 winning the ''Autosport'' Class C Championship in 1965.<ref name="ReferenceA">{{cite book|last=Small|first=Steve|title=The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who|publisher=Guinness|date=1994|page=401|isbn=0851127029}}</ref> He moved to Formula Three the following year<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and in 1967 competed in Formula Two with a Brabham BT23, winning the Rhine Cup at Hockenheim.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> In 1968, Widdows joined The Chequered Flag team to compete in a McLaren M4A<ref name="ReferenceA"/> and that year took part in his only World Championship Grand Prix, for Cooper, in the British Grand Prix at Brands Hatch but retired with ignition problems.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> He returned to Formula Two the following season with Bob Gerard and also raced sportscars for Matra.<ref name="ReferenceA"/> Widdows continued in Formula Two in 1970, with a Brabham, but retired from the sport part way through the season.<ref Name="ReferenceA"/>

Widdows holds the rare distinction of being one of a select group of six who have competed in both a Formula One World Championship race and the Olympic Games (bobsleigh in 1964 and 1968).<ref name=olympics>{{cite web|title= Formula One at the Olympics|author= Viva F1|accessdate= 2012-07-26|url= http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=11707|url-status= dead|archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20120808002447/http://www.vivaf1.com/blog/?p=11707|archivedate= 8 August 2012|df= dmy-all}}</ref>

On 17 January 1965, Widdows became the fastest Englishman to ride the Cresta Run from Junction with a time of 44.14 secs, recorded in the Harjes Cartier Silver Chip handicap race.{{citation needed|date=December 2025}} {{Clear}}

==Complete Formula One World Championship results== (key) {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%" ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! 8 ! 9 ! 10 ! 11 ! 12 ! WDC ! Points |- | 1968 ! Cooper Car Company ! Cooper T86B ! BRM V12 | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | NED | FRA |style="background:#EFCFFF;"| GBR<br>{{small|Ret}} | GER | ITA | CAN | USA | MEX ! NC ! 0 |}

==References== {{Reflist}} *[http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/drv-widrob.html Profile at grandprix.com]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Widdows, Robin}} Category:1942 births Category:Living people Category:English racing drivers Category:English Formula One drivers Category:Cooper Formula One drivers Category:European Formula Two Championship drivers Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers Category:Olympic bobsledders for Great Britain Category:Bobsledders at the 1964 Winter Olympics Category:Bobsledders at the 1968 Winter Olympics Category:British male bobsledders Category:World Sportscar Championship drivers Category:20th-century English sportsmen