On February 25, 1932, was born a boy in Dukenfield, Cheshire, England, who would go on to become the first British F1 driver, racing a British car to win a Grand Prix after 1923. It was while driving a Connaught at Syracuse in 1955, when Brooks achieved his first victory in a non-Championship event. It was perhaps easier in those times get a break in the Formula One, since the competition was not as big as it has turned out to be over the years in terms of familiarity and money. And so, Brooks entered the F1 world soon in 1956.Driving a BRM P25 for the Owen Racing Organization, Brooks had a tumultuous start and raced only once. He was nowhere on the Drivers’ Championship list in 1956.The 1957 season had Brooks racing a Vanwall for the Vandervell Products team. The car did justice to his racing aptitude and he finished on podium twice in the Monaco and British Grand Prix. He shared his eight points for victory in the British Grand Prix with teammate Stirling Moss as they were taking turns driving one car for the entire season. Brooks finished with 11 points in the season.Also known as the ‘Racing Dentist’ in F1 fraternity, Brooks was beginning to look invincible and the 1958 Belgian Grand Prix was just a start. He won at Belgium and backed his third position finish in the drivers’ standings with victories in the German and Spanish Grand Prix as well.The Ferrari Dino 246 made a lot of heads turn in the 1959 season and it was evident all the more when Brooks demonstrated what the machine could do when he finished first in France and Germany and second and third in Monaco and USA respectively. He earned 27 points with his flying laps and meticulous driving to earn a career high standing at second place in the drivers’ run.The Climax Straight 4 engine of the Yeoman Credit Racing team seemed to have brought the climax in Brooks’ racing career. In 1960, while racing for this team, he did not even closely match up to his previous performances and ended 11th despite driving with the back markers. In 1961, he raced for the Owen Racing Organization once again but failed to spin the magic that he knew he could. He managed to place himself tenth in the drivers’ standings with a few points and a podium finish. Brooks, with a stable head on his shoulders bid adieu to F1 soon after 1961without wasting any time.Tony Brooks earned his good times in Formula One and savoured every moment of it. He could not have asked for anything more from this temple of motorsport.-Anup Pareek