On This Day: Britain's first world champion born

On this day in 1929, driver Mike Hawthorn was born in Yorkshire.

Hawthorn's driving was described as flamboyant, and when starting his early career at Ferrari it was clear that the Yorkshireman could mix it with the best.

In 1955, Hawthorn won the 24 Hours of Le Mans Race in a Jaguar, but the race was marred due to a crash that Hawthorn was involved in leading to the death of 83 spectators and French driver Pierre Levegh. Levegh's death and the death of the spectators led to Mercedes-Benz retiring from racing till 1989. 

The pinnacle of Hawthorn's career, however, was his one and only world championship win in 1958. During the season, he won only one race the French Grand Prix, on his way to beating Stirling Moss to the title by just a point. During a tragic season where three drivers lost their lives while racing, Moss won four races compared to Hawthorn's one, but Hawthorn managed podium's on six other occasions. 

In total during his Formula One career Hawthorn entered 47 races, starting 45 of them after making his debut at the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix, winning three races - the first being the 1953 French Grand Prix. Hawthorn also managed 18 podiums 4 pole positions and a total of 112 career points before his career ended at the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix.

Hawthorn decided to retire immediately after his winning season of 1958, with the death of his close friend Peter Collins during the German Grand Prix in his mind. Sadly in January 1959, Hawthorn died in a road traffic accident aged just 29.