Interview: Peter Gethin

Peter Gethin may have been the son of a jockey, but he pursued a different kind of horsepower, making his name racing automobiles. They weren’t just any automobiles either, but the fastest most prestigious racing cars in the world. He was a race winner in Formula 1 and the original Can-Am, and a champion in Formula 5000. His first major recognition came in the mid-’60s when he raced in the British Formula Three championship, and by 1969 he was winning races on his way to the title in Britain’s new Formula 5000 series. He repeated that feat in 1970, the same year he also won the Formula Two outing at Pau, the Can-Am round at Road America, and contested seven GPs for McLaren after being drafted into the F1 team upon the death of founder Bruce McLaren. By midseason in 1971, however, he’d switched to BRM, taking the place of another casualty—this time Pedro Rodriguez—and proceeded to win his second race for the team at Monza, at that time the closest finish and fastest race in F1 history. VR’s Mike Jiggle recently spoke with Gethin about his time in the sport.

Many will remember you for your exploits in Formula 5000 and your remarkable victory for BRM at the 1971 Italian GP, but where does the Peter Gethin story start?