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The Ferrari 801 cars of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins pass the retired Maserati 250F of Paco Godia, 1957 German Grand.

Hawthorn in the Ferrari Dino 246, 1958

Racing the Jaguar at Le Mans 1955

Mike Hawthorn was born in Mexborough, West Riding of Yorkshire and was educated at Ardingly College, West Sussex. His father owned the Tourist Trophy Garage in Farnham, franchised to supply and service several high performance brands including Jaguar and Ferrari. His father Leslie Hawthorn raced motorcycles and supported his son's racing career. When he died in a road accident, in 1954, Mike Hawthorn inherited the business.

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Mike Hawthorn made his competition debut in his 1934 Riley Ulster Imp, KV 9475, winning the 1100 c.c. sports car class at the Brighton Speed Trials on 2 September 1950.

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In 1951, driving a 1½-litre T.T. Riley, he entered the Motor Sport Brooklands Memorial Trophy, a season-long contest run at Goodwood, winning it by one point. He also won the Ulster Trophy Handicap at Dundrod and the Leinster Trophy at Wicklow that year.

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Hawthorn made his Formula One debut at the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix, finishing in fourth place. He won his first Grand Prix, at the ninth attempt, driving for Ferrari in the 1953 French Grand Prix at Reims.

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In January 1955, Hawthorn joined the Jaguar Sports Car Team, replacing Stirling Moss, who had left for Mercedes. Hawthorn won the 1955 24 hours of Le Mans race after an inspired drive in which he set a lap record of 122 mph during a three-hour duel with Fangio. The race was marred by the crash which killed 83 spectators and driver Pierre Levegh, after Hawthorn had suddenly braked in front of Lance Macklin's Healey after overtaking him to enter the pits, causing Macklin to swerve into the path of Levegh's Mercedes. Eight hours later, while leading the race two laps ahead of the Jaguar team, Mercedes withdrew from the race, ostensibly as a mark of respect for those who had perished in the accident; the Jaguar team was invited to join them but declined. The French press carried photographs of Hawthorn and Ivor Bueb celebrating their win with the customary champagne but treated them with scorn.

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While sharing the D Type with Desmond Titterington during the 1955 RAC Tourist Trophy at Dundrod, Hawthorn passed Fangio twice, and set the lap record for the RAC Tourist Trophy on the Dundrod Circuit, only to lose in the final stages when, running on full tanks, he was passed by Moss when the D Type's engine failed on the last lap.

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In 1957, Hawthorn rejoined the Ferrari factory team, and soon became friends with Peter Collins, a fellow Englishman and Ferrari team driver. During the 1958 racing season, the two Englishmen became engaged in a rivalry with Luigi Musso, another Ferrari driver, that spurred all three into fierce competition for prize money. Hawthorn was the winner of the 1958 French Grand Prix at Reims, in which Musso was killed while in second place.

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Hawthorn won the 1958 Formula One Championship despite achieving only one win, against four by Moss. Leading easily in the Monaco GP at half distance, his 246 engine blew, while at Monza he was a minute ahead of Tony Brooks when his clutch forced him to slow to second place. Hawthorn benefited greatly from the gentlemanliness of Moss, as demonstrated at the Portuguese Grand Prix at Porto. Hawthorn was disqualified for bump starting his stalled car downhill in the opposite direction, on the way to a second-place finish. Moss interceded on Hawthorn's behalf and the decision was ultimately reversed. After a pit stop midway through that race, Hawthorn accelerated back through the field to gain an extra point for fastest lap. Moss had failed to respond, possibly doubting Hawthorn could lap so fast with damaged drum brakes. This extra world championship point plus the second place points contributed to Hawthorn winning the championship with a season total just one more than that of Moss. In the final race at Morocco, Hawthorn drove a conservative tactical race aiming to stay ahead of Moss's Vanwall teammates. Brooks' car broke while narrowly leading Hawthorn, and Stuart Lewis-Evans in the third Vanwall crashed after a desperate attempt to move through the field and challenge Hawthorn running third; Evans later died of burns. In the last laps, second-placed Phil Hill slowed and waved Hawthorn through to gain enough points to take the Championship.

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After winning the title, Hawthorn immediately announced his retirement from Formula One, having been badly affected by the death of his close friend and Ferrari team mate Peter Collins in that year's German Grand Prix.

A lap of Le Mans in 1956

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Peter Collins, Juan Manuel Fangio and Mike Hawthorn on the podium at the 1957 German Grand Prix.