Anthony Davidson

Anthony Davidson
Anthony Davidson
Born	Anthony Denis Davidson; April 18, 1979 (age 47); Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, England
Occupation(s)	Racing driver, motorsport commentator
Years active	1999–2019 (racing)
Known for	Formula One driver, FIA World Endurance Champion, motorsport commentator

Anthony Denis Davidson (born 18 April 1979) is a retired British racing driver and motorsport commentator who participated in Formula One during the seasons spanning to , and competed in the FIA World Endurance Championship from to . In the realm of endurance racing, Davidson claimed the FIA World Endurance Drivers' Championship title in alongside Toyota.

Hailing from Hemel Hempstead, Davidson embarked on his competitive journey in kart racing at the age of eight, capturing multiple national titles before advancing to junior formulae in 1999. He earned championships in both Formula Ford and Formula Three. Davidson served as a test driver for BAR during and , making his Formula One debut at the Grand Prix with Minardi, where he substituted for Alex Yoong over two events. He maintained his role as BAR's test driver—later under Honda ownership—until , when he secured a permanent race seat with Super Aguri, partnering with Takuma Sato. Driving the SA07, Davidson recorded his best finishes of eleventh place at the 2007 Spanish, Canadian, and United States Grands Prix.

Following financial struggles, Super Aguri withdrew from Formula One after the Grand Prix, effectively concluding Davidson's F1 driving tenure. He subsequently shifted focus to sportscar racing, competing in the top-tier LMP1 category of the FIA World Endurance Championship from to with Toyota. Alongside teammate Sébastien Buemi, Davidson secured the championship in after accumulating 13 victories from 40 starts and finishing second at the 2013 24 Hours of Le Mans. He later participated for three seasons in the LMP2 division with DragonSpeed and Jota, retiring following the season.

After retiring from competitive driving, Davidson transitioned into broadcasting, joining the BBC as a commentator and analyst in 2009 and contributing to Sky Sports F1 since 2012. Additionally, he has lent his voice to eleven editions of the F1 video game franchise and has acted as lead commentator for the worldwide broadcast of WEC.

Driving career

Originating from Hemel Hempstead, Hertfordshire, Davidson began karting in 1987, participating across British, European, and North American competitions. His early career highlights include winning three British championships between 1993 and 1995, capturing an Italian championship title, and finishing as runner-up in the Formula A European championship in 1996. Transitioning to single-seater cars in 1999, he triumphed in the 1600 cc Kent engine category at the British Formula Ford festival. The subsequent year saw him finish second in the British Formula Ford championship while also winning the notable Formula Ford Festival at Brands Hatch, earning him the prestigious McLaren/Autosport Young Driver of the Year Award.

In 2001, Davidson competed in the British Formula Three series with Carlin Motorsport, ultimately securing second place overall behind teammate Takuma Sato. From mid-season onwards, he outperformed Sato on points and achieved victories at prominent events such as the Formula Three Pau Grand Prix, Spa Masters, and the FIA European Cup.

BAR and Minardi

In late 2000, Davidson took on the role of test driver for the British American Racing (BAR) Formula One outfit during the season. He participated in two races for Minardi in , stepping in for the suspended Alex Yoong. Although Justin Wilson was initially considered, his height proved to be a restricting factor. At the Hungarian and Belgian Grands Prix, Davidson's qualifying performances were within 0.6 seconds of teammate Mark Webber, but he retired from both events following spins.

Davidson continued as BAR's test driver through , providing support to race drivers Jacques Villeneuve and Jenson Button. After Villeneuve left and Takuma Sato joined BAR’s race lineup, Davidson was promoted to third driver. This position was especially important during , as BAR operated a third car during Friday testing sessions. Davidson consistently impressed with his speed and contributed crucial data on tyre wear, notably recording the second fastest lap during Friday practice at Indianapolis.

In November 2004, BAR announced that negotiations with Williams had failed to secure Davidson a race seat for due to Williams declining an unconditional "repatriation" agreement back to BAR in . This contractual obstacle threatened his prospects of racing in 2005. He did substitute for the unwell Sato at the 2005 Malaysian Grand Prix, but his engine failed after only two laps.

Honda

In 2006, Davidson resumed duties as test driver for BAR, now under Honda ownership and rebranded as Honda Racing F1. Since BAR had not ranked within the top four constructors the previous year, Honda was permitted to run a third car on Fridays, expanding Davidson’s involvement compared to 2005. After working as a radio commentator for BBC Radio Five Live, he made his television commentary debut in 2006 by filling in for Martin Brundle at ITV Sport during the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix, an event won by Honda’s Jenson Button. In 2008, Davidson returned to Honda’s test driver role during sessions at Spain’s Circuit de Catalunya while regular tester Alexander Wurz competed at Le Mans.

Super Aguri

On 15 November 2006, Super Aguri announced Davidson as teammate to Takuma Sato for the 2007 Formula One season, marking his first full-time race drive in Formula One.

During the 2007 Canadian Grand Prix, Davidson ran in third place before striking a groundhog, which caused him to drop to 11th and ended his points contention. At the 2007 Hungarian Grand Prix, a collision with Giancarlo Fisichella damaged Davidson’s rear suspension, forcing him to retire. He concluded the season 23rd overall without scoring any points.

Despite facing financial difficulties that jeopardized their Formula One involvement, Super Aguri retained both Davidson and Sato for . However, on 6 May 2008, Super Aguri withdrew from the Championship, leaving Davidson without a race seat.

Return to Honda

Davidson rejoined as a test driver for Honda for the remainder of . On 5 December 2008, Honda withdrew from Formula One due to financial constraints. The team was then purchased by Ross Brawn, becoming Brawn GP, with Davidson continuing in his role as test driver. On 16 November 2009, engine supplier Mercedes-Benz acquired Brawn GP and rebranded it as Mercedes GP, where Davidson remained as reserve and development driver.

Mercedes (2010–present)

Davidson was associated with Virgin and Lotus for the 2010 Formula 1 campaign but ultimately did not obtain a race seat. Instead, he concentrated on sports car racing while continuing his involvement with the Mercedes F1 Team based in Brackley as a reserve and simulator driver starting from 2010.

CART

In 2002, during his stint in Formula 1, Davidson conducted a test in a Champ Car at Road America with Team KOOL Green to support Honda's traction control development efforts.

Sportscars

In 2009, Davidson participated in the 24 Hours of Le Mans representing Aston Martin Racing, finishing 13th overall within the LMP1 category. The following year, he joined defending champions Peugeot alongside Alexander Wurz and Marc Gené, achieving a 1–2 victory at the 12 Hours of Sebring but retiring from Le Mans due to engine problems. He also claimed victory at the 6 Hours of Silverstone, secured pole position at Petit Le Mans, and finished second in that race.

Davidson contributed to Peugeot Sport’s success in 2011 by winning the 6 Hours of Spa and securing triumphs at Imola and Zhuhai alongside teammate Sébastien Bourdais, playing a key role in Peugeot’s Intercontinental Le Mans Cup title.

After Peugeot exited factory racing, Davidson moved to Toyota in 2012, piloting the TS030 Hybrid. During Le Mans that year, he endured a serious crash that resulted in fractured vertebrae but made a full recovery to continue competing.

In 2013, Davidson competed full-time with Toyota, finishing third overall in the drivers’ standings and second at Le Mans. The 2014 season saw him drive the TS040 Hybrid to four race wins, a third-place finish at Le Mans, and secure the World Endurance Drivers’ Championship alongside Sébastien Buemi. However, subsequent seasons through 2016 brought fewer successes with only two podium finishes and lower championship rankings.

Davidson’s performance rebounded in 2017 with five victories and an additional podium for Toyota; nevertheless, inconsistent outcomes—including sixth place at Le Mans and missing one event—resulted in a third-place finish in the drivers’ championship.

Despite strong showings, Davidson was replaced by Fernando Alonso for the 2018–19 FIA World Endurance Championship season. He transitioned into a test and reserve driver role and did not participate in the initial two races of that season. Davidson returned to competition at Silverstone in 2018 competing in LMP2 for DragonSpeed, where he finished fourth within his class.

Commentating

Davidson took on co-commentator duties for selected Grands Prix on BBC Radio 5 Live, eventually securing a full-time position alongside David Croft starting from the season. He maintained this role through subsequent seasons as BBC continued its radio coverage of Formula One.

On 7 December 2011, Sky Sports revealed that Davidson would join its British broadcast team as an analyst during race weekends and provide commentary on practice sessions beginning with the 2012 season.

He returned to commentary alongside Croft at the 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix, stepping in due to absences caused by illness affecting members of Williams and regular commentators.

Since the 2022 season, Davidson has served as a lead commentator on the FIA World Endurance Championship global feed together with Martin Haven and Graham Goodwin.

Helmet

Davidson's helmet design draws its inspiration from Eddie Cheever's helmet. In the early stages of his karting journey, he and his father, who works as a graphic designer, modified Cheever's Arizona state flag colors to incorporate elements representing the UK and EU flags— a motif he has consistently employed throughout his racing career.

Codemasters Formula One games

Since 2009, Davidson has provided consultancy for Codemasters, beginning with F1 2009 and continuing through F1 2010, which launched in September 2010. Players can choose his helmet design for their drivers. He worked closely with Codemasters-Birmingham on the development of F1 2011 and F1 2012. Additionally, Davidson and David Croft served as commentators in the series from F1 2015 up to F1 25.

Personal life

Davidson wed Carrie on 11 August 2006 in Banbury, Oxfordshire; the couple lives in Brackley. His brother Andrew was a participant in the inaugural UK series of Big Brother. During his youth, Davidson was close friends with the late Dan Wheldon, a competitor in IndyCar racing.

Career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
1999	British Formula Ford Winter Series	Haywood Racing Preparations	?	?	?	?	?	47	1st
2000	Formula Renault 2000 Eurocup	Manor Motorsport	3	0	0	0	0	4	29th
	British Formula Ford Championship	Haywood Racing	13	3	2	5	9	122	3rd
	Formula Ford Festival World Cup	Haywood Racing	1	1	1	0	1	N/A	1st
2001	British Formula 3 Championship	Carlin Motorsport	26	6	7	6	14	272	2nd
	European Formula Three Cup Series		1	1	1	1	1	N/A	1st
	Masters of Formula 3		1	0	0	0	1	N/A	3rd

† Peugeot Sport participated in selected races within the Le Mans and American Le Mans Series aside from the 24 Hours of Le Mans events in both 2010 and 2011.
^‡ Davidson was not eligible to earn points when competing as a guest driver.

Complete British Formula Three Championship results

(key) (Races shown in bold denote pole positions; those in italics indicate fastest laps)

Year	Entrant	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24	25	26	27	DC	Pts
2001	Carlin Motorsport	Mugen	SIL1 1 7	SIL1 2 11	SNE 1 8	SNE 2) 13	DON1 1) 8	DON1 2) Ret	OUL 1) 3	OUL 2 ) 3	CRO 1) 1	CRO 2) 12	ROC 1) 4	ROC 2 ) 2	CAS 1) 1	CAS 2 ) 1	BRH1 1) 5	BRH1 2) 19	DON2 1 ) Ret	DON2 2) 5	KNO 1) 2	''KNO 2 "C"	''THR 1 "2"	''THR 2 "1"	''THR 3 "1"	''BRH2 1 "1"	''BRH2 2 "3"	''SIL2 1 "2"	''SIL2 2 "2"	2nd	272

Full Formula One Results

(Template:F1 driver results legend 2#key) (Races shown in bold denote pole position; races in italics signify fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	Power Unit	1	2	3	11	13	14	17	18
Template:F1	KL Minardi Asiatech	Minardi PS02	Asiatech AT02 V10							NC	0
Template:F1	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 006	Honda RA004E V10	TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \|	–	–
Template:F1	Lucky Strike BAR Honda	BAR 007	Honda RA005E V10		Retired \|			NC	0
Template:F1	Lucky Strike Honda Racing F1 Team	Honda RA106	Honda RA806E V8	TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \| TD \|	–	–
Template:F1	Super Aguri F1 Team	Super Aguri SA07	Honda RA807E V8	16 \| 16 \| 16† \| 11 \| 18 \| 11 \| 11 \| Retired \| Retired \| 12 \| Retired \| 14 \| 14 \| 16 \| Retired \| Retired \| 14 \|\| 23rd	0
Template:F1	Super Aguri F1 Team	Super Aguri SA08	Honda RA808E V8	Retired \| 15 \| 16 \| Retired \|\|			22nd \|\| 0

† Classified despite not finishing, having covered more than 90% of the race distance.

Full 24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team Name	Co-Drivers	Vehicle	Category	Completed Laps	Overall Result	Class Result
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Veloqx Prodrive Racing	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Kelvin Burt Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Darren Turner	Ferrari 550-GTS Maranello	GTS	176	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Aston Martin Racing	Template:Country data GBR Template:Namespace detect showall Darren Turner Template:Country data NLD Template:Namespace detect showall Jos Verstappen	Lola-Aston Martin B09/60	LMP1	342	13th	11th
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Peugeot Sport Total	Template:Country data AUT Template:Namespace detect showall Alexander Wurz Template:Country data ESP Template:Namespace detect showall Marc Gené	Peugeot 908 HDi FAP	LMP1	360	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Peugeot Sport Total	Template:Country data AUT Template:Namespace detect showall Alexander Wurz Template:Country data ESP Template:Namespace detect showall Marc Gené	Peugeot 908	LMP1	351	4th place overall	4th in class
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Toyota Racing	Template:Country data CHE Template:Namespace detect showall Sébastien Buemi Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Stéphane Sarrazin	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	LMP1	82 laps completed	DNF	DNF
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Toyota Racing	Template:Country data CHE Template:Namespace detect showall Sébastien Buemi Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Stéphane Sarrazin	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	LMP1	2nd	2nd
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Toyota Racing	Template:Country data CHE Template:Namespace detect showall Sébastien Buemi Template:Country data FRA Template:Namespace detect showall Nicolas Lapierre	Toyota TS040 Hybrid	LMP1-H	3rd	3rd
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Toyota Racing	Template:Country data CHE Template:Namespace detect showall Sébastien Buemi Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Kazuki Nakajima	Toyota TS040 Hybrid	LMP1	max=8th\|	max=8th\|
Template:24hLM	Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Toyota Gazoo Racing	Template:Country data CHE Template:Namespace detect showall Sébastien Buemi Template:Country data JPN Template:Namespace detect showall Kazuki Nakajima	Toyota TS050 Hybrid	LMP1	384 laps completed	NC	NC
Template:24hLM	align = "left" Template:Flagicon JPN Toyota Motorsport GmbH Toyota Gazoo Racing Template:Flagicon CHE Sébastien Buemi Template:Flagicon JPN Kazuki Nakajima Toyota TS050 Hybrid LMP1 358 laps 8th overall 2nd in class
Template:24hLM 2019 Template:Flagicon USA DragonSpeed Template:Flagicon MEX Roberto González Valdez Template:Flagicon VEN Pastor Maldonado Oreca 07 -Gibson Technology Gibson LMP2 245 laps DNF DNF
Template:24hLM 2020 Template:Flagicon GBR Jota Sport Template:Flagicon MEX Roberto González Valdez Template:Flagicon PRT António Félix da Costa Oreca 07 -Gibson Technology Gibson LMP2 370 laps completed 6th overall 2nd in class
Template:24hLM 2021	"Template:Flagicon GB" Jota	"Template:Flagicon MEX" Roberto González Valdez Template:Flagicon PRT António Félix da Costa	Oreca 07-Gibson	LMP2	358	13th overall	8th in class
"Sources:" }}

FIA World Endurance Championship Comprehensive Results

nowrap |(2018–19) nowrap |(2019–20)(2021)

Year	Team	Category	Vehicle	Power Unit	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Final Position	Accumulated Points
2012	Toyota Racing	LMP1	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	Toyota 3.4 L V8 (Hybrid)	SEB	SPA	LMS Ret	SIL	SÃO	BHR	FUJ	SHA		NC	0
2013	Toyota Racing	LMP1	Toyota TS030 Hybrid	Toyota 3.4 L V8 (Hybrid)	SIL 3rd	SPA 4th	LMS 2nd	SÃO Retired	COA 2nd	FUJ 15th	SHA Retired	BHR 1st		3rd Overall	106.25
2014	Toyota Racing	LMP1	Toyota TS040 Hybrid	Toyota 3.7 L V8 (Hybrid)	SIL 1st	SPA 1st	LMS 3rd	COA 3rd	FUJ 1st	SHA 1st	BHR 10th	SÃO 2nd		Champion (1st)	166 points
Toyota Racing	LMP1	Toyota TS040 Hybrid	Toyota 3.7 L V8 (Hybrid)	(SIL) (3rd)	SPA (8th)	LMS (8th)	NÜR (5th)	COA (4th)	FUJ (5th)	SHA (6th)	BHR (4th)		5th Place Overall	79 points
(Toyota Gazoo Racing)	LMP1	Toyota TS050 Hybrid	Toyota 2.4 L V6 (Hybrid)	SIL (16th)	SPA (27th)	LMS (Not Classified)	NÜR (5th)	MEX (Withdrawn)	COA (5th)	FUJ (4th)	SHA (3rd)	BHR (4th)	8th in Championship	60 points
nowrap \|(Toyota Gazoo Racing)	LMP1	nowrap \|Toyota TS050 Hybrid	nowrap \|Toyota 2.4 L V6 (Hybrid)	SIL (1st)	SPA (1st)	LMS (6th)	NÜR (4th)	MEX (3rd)				FUJ (1st)	SHA (1st)	BHR (1st)	3rd Overall	168 points
nowrap \|DragonSpeed	LMP2	nowrap \|Oreca 07	nowrap \|(Gibson) GK428 4.2 L V8			SIL (4th)	FUJ (6th)	SHA (2nd)	SEB (3rd)	SPA (1st)	LMS (Retired)		5th Place Overall	83 points
nowrap \|Jota Sport	LMP2	nowrap \|Oreca 07	nowrap \|(Gibson) GK428 4.2 L V8		min-width:22px; background-color:black; color:white; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| FUJ" DSQ	min-width:22px; background-color:yellow; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| SHA" (1st)	min-width:22px; background-color:silver; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| BHR" (2nd)	min-width:22px; background-color:orange; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| COA" (3rd)	min-width:22px; background-color:lightgreen; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| SPA" (4th)	min-width:22px; background-color:silver; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| LMS" (2nd)	min-width:22px; background-color:silver; text-align:center; vertical-align:middle; "\| BHR" (2nd)		4th Position Overall	142 points
nowrap \|Jota Sport	LMP2	nowrap \|Oreca 07	nowrap \|(Gibson) GK428 4.2 L V8	min-width:22px;background-color:silver;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle\|"SPA" (2nd)	min-width:22px;background-color:yellow;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle\|"ALG" (1st)	min-width:22px;background-color:pink;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle\|"MNZ" (Retired)	min-width:22px;background-color:lightgreen;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle\|"LMS" (4th)	min-width:22px;background-color:orange;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle\|"BHR" (3rd)	min-width:22px;background-color:silver;text-align:center;vertical-align:middle\|"BHR" (2nd)	colspan = "3"		3rd Place Overall	123 points

External links