Julian Bailey (racing driver)
Julian Bailey | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 9, 1961 United Kingdom |
| Occupation | Racing driver (retired) |
| Years active | 1987–2000 (racing career) |
| Known for | Formula One driver for Tyrrell and Lotus; British GT Champion 1999; FIA GT Champion 2000 |
Julian Terence Bailey (born 9 October 1961) is a retired British racing driver who participated in Formula One representing both Tyrrell and Lotus teams.
Racing career
Although raised in Menorca, Spain, Bailey distinguished himself in the British Formula Ford 1600 category, notably securing victory at the Formula Ford Festival held at Brands Hatch. In 1987, he progressed to compete in Formula 3000 with GA Motorsport, piloting a Lola chassis. He achieved a win in his third event, marking him as the first British competitor to triumph in the series. This accomplishment paved the way for his recruitment by Ken Tyrrell to race in Formula One during the 1988 season. Despite driving a car that lacked competitiveness, Bailey failed to score points, whereas his teammate Jonathan Palmer accumulated five. After a stint with the Nissan sports car outfit in 1989, Bailey returned to F1 in 1991 with Lotus, where he secured a sixth-place finish at the San Marino Grand Prix, but lost his seat following the Monaco race. Throughout his Formula One tenure, he entered 20 Grands Prix, managed to qualify seven times amid highly contested grids, and earned a single championship point.
In 1992, Bailey transitioned to the BTCC, joining the Toyota squad. His best overall result came in 1993 when he finished fifth in the championship standings. That year included a memorable incident at Silverstone, where a collision with teammate Will Hoy caused Hoy’s car to flip, prompting a well-known BBC commentary remark alluding to Toyota’s UK advertising slogan. Bailey claimed his sole BTCC race victory at the subsequent round at Knockhill. Although his later seasons were less fruitful, he outperformed former champion Hoy as a teammate. When Toyota withdrew their factory BTCC team after 1995, Bailey remained under contract and competed in the South African Touring Car Championship for Minolta Toyota during 1996.
Shifting focus mainly to sports car racing, Bailey joined Lister in 1997. Driving a Lister Storm, he secured the British GT Championship title in 1999 and followed that by winning the FIA GT Championship in 2000.
Personal life
Bailey’s stepson, Jack Clarke, has pursued a career in motorsport with experience in Formula BMW and Formula Palmer Audi. In 2009, Clarke advanced to the FIA Formula Two Championship before moving into the British Touring Car Championship in 2014.
Post-racing career
In 2008, Bailey took on a role as a guest commentator for several Formula One events on ESPN STAR Sports.
’’Top Gear’’
He was featured as one of several drivers portraying The Stig on the television program ‘’Top Gear‘’.
Complete International Formula 3000 results
(key) (Races shown in ‘’’bold’’’ denote pole positions; those in ‘’italics’’ indicate fastest laps.)
| Year | Entrant | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | DC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | GA Motorsports | SIL | VAL | SPA | PAU | DON Ret |
PER 4 |
BRH 1 |
BIR Ret |
IMO NC |
BUG 6 |
JAR Ret |
7th | 13 |
Complete Formula One results
(key)
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | Tyrrell Racing Organisation | Tyrrell 017 | Cosworth V8 | BRA DNQ |
SMR Ret |
MON DNQ |
MEX DNQ |
CAN Ret |
DET 9 |
FRA DNQ |
GBR 16 |
GER DNQ |
HUN DNQ |
BEL DNQ |
ITA 12 |
POR DNQ |
ESP DNQ |
JPN 14 |
AUS DNQ |
NC | 0 |
| 1991 | Team Lotus | Lotus 102B | Judd V8 | USA DNQ |
BRA DNQ |
SMR 6 |
MON DNQ |
1991 Canadian Grand Prix | 1991 Mexican Grand Prix | 1991 French Grand Prix | 1991 British Grand Prix | 1991 German Grand Prix | 1991 Hungarian Grand Prix | 1991 Belgian Grand Prix | 1991 Italian Grand Prix | 1991 Portuguese Grand Prix | 1991 Spanish Grand Prix | 1991 Japanese Grand Prix | 1991 Australian Grand Prix | 18th | 1 |
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Full British Touring Car Championship results
(legend) (Races shown in bold denote pole positions) (Races in italics signify fastest laps)
... [Remaining results abbreviated to emphasize key business-related information] }Full Bathurst 1000 race outcomes
| Year | Team | Vehicle | 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 | Final Position | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | Nissan Janspeed Racing | Nissan Primera eGT | SIL | SNE | DON | THR | SIL | BRH | SIL | DON 1 |
DON 2 |
OUL | BRH 1 |
BRH 2 |
DON |
THR |
SIL |
NC | 0 | ||||||||||
| Year | Team Name | Co-driver Name | Vehicle Model | Completed Laps | Overall Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997* | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall FAI Insurance | Template:Country data AUSTemplate:Namespace detect showall Warren Luff | Honda Accord | 138 | 10th place |
* Denotes the Super Touring category race
Full British GT Championship outcomes
(legend) (Entries in bold indicate pole position) (Entries in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team Name | Vehicle Model | Class Category | Round 1 | Round 2 | Round 3 | Round 4 | Round 5 | Round 6 | Round 7 | Round 8 | Round 9 | Round 10 | Round 11 | Round 12 | Final Standing | Total Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | Cirtek Motorsport | Lister Storm | GT | THR 1 |
CRO 1 |
OUL 1 |
DON 1 |
SIL 1 |
BRH 1 |
DON 1 |
CRO 1 |
SIL 1 |
SNE 1 |
SPA 1 |
SIL 1 2 |
25th | 15 |