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Britain's first World Champ, and quite a character according to those who knew him. He was a master of practical jokes with his friends. Mike Hawthorn knew himself condemned by kidney failure at an age where such transplants were unheard of. He retired early because of his illness, and was taken away in an accident whilst racing Rob Walker on the road. Walker was driving a Mercedes 300SL, and Hawthorn in a Jaguar couldn't suffer to be overtaken by a "kraut" car, the newspapers said. Mike Hawthorn shares with Keke Rosberg the fact that he only won one GP the year he became WDC.
Thanks for the background history. I was aware of the accident when racing Rob Walker, but not of his kidney condition.
25 years ago I spent a few nights in the home of his ex-fiancé (who later married Innes Ireland). I was racing at Snetterton and she put me up as a guest. She told me that Mike was not due to live out the year and was prone to bouts of spontaneous fainting. She maintained that her belief was that he fainted at the wheel causing the accident.
