Dave Morgan

David "Dave" Morgan (7 August 1944 - 6 November 2018) was a British racing driver and engineer who competed in Formula One and achieved success across multiple categories of motorsport. Born in Cranmore, Somerset, and raised in Shepton Mallet, Morgan was the son of a racing enthusiast and Jaguar XK140 racer, which influenced his early interest in motorsport. He began racing in 1965 with a one-litre Mini Cooper in saloon car competition, demonstrating natural talent and competitive spirit that would define his career. Morgan progressed to Formula Three in 1970, racing Cooper, Brabham, and Lola machinery.

His 1970 season became notorious when he made headlines for an incident with James Hunt at Crystal Palace, where the two collided while fighting for second place. Hunt punched Morgan after the race, and Morgan received a 12-month ban for dangerous driving following the last-corner collision, though he was subsequently allowed to progress to Formula Atlantic in 1971. This was followed by two seasons in Formula Two, where Morgan achieved his most notable victory at Mallory Park in 1972, a famous win that demonstrated his speed and racecraft. After competing in Formula Atlantic again, Morgan finally achieved his Formula One opportunity when he secured funding for a drive with Surtees at the 1975 British Grand Prix.

He qualified a disappointed 23rd on the grid and his race ended when he crashed in the late-race downpour at Club Corner during a storm that affected several drivers. He was classified 18th and scored no championship points, marking his only Formula One World Championship appearance. Following this single Grand Prix, Morgan dropped out of racing until 1980, when he began the first of two seasons in the British Touring Car Championship driving for the Mitsubishi Colt team alongside Barrie Williams. After retiring from competitive driving in 1981, Morgan transitioned into engineering and team management roles, where he found significant success.

He worked as an engineer to Eric van de Poele in both Formula One and Formula 3000, and later became involved in Formula Renault 3.5, where he guided Robert Kubica to the championship title in 2005. Morgan also worked with Team Modena during their brief 1991 Formula One campaign. Throughout his post-driving career, Morgan was respected for his technical knowledge and ability to develop young drivers, combining his racing experience with engineering expertise.

Dave Morgan died on 6 November 2018 in Leatherhead, Surrey, following a stroke, at the age of 74. He is remembered as a talented but unfortunate driver whose Formula One opportunity came with limited resources, but who found greater success as an engineer and mentor to future generations of racing drivers.