David Kennedy

David Kennedy (born January 15, 1953): David Paul Kennedy is a former racing driver from the Republic of Ireland who became one of his country's first Formula One drivers and is widely credited with helping pioneer the Irish move into international racing. Kennedy finished runner-up in the British F1 Championship in 1979, which helped him secure a drive in Formula One with the Shadow team for the 1980 season. However, his timing proved unfortunate as Shadow was chronically underfunded and equipped with the poorly engineered DN11 chassis. Teddy Yip of Theodore Racing took over ownership of the team after a few races, but the new DN12 design turned out to be similarly disappointing.

Kennedy participated in seven World Championship Grands Prix in 1980, though he struggled with the uncompetitive machinery. He did qualify and race in the 1980 Spanish Grand Prix, though this event was subsequently stripped of its World Championship status. After a partial season of North American Can-Am racing in 1981 with a Frissbee chassis, Kennedy returned to Europe and forged a highly successful career in sports car racing. He drove extensively for the factory Mazdaspeed team, racing iconic rotary-powered machines at Le Mans, in Japan, and throughout the World Sportscar Championship, achieving multiple class victories.

Beyond his driving career, Kennedy has made significant contributions to motorsport in multiple roles. He became a prominent driver manager, guiding the careers of numerous racing drivers. As a Formula One television analyst, he earned a reputation for his incisive commentary with a quirky, lateral view of F1 proceedings. Kennedy has maintained a regular opinion column with Ireland's Sunday Independent newspaper for many years, sharing his unique perspectives on motorsport.

He has also served as a shareholder with championship-winning single-seater race teams and as a board member at Ireland's Mondello Park race circuit, helping develop Irish motorsport infrastructure. Kennedy's multifaceted career as driver, manager, analyst, and administrator has made him one of the most influential figures in Irish motorsport history.