Vic Wilson

Victor Phillip Mackarness "Vic" Wilson (14 April 1931 - 7 January 2001) was a British racing driver who competed in Formula One during the early 1960s. Born in Doncaster, Yorkshire, Wilson made one World Championship Grand Prix start, competing in the 1960 British Grand Prix at Silverstone driving a Cooper-Climax. He qualified 18th on the grid but retired from the race with transmission failure after completing just 13 laps. Wilson's Formula One appearance came as a privateer entrant, racing his own Cooper T51, which was competitive equipment but challenging to run successfully without factory support.

Beyond his single championship appearance, Wilson competed in various British domestic racing events during the late 1950s and early 1960s, racing in Formula One, Formula Two, and sports car events at circuits across the United Kingdom. He was part of the active British privateer racing scene that flourished during this era, when owner-drivers could purchase customer racing cars and compete against works teams, albeit usually without realistic chances of victory. Wilson raced various machinery including Coopers and other British-built cars, competing at circuits such as Silverstone, Goodwood, and Aintree. Like many privateers of the era, he combined his racing activities with business interests to fund his motorsport endeavors.

The early 1960s represented a transitional period in Formula One, with the sport beginning to professionalize and the gap between works teams and privateers widening significantly. Wilson's generation of owner-drivers faced increasing challenges as factory teams invested more heavily in technical development and professional operations. After his racing career ended, Wilson returned to business and maintained connections to the motorsport community. He passed away in January 2001 at the age of 69, remembered as part of the British privateer tradition that characterized Formula One's formative years.