Timothy Theodore Schenken OAM[1] (born 26 September 1943) is a former racing driver from Sydney, Australia. He participated in 36 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 16 August 1970. He achieved one career podium at the 1971 Austrian Grand Prix, and scored a total of seven championship points. He did however have two non-championship race podiums – he finished third in the 1971 BRDC International Trophy and third in the 1972 International Gold Cup.

Tim Schenken
Schenken at the 1971 German Grand Prix
Born (1943-09-26) 26 September 1943 (age 81)
Gordon, Sydney, Australia
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityAustralia Australian
Active years19701974
TeamsWilliams, Brabham, Surtees, Trojan, Lotus
Entries36 (34 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums1
Career points7
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1970 Austrian Grand Prix
Last entry1974 United States Grand Prix

Career

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A Rondel Racing Brabham BT36, as driven by Schenken in the 1971 European Formula Two season.
 
Schenken at the Nürburgring in 1972

Schenken's lower formula results included winning the 1968 British Lombank Formula Three Championship, winning the 1968 Grovewood Award, winning the 1968 British Formula Ford Championship, winning the 1968 ER Hall Formula Three Trophy, winning the 1969 French Craven A Formula Three Championship, winning the 1969 Greater London Formula Three Trophy, finishing fourth in the 1971 European Formula Two Championship and finishing third in the 1972 Brazilian Formula Two International Tournament.[2]

He had a great deal of success in Sports Cars racing for Ferrari. In 1972 he won the Buenos Aires 1000 km and Nürburgring 1000 km races,[2] finished second in the Daytona 6hour, Sebring 12hour, Brands Hatch 1000 km and the Watkins Glen 6hour, and finished third at the Monza 1000 km and Zeltweg 1000 km races. 1973 saw him finish second at the Vallelunga 6hour and Monza 1000 km races. In 1975 and 1976 he finished second in the Nürburgring 1000 km and then in 1977 he won the Nürburgring 1000 km race for a second time. At Le Mans in 1976 he finished second in the GT Class and was 16th overall. In 1975 he was runner up in the European GT Championship and finished third in the championship in 1976.

In 1974 he co-founded Tiga Race Cars in Britain with New Zealander Howden Ganley, whose cars had great success in the Sports 2000 category, and constructed cars for a number of over formulae.[2] He is currently employed each year as the Race Director for the Australian V8 Supercar Championship Series. He also is a director of Motorsport Australia, the Clerk of the Course at the Australian Grand Prix and was the Clerk of the Course for the inaugural 2008 Singapore Grand Prix.[3]

As of the 2023 season, Schenken is one of only six Australians who have stood on the podium for a Formula One Grand Prix. The others are Grand Prix winners Oscar Piastri, Mark Webber and Daniel Ricciardo, as well as World Champions Sir Jack Brabham and Alan Jones.

On 16 June 2016, Tim Schenken was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division as part of the Queen's Birthday honours. He is currently the Director of Race Operations for Motorsport Australia.[4]

He is married and has a son, Guido, and identical twin daughters, Laura and Natalie.[3]

Career summary

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Season Series Position Car Team
1968 British Lombank Formula 3 Series 1st Brabham BT21B Ford
Brabham BT28 Ford
Chevron B9 Ford
Sports Motors
1968 British Formula Ford Championship 1st Merlyn Mk.11 Ford
1969 British Lombank Formula 3 Series 6th Brabham BT28 Ford Sports Motors
1969 French Craven A Formula 3 Series 1st Brabham BT28 Ford Sports Motors
1970 European Formula Two Championship 12th Brabham BT30 Ford Sports Motors
1971 World Drivers' Championship 14th Brabham BT33 Ford Motor Racing Developments
1971 European Formula Two Championship 4th Brabham BT36 Ford Rondel Racing
1972 World Drivers' Championship 19th Surtees TS9B Ford
Surtees TS14 Ford
Team Surtees
1972 British Formula Two Championship 11th Brabham BT38 Ford Rondel Racing
1975 Interserie 3rd Porsche 917/10 Turbo
Mirage GR8 Ford
Gelo Racing Team
1975 European GT Championship 2nd Porsche 911 Carrera RSR Gelo Racing Team
1976 European GT Championship 3rd Porsche 934 Gelo Racing Team
1976 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 5th Porsche 934 Gelo Racing Team
1977 Deutsche Rennsport Meisterschaft 9th Porsche 935 Gelo Racing Team

Complete Formula One World Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points
1970 Frank Williams Racing Cars De Tomaso 505 Cosworth V8 RSA
ESP
MON
BEL
NED
FRA
GBR
GER
AUT
Ret
ITA
Ret
CAN
NC
USA
Ret
MEX
NC 0
1971 Motor Racing Developments Brabham BT33 Cosworth V8 RSA
ESP
9
MON
10
NED
Ret
FRA
12
GBR
12
GER
6
AUT
3
ITA
Ret
CAN
Ret
USA
Ret
14th 5
1972 Brooke Bond Oxo Team Surtees Surtees TS9B Cosworth V8 ARG
5
RSA
Ret
CAN
7
19th 2
Flame Out-Team Surtees FRA
17
GBR
Ret
Team Surtees ESP
8
MON
Ret
BEL
Ret
GER
14
AUT
11
ITA
Ret
Surtees TS14 USA
Ret
1973 Frank Williams Racing Cars Iso-Marlboro IR Cosworth V8 ARG
BRA
RSA
ESP
BEL
MON
SWE
FRA
GBR
NED
GER
AUT
ITA
CAN
14
USA
NC 0
1974 Trojan-Tauranac Racing Trojan T103 Cosworth V8 ARG
BRA
RSA
ESP
14
BEL
10
MON
Ret
SWE
NED
DNQ
FRA
GBR
Ret
GER
DNQ
AUT
10
ITA
Ret
CAN
NC 0
John Player Team Lotus Lotus 76 USA
DSQ

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
pos.
1970   Équipe Matra-Simca   Jean-Pierre Jabouille
  Patrick Depailler
Matra-Simca MS650 P
3.0
70 DNF DNF
1973   SpA Ferrari SEFAC   Carlos Reutemann Ferrari 312PB S
3.0
182 DNF DNF
1975   Gelo Racing Team   Howden Ganley Porsche 911 Carrera RSR GT 106 DNF DNF
1976   Gelo Racing Team   Toine Hezemans Porsche 934 GT 277 16th 2nd
1977   Gelo Racing Team   Toine Hezemans
  Hans Heyer
Porsche 935 Gr.5 15 DNF DNF
  Gelo Racing Team   Toine Hezemans
  Hans Heyer
Porsche 935 Gr.5 269 DNF DNF

References

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  1. ^ FIA Year Book of Automobile Sport 1975. Patrick Stephens Ltd. 1975. white p. 43. ISBN 0-85059-195-3.
  2. ^ a b c "Tim Schenken profile". GrandPrix.com. Inside F1. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  3. ^ a b Jenkins, Richard. "Where are they now: Tim Schenken". Old Racing Cars. Retrieved 3 June 2012.
  4. ^ "FIA – TIM SCHENKEN AWARDED OAM IN QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY HONOURS". FIA.com. 16 June 2016.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Harry Stiller
Les Leston Series
British Formula 3 Championship
Lombank Series Champion

1968
Succeeded by