Martin Donnelly | |
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Donnelly in 2012
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Nationality | British |
Born |
Belfast, Northern Ireland |
26 March 1964
British Touring Car Championship career | |
Debut season | 2015 |
Current team | Infiniti Support Our Paras Racing |
Car no. | 85 |
Starts | 3 |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 0 |
Poles | 0 |
Fastest laps | 0 |
Best finish | 35th in 2015 |
Previous series | |
2013 2012–13 2011 2010 2007–08 2004 2000 1989–90 1989 1989 1989 1988–89 1988 1987 1985 1984–85 1983, 1986–88 1983 |
Scirocco R China Masters Challenge Volkswagen Scirocco R-Cup Lotus Cup UK Ginetta G50 Cup Lotus On Track Elise Trophy Britcar Endurance Championship Lotus Sport Elise Championship Formula One Japanese Formula 3000 All Japan Sports Prototype Championship SAT 1 Supercup International Formula 3000 World Sportscar Championship EFDA F3 Euroseries European Formula Ford 2000 British Formula Ford 2000 British Formula 3 Irish Formula Ford Championship |
Formula One World Championship career | |
Active years | 1989–1990 |
Teams | Arrows, Lotus |
Entries | 15 (13 starts) |
Championships | 0 |
Wins | 0 |
Podiums | 0 |
Career points | 0 |
Pole positions | 0 |
Fastest laps | 0 |
First entry | 1989 French Grand Prix |
Last entry | 1990 Spanish Grand Prix |
Hugh Peter Martin Donnelly (born 26 March 1964) is a motor racing driver from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He competed in Formula Three and Formula 3000 where he won 3 races. In the 1988 International Formula 3000 season he placed third despite only competing in the final five rounds of the championship. He raced in Formula One in 1989 and 1990, until a serious crash during qualifying at the Jerez circuit ended his Formula One career.
During 1988, as well as his racing commitments, Donnelly was the test driver for Lotus Formula One team. But it was during 1989 that Donnelly got his first race start when he substituted for Arrows driver Derek Warwick at the 1989 French Grand Prix after Warwick injured his back in a non-competitive karting accident. He impressed in France qualifying 14th compared to his much more experienced team mate Eddie Cheever who started 25th on the grid. Donnelly finished his first F1 race 3 laps down in 12th place and was the last car running to finish while Cheever's experience told and he had a better race finishing only 1 lap down in 7th place.
In 1990 he continued in F1 with Lotus though this time not as a test driver but as a race driver alongside new team mate Derek Warwick. However, after a frustrating season of scoring no points driving the V12 powered Lotus-Lamborghini which often saw him retire with engine failure, he suffered a serious crash during practice at the Jerez circuit which ended his Formula One racing career. He sustained multiple injuries in the crash, including brain and lung contusions as well as severe leg fractures, the latter of which almost necessitated the amputation of his right leg. This marked the end of Donnelly's career as an F1 driver.