Karting · Age 12
First time behind the wheel
Started racing karts at twelve years old — just for the one season, but enough to be hooked for life.
Derek Warwick is a British former Formula One driver, born 27 August 1954. He started 162 Formula One Grands Prix between 1981 and 1993, racing for Toleman, Renault, Brabham-BMW, Arrows, Lotus and Footwork. In 1992, driving for the works Peugeot World Sportscar team, he won both the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the FIA World Sportscar Championship. He also competed in the British Touring Car Championship in 1995 and 1998, with Alfa Romeo and Vauxhall respectively. In 1989 he founded Derek Warwick Honda Jersey, which became the flagship of a UK dealership group of five garages. He sold the UK garages in 2003 and retained the Jersey Honda flagship, which he runs to this day from his office by reception. He is a Vice President of the British Racing Drivers' Club at Silverstone, having previously served on the main board and as President. He also serves as an FIA Formula 1 Drivers Steward at Grands Prix.
F1 · Le Mans · Honda Jersey
Derek Warwick
From a kart at twelve to a World Championship at thirty‑eight. One hundred and sixty‑two Grands Prix, a Le Mans victory, and four decades building Honda Jersey.
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Grand Prix Starts
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Le Mans Victory
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World Championship
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Years in Jersey
The Story
A racing life lived flat out — and a Jersey business built to last.
Derek moved to Jersey from the UK in with his wife Rhonda. Today he has two daughters — Marie and Kerry — and three grandsons, Harrison, Benjamin and Daniel, whom he adores.
What follows is the story so far: from short‑track ovals as a teenager, through Formula One, to the day he stood on the top step at Le Mans — and on into Jersey, where he’s spent the last four decades running the dealership that bears his name.
The Early Years
Short‑Track Oval · Age 15
Four championships in a season
Switched to short‑track oval racing and walked off with the lot.
English · British · European · World Champion
Climbing the Ladder
Formula Ford
European champion, 33 wins
Two seasons in Formula Ford yielded 33 race wins, the European Championship, and runner‑up finishes in three other major UK series.
European Champion · 33 race wins
Formula 3
British F3 Champion
Thirteen wins across two seasons in Formula 3, taking one British Championship and finishing runner‑up in the other.
British F3 Champion · 13 wins
Formula 2
Runner‑up, European F2
A second place in the European F2 Championship — the last step before Formula One.
Formula One
Toleman F1
F1 debut
Three seasons with Toleman marked the start of a Formula One career that would span more than a decade.
Works Renault F1
Four podiums in works colours
Two seasons with the works Renault team yielded four podium finishes.
4 podiums
Brabham‑BMW F1 · Jaguar Sportscars
Two cockpits in one season
Joined the Brabham BMW F1 team while simultaneously campaigning the Jaguar in the World Sportscar Championship — finishing second in the world.
Sportscar World Champ · 2nd
Arrows F1
Three seasons at Arrows
Three years as a lead driver for the Arrows Formula One team.
Lotus F1
Driving for Lotus
A season in the famous black and gold for one of Formula One’s most iconic teams.
The Sportscar Years
Jaguar Sportscars
Four wins, one disqualification, second in the world
Four race victories with Jaguar — one of them controversially disqualified — and a second place in the World Championship for the second time.
Sportscar World Champ · 2nd
Le Mans winner. World Champion.
The career‑defining year. Driving the Peugeot 905 for the works World Sportscar team, Derek won the 24 Hours of Le Mans and lifted the World Sportscar Championship in the same season.
Le Mans Winner · World Champion
Final Chapters
Footwork F1
Sixth in the F1 World Championship
A return to Formula One with Footwork, finishing sixth overall in the Drivers’ Championship.
F1 World Championship · 6th
British Touring Car Championship
Two BTCC seasons
Two campaigns in the British Touring Car Championship — with Alfa Romeo, then Vauxhall.
162
Career Total
Grand Prix starts
One hundred and sixty‑two Formula One Grand Prix starts across more than a decade at the top of motorsport.
Jersey, 1985 onwards
Building something to last
Derek Warwick Honda Jersey was set up in and was the flagship for a dealership group of five garages, with a turnover of £50m and 130 employees.
The UK garages were sold in , with the Jersey Honda flagship kept on. Alongside the dealership, Derek runs property companies in the UK building residential houses and a small commercial office block, and built two of the most spectacular homes in Jersey — selling them both for around £20m.
He was on the main board and President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club (BRDC) at Silverstone — where he is now a Vice President — and serves as an FIA Formula 1 Drivers Steward at Grands Prix.
Quick Facts
Did Derek Warwick win Le Mans?
Yes. Derek Warwick won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1992, driving for the works Peugeot World Sportscar team. He took the FIA World Sportscar Championship in the same season.
How many Formula 1 Grands Prix did Derek Warwick start?
162 Grands Prix between 1981 and 1993, racing for Toleman, Renault, Brabham, Arrows, Lotus and Footwork.
When was Derek Warwick Honda Jersey founded?
1989. It was the flagship of a UK dealership group of five garages with a turnover of £50m and 130 employees. The UK garages were sold in 2003; the Jersey Honda flagship was retained.
What teams did Derek Warwick drive for in Formula 1?
Toleman (1981–83), Renault (1984–85), Brabham‑BMW (1986), Arrows (1987–89), Lotus (1990) and Footwork (1993, finishing sixth in the World Championship).
Is Derek Warwick involved with the BRDC?
Yes. He has served on the main board and as President of the British Racing Drivers’ Club at Silverstone, and is currently a Vice President. He also serves as an FIA Formula 1 Drivers Steward at Grands Prix.
Today
You’ll find me in my office by reception, most days.
I am very proud of Derek Warwick Honda Jersey. The core management team has been here twenty‑five to thirty‑five years, and we have the most amazing customers, colleagues and friends. My office is by reception, so I’m accessible to all our customers.
My hobbies are my three grandsons, work, motor racing, the gym, and all sports.
