Peter Collins: Ferrari's British driver and his 1958 death

Peter Collins, born on this day in 1931 in Kidderminster, was a British driver whose talent and off-track charisma made him popular. He joined Ferrari in 1956 and won his first Grand Prix at Spa that year, becoming only the third Briton to do so after Mike Hawthorn and Stirling Moss.

That summer he led the world championship standings, but he gave up his title hopes by handing his car to Juan Manuel Fangio at the Italian Grand Prix. Enzo Ferrari described Collins as "a really great one". Collins won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone in 1958, his last win.

He died at the Nurburgring later that year, aged 27, after losing control of his Ferrari while duelling for the lead. He was thrown from the car on impact with fencing and died in hospital that evening. His death caused great grief in the racing community and in Great Britain.