Disability in Formula 1
Disability has been part of Formula One since the very beginning. When I first got into F1 in 2024 as a disabled person, I was curious to see if any disabled people had ever driven in the sport. However, my online searches turned up only with people racing in junior series, or other racing categories. When I decided to take on the project of looking into disabled people in the history of Formula 1, based on what I had seen before, I expected to find a few stories here or there I could highlight. What I wasn’t prepared for was to uncover a long and rich history of disabled drivers in Formula 1, with a number of them being names any fan of the sport is well familiar with.
Warning: This is a very long post. If you wish to read elsewhere, my original google document can be found here (clickable link) This post also includes 2 parts due to its length. Please make sure you read and reblog both parts, not just the original.
My criteria:
I looked into any driver who was listed on the Wikipedia page as having at least 1 race start. Anyone described as having a disability or a condition which affected their life at the time they were driving in Formula 1 was added to the list. I also looked at results from more severe crashes for mentions of long-term effects. Career-ending crashes resulting in disability were not included if they did not race in F1 following becoming disabled.
Order: The profiles are listed in chronological order based on the driver’s first race. I have written about their racing career first, followed by an explanation of their disability because while this is a post about disability, I want to focus more on the achievements of the people with those disabilities.
Note on “Disability”: The categorization of what is a disability can vary based on who is defining the term. I tried to be as inclusive as I could with the term and therefore some people included here may not fit within your personal definition. I encourage you to still read their stories, but if that is upsetting to you, you can skip their section.
Note on “F1 Driver”: Due to the chaos known as F1 in the 50s, those who raced in the Indy 500 that decade are included in this list as the Indy 500 was an F1 championship event.
Note on Language: The M-Slur is used here in reference only to the type of cars, which I couldn’t find an alternate name for, but are important parts of some of these peoples’ stories. It is used in the following biographies if you want to avoid it: Bill Schindler, Duke Nalon, and Cal Niday.
Leslie Johnson
[PT: Leslie Johnson]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is a closeup of Leslie in a car wearing a white racesuit and balaclava. He has goggles pushed up to his forehead. The second is Leslie driving an old F1 car. End ID]
Leslie Johnson was a British racing driver who competed in one F1 event in 1950. He lived from 1912 to 1959 and died at the age of 47.
Racing: Despite never racing as a full time job, Johnson was a fierce competitor in many forms of motorsport, including as rally, endurance, and grand prix racing through the 40s and 50s. He competed in the 1950 British Grand Prix, starting on the 4th row, but had to retire after 2 laps when his car caught fire. Throughout his motorsport career, he suffered from near constant reliability issues. He retired from motorsport in 1954 after experiencing a heart attack in the 1954 Monte Carlo Rally.
Disability: Johnson had childhood nephritis (an inflammatory kidney disease) and acromegaly (a disorder caused by excess growth hormone) which caused damage to his heart and kidneys. His retirement was due to his disabilities.
Luigi Fagioli
[PT: Luigi Fagioli]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is a closeup of Luigi in an old race suit and goggles squinting in the sun. The second is a close up of Luigi sitting in an old F1 car. His goggles are on his forehead in both photos. End ID]
Luigi Fagioli was an Italian racing driver who competed in seven Formula 1 events from 1950 to 1951. He lived from 1898 to 1952 and died at the age of 54.
Racing: Fagioli began competing in grand prix racing in 1926 and took multiple victories in pre-World War 2 racing. Despite only having 7 race entries to his name, Fagioli achieved 6 podiums in Formula 1, including 1 race win in the 1951 French Grand Prix, shared with Juan Manuel Fangio. He is to this day the oldest F1 winner at the age of 53. The next year, he crashed in practice for the 1952 Monaco Grand Prix. While his injuries were initially thought to be minor, they worsened and he died 3 weeks later.
Disability: Toward the end of 1936, Fagioli developed rheumatism (I couldn’t find what type) and used a cane to walk at points. He took a hiatus from racing because of this and returned to compete in the first year of the Formula 1 World Championship.
Bill Schindler
[PT: Bill Schindler]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is of Bill sitting in a car with a striped half-sleeve shirt and goggles around his neck. The second is of Bill getting into a race car. There are 2 underarm crutches leaning against the car. End ID]
Bill Schindler was an American racing driver who competed in three Formula 1 events from 1950 to 1952. He lived from 1909 to 1952 and died at the age of 43.
Racing: Schindler began racing in 1931 in sprint cars. He then started racing midget cars, winning 6 championships in 8 years (while finishing second in the other 2). In the Indy 500, he had 2 retirements and a P14 finish. He fatally crashed in a Sprint car race in 1952.
Disability: Schindler became an above-knee amputee in 1936 due to a crash at the Mineola Fairgrounds during a Champ car race. He raced using a prosthetic leg and walked using crutches.
Duke Nalon
[PT: Duke Nalon]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is Duke smiling while wearing a white helmet. The second is Duke sitting in a car wearing a helmet, with goggles pushed up to his forehead. End ID]
Duke Nalon was an American racing driver who competed in three Formula 1 events from 1951 to 1953. He lived from 1913 to 2001 and died at the age of 87.
Racing: Nalon started his career in 1937 and raced in Sprint cars and midget cars. He competed in 10 Indy 500 races, 3 of which were part of the F1 World Championship. He began as a pit crew member and was given the chance to drive. He ended up winning the race.
Disability: At the 1949 Indy 500, Nalon was involved in a crash in which his car caught fire. He got severe burns on his legs that affected him until his death.
Cal Niday
[PT: Cal Niday]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. They both show Cal sitting in race cars wearing a helmet and goggles around his neck. The first is a close up of Cal in the cockpit while the second is a full shot of him in his car. End ID]
Cal Niday was an American racing driver who competed in three Formula 1 events from 1953 to 1955. He lived from 1914 to 1988 and died at the age of 73.
Racing: Niday started driving motorcycles before switching to midget cars. His highest finish in the Indy 500 was P10. In his last Indy 500, he had a near fatal crash which left him in the hospital for 4 months. Afterwards, he moved to Hawai’i, USA, where he built and raced cars. In 1988, he had a fatal crash during an exhibition race at Willow Springs track. He is known as the first driver to wear a modern style Bell Helmet at the Indy 500.
Disability: Niday became an amputee after a motorcycle crash when he was 17. He raced using a prosthetic leg. He said he got into motorsport because he wanted to “prove that a wooden leg is no handicap.”
Archie Scott Brown
[PT: Archie Scott Brown]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is a closeup of Archie. The second is of him sitting in an old car with his hands on the steering wheel. End ID]
Archie Scott Brown was a Scottish racing driver who competed in one Formula 1 event in 1956. He lived from 1927 to 1958 and died at the age of 31.
Racing: Scott Brown started his career with wins and podiums before having his license revoked in 1954; the stewards declared him “unfit to drive” due to his disability, despite having just qualified P3. In 1955, he won 13 races and achieved 8 more podiums in races around the UK. In 1956, in addition to his other racing endeavors, he qualified P10 at the British Grand Prix, managing to get up to P7 before retiring due to car troubles on lap 10. Later, he tried to enter the Italian Grand Prix and again had his license rejected. Throughout his career, he won many driving tests as well. In 1958, he qualified on pole for a sports car race at Spa, but in the wet, he slid, crashing, and his car caught fire. He died the following afternoon.
Disability: Scott Brown was born with limb differences due to his mother having rubella during her pregnancy with him. He was born with no shin bones, no right hand, and rotational differences in his feet. He drove using extended steering columns and pedals.
Wolfgang von Trips
[PT: Wolfgang von Trips]
[Image ID: 2 photos. The first is in black and white and shows Wolfgang in a race car wearing a helmet and a polo shirt. The second is in color and is of Wolfgang smiling on a race track. End ID]
Wolfgang von Trips was a German racing driver who competed in 27 Formula 1 events from 1956 to 1961. He lived from 1928 to 1961 and died at the age of 33.
Racing: Von Trips began racing in 1950 on motorcycles under a pseudonym due to his family’s status. He then moved on to sports cars, bringing home strong results. In Formula 1, he primarily drove for Ferrari, keeping good form. In 1961, von Trips was leading the World Championship, only needing a P3 in Monza to take the title. He took pole position, but was involved in a crash on the second lap that killed him and 14 spectators. In his F1 career, he achieved 2 Grand Prix victories, and 6 podiums.
Disability: Von Trips had a number of disabilities. The one with the most coverage was his Type 1 diabetes, which he managed by keeping snacks in the car. According to some sources, he also had inner ear problems which affected his balance, had Bell’s Palsy after getting meningitis, and was also Deaf.
Carroll Shelby
[PT: Carroll Shelby]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is a signed photograph of Carroll driving an old F1 car. The second is Carroll squatting down in front of a road car, one hand on the grille of the car and the other holding his helmet. End ID]
Carroll Shelby was an American racing driver and automotive designer who competed in eight Formula 1 events from 1958 to 1959. He lived from 1923 to 2012 and died at the age of 89.
Racing: Shelby first tried racing in 1952, and by 1954, he was winning sports car races. In Formula 1, he raced for Scuderia Centro Sud, a respected privateer team, as well as Aston Martin. While he was never at the front of the sport, he was known in F1 for getting good results from difficult cars, and that time shaped his viewpoints on cars, which led him to being a successful racing car designer. He eventually retired from the racing side of motorsport due to his disability.
Disability: Shelby developed a heart valve leakage at the age of 7 and spent most of his time in bed until the age of 14, when he was considered to have “outgrown it.” However, he experienced heart issues throughout his life, and at times, he raced with nitroglycerin tablets under his tongue to control the pain from angina (lack of blood flow to the heart).
Note: Some of you may already know Shelby from his success as a car designer. He was a key designer in the Ford GT-40, a car which went on to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1966 to 1969. It was the only American-built car to ever win. This story was depicted in the film, Ford v Ferrari, where Shelby is portrayed by Matt Damon.
Alan Stacey
[PT: Alan Stacey]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is Alan sitting in a race car with a neutral expression. The second is Alan smiling. End ID]
Alan Stacey was a British racing driver who competed in seven Formula 1 events from 1958 to 1960. He lived from 1933 to 1960 and died at the age of 26.
Racing: Stacey’s racing career began by racing cars he built from kits for Team Lotus, giving insightful feedback to the team due to his familiarity with the car. He achieved many good results in sports car racing with a number of wins and podium finishes. In 1958, he joined Formula 1 with Team Lotus and was even running in P3 before having to retire due to technical failure toward the end of the race. In the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, Stacey died in a crash after he was struck in the head by a bird.
Disability: Stacey became a below-knee amputee at 17 after a motorbike accident. He raced using a prosthetic leg and had a motorcycle throttle on his gear lever.
Bruce McLaren
[PT: Bruce McLaren]
[Image ID: 2 photos. The first is in black and white and shows Bruce in a race suit, smiling. The second is in color and shows Bruce sitting on the front right wheel of an orange McLaren race car. End ID]
Bruce McLaren was a New Zealand racing driver who competed in 100 Formula 1 events from 1958 to 1970. He lived from 1937 to 1970 and died at the age of 32.
Racing: McLaren started racing in hill climbs and club races in New Zealand before getting an F1 seat at 21 and becoming the youngest F1 Grand Prix winner at age 22, a record he held for 44 years before it was broken by Fernando Alonso. In 1963, he started his own racing team, Bruce McLaren Motor Racing Ltd, taking the team’s first F1 victory in 1968. He planned on retiring from racing at the end of the 1970 season, but halfway through the year, he was killed in a crash while testing the team’s Can-Am car. His team has gone on to be one of the most successful in Formula 1 history. He achieved 4 Grand Prix wins and 27 podium finishes in his Formula 1 career.
Disability: McLaren was diagnosed with Legg-Clavé-Perthes disease (a childhood hip disorder caused by a lack of blood flow) which caused him to have a limb length discrepancy and a limp throughout his life.
Lance Reventlow
[PT: Lance Reventlow]
[Image ID: 2 black and white photos. The first is of Lance smiling while seated in a race car. The second is of Lance waving while driving an F1 car in a race. End ID]
Lance Reventlow was an American racing driver who competed in one Formula 1 event in 1960. He lived from 1936 to 1972 and died at the age of 36.
Racing: Reventlow started racing sports cars in the 1950s. After a brief stint in Formula 2, he created his own racing operation, Reventlow Automobiles Inc. When they expanded into Formula 1, Reventlow entered 4 F1 races, but only managed to qualify for the 1960 US Grand Prix. He retired soon after due to a loss of interest in racing.
Disability: Reventlow had asthma and “damage” to his lungs. He struggled often to breathe, especially at night. Not much information is readily available on the topic, but it was severe enough that he was excluded from the American military draft.
Jochen Rindt
[PT: Jochen Rindt]
[Image ID: 2 photos of Jochen Rindt. The first is a closeup of him wearing a racing suit. The second is him driving a red F1 car on a race track. End ID]
Jochen Rindt was an Austrian racing driver who competed in 60 Formula 1 events from 1964 to 1970. He lived from 1842 to 1970 and died at the age of 28.
Racing: Rindt started his career on 2 wheels, racing mopeds and later motocross bikes, either winning his races or crashing in his attempts. He then raced touring cars before buying an F2 car and racing that. He was known for his intense driving style and pushing his car beyond its limits. In 1969, he was signed to Team Lotus and started gathering wins. Rindt fatally crashed during practice for the 1970 Italian Grand Prix at Monaco. He was leading the World Championship at the time and became the first and only posthumous F1 champion. He achieved 6 race wins and 13 podium finishes in his F1 career, as well as 1 world title.
Disability: Rindt broke his femoral neck (part of the femur leg bone) in a skiing accident as a teenager. He had a limb length discrepancy and walked with a limp.
Jackie Stewart
[PT: Jackie Stewart]
[Image ID: 2 photos of Jackie Stewart. In the first, he is young and wearing a white race suit and a black cap, squinting into the sun. The second is more recent and shows him in his old age, in a white shirt and a green tartan cap. End ID]
Sir Jackie Stewart is a Scottish racing driver who competed in 99 Formula 1 events from 1965 to 1973. He was born in 1939 and is 87 years old.
Racing: Stewart began racing sports cars before being signed to a British F3 team in 1963, where he dominated. He first joined Formula 1 in 1965 with BRM, quickly establishing himself within the sport. After moving to Matra International in 1968, he won his first championship in 1969. He then won 2 more with the Tyrell team. He retired in 1973 after winning the championship due to the death of his teammate, Francois Cevert. Throughout his career, he was an outspoken advocate for safety within racing. In his F1 career, he had 27 wins, 43 podium finishes, and 3 world titles.
Disability: After the diagnosis of his son, Stewart was diagnosed with severe dyslexia at the age of 41. He struggled in school and dropped out at 15. He has reported dealing with feelings of inadequacy before his diagnosis.
Jean-Pierre Beltoise
[PT: Jean-Pierre Beltoise]
[Image ID: 2 photos of Jean-Pierre Beltoise. The first is black and white and shows Jean-Pierre with a large wreath around his shoulders. The second is in color and shows him smiling while wearing an off-white race suit. End ID]
Jean-Pierre Beltoise was a French racing driver who competed in 86 Formula 1 events from 1967 to 1974. He lived from 1937 to 2015 and died at the age of 77.
Racing: Beltoise began his career in motorcycle racing, winning multiple national titles before switching to 4 wheels. He spent most of his time with the Matra F1 team before moving to BRM at the end of his career. He claimed his only victory in the wet 1972 Monaco Grand Prix, finishing 30 seconds ahead of the rest of the pack. After leaving F1, he continued racing. In his F1 career, he achieved 1 race win and 8 podium finishes.
Disability: In the 1964 12 Hours of Reims race, Beltoise broke his arm in a crash. Due to the severity of the break, he had a reduced range of motion in his elbow and had it specifically positioned so he could hold a steering wheel comfortably. He adapted his driving style to favor precision over pure strength, using his right hand to move the wheel and the left to stabilize it.
