Derek Daly

Name: Derek Daly

Nationality: United States of America

Date of birth: March 11, 1953 - Dundrum, Dublin

Daly was brought up in the cut and thrust of British national Formula Ford and Formula 1, having worked in the Australian tin mines to help funds his racing. He made his Formula 1 debut with Hesketh and Ensign in the 1978-79 seasons before getting his big break with the Tyrrell team in 1980, finishing fourth in the Argentine and British Grands Prix. He lost career momentum in 1981 with a switch to the uncompetitive RAM team, but was drafted back into front line Formula 1 the following year with Williams after Carlos Reutemann's retirement. A good racer with the gift of the gab and a convivial personality, he was let down only by his lack of speed in qualifying and found himself eclipsed by his teammate Keke Rosberg. Thereafter Daly continued his career in Indycars, but smashed both legs badly in a crash at Michigan in 1984. He later contested sports car endurance events for Nissan and Jaguar before retiring in 1992. Since then he has built up quite a reputation as a television commentator and has formally taken US citizenship.

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