Tom Pryce
Tom Pryce was widely regarded as one of the fastest young talents in 1970s Formula 1, taking pole position and leading races for the Shadow team before his career was cut short in a racing accident at Kyalami in 1977 — a driver whose promise, and famously easygoing personality, are still remembered by those who raced alongside him.
Tom Pryce rose through British Formula 3 before joining the Shadow team in Formula 1, quickly establishing himself as one of the most talented young drivers on the grid despite driving for a team without the resources of F1's wealthiest outfits.
His pole position at the 1975 British Grand Prix and win at that year's Race of Champions at Brands Hatch demonstrated genuine front-running pace, and he was widely tipped for a move to a stronger team as his career developed.
Pryce was killed in an accident during the 1977 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami. He remains remembered in the sport both for his evident talent and for the warmth and lack of pretension that made him particularly well liked throughout the paddock.
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Pryce took pole position at the 1975 British Grand Prix driving for Shadow, a comparatively small team without the resources of the sport's front-runners — a result that marked him out as a genuinely exceptional talent rather than simply a product of good machinery.
A well-known photograph from the era shows Pryce with a lion cub he'd been introduced to through a sponsor-related promotional event — an image that became one of the most enduring and frequently reproduced photos from 1970s Formula 1.
Fellow drivers and team personnel from the era consistently described Pryce as unusually approachable and down-to-earth for a rising F1 star, with no trace of the ego sometimes associated with fast-rising young talent in the sport.
Beyond his championship points finishes, Pryce's win at the 1975 Race of Champions at Brands Hatch — a prestigious invitational event of the era — further cemented his reputation as one of the quickest drivers on the grid regardless of car.