🇳🇿 Mike Thackwell

Mike Thackwell is a retired established professional who raced single-seater open-wheel championships in the early-to-mid 1980s. He drove for Ralt Racing Ltd in International Formula 3000, the feeder series to Formula 1, and made two starts in Formula 1 itself for RAM, alongside appearances in Formula 3 Macau.[1]

Thackwell's primary record comes from International Formula 3000, where he took four wins and seven podiums across 16 starts between 1985 and 1988. In Formula 3 Macau he finished on the podium in all six of his starts in 1984 and 1985. His Formula 1 career was brief; he made two starts in 1980 and scored no championship points, placing 17th in the 1984 season standings from a single round entered that year. He beat established professionals Pierre-Henri Raphanel and Luis Perez-Sala twice each across his racing.[2]

In the Formula 3000 grid, Thackwell raced against a field that included multiple graded professionals. He was closely matched with John Nielsen, another established professional, and usually finished ahead of Emanuele Pirro, who went on to race 37 Formula 1 grands prix and competed at the same level across the feeder series.