Tom Bridger

Who was Tom Bridger?

Thomas "Tommy" Bridger was a British racing driver from England. He participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix, on 19 October 1958, scoring no championship points. His greatest success came in Formula Three, where he won 15 races.

Born in Woolmer Green, Hertfordshire, Bridger started racing in Formula Three in 1953, initially competing minor events in a Kieft-Norton before moving to a Cooper to compete full-time in Formula Three in 1957. He achieved some success racing with Jim Russell, one of the more successful drivers in the category. He moved up to Formula Two in 1958, finishing second in the Crystal Palace Trophy race, and eighth in the Coupe de Vitesse at Reims.

Bridger raced in the 1958 Moroccan Grand Prix with British Racing Partnership, driving a Formula Two-class Cooper T45. He qualified in 22nd place, and Bridger got up to 14th before his race was ended by a collision on lap 30. The crash involved three vehicles, but Bridger emerged unharmed.

He returned to Formula Three in 1959 with the Cooper-Norton car, winning four races throughout the year. In 1960 he raced in Formula Junior, competing in a works Lotus at the British Grand Prix.