Rupert Keegan

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Question Mark.png Did you mean Robert Kagan?
Keegan.jpg
Rupert Keegan and his hair.
Details
Name Rupert Keegan
Born 26th Feb 1955
Nationality Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png British
F1 Teams
Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png B&S Fabrications

Rupert Keegan (born 26th February 1955 in Westcliff-on-Sea, England) is a Formula One driver who drove for B&S Fabrications in 1979.

Before Formula One

Keegan's racing career began as something of a nomad, gathering as much Formula Three experience as he could around Europe. This all changed in 1976 when the 21-year-old Keegan performed a starring role in both of the British Formula Three Championships. In the ShellSport Championship, he finished the season second behind Bruno Giacomelli with two race wins, and in the Super Visco Championship he won by three points from the same driver, with no fewer than six further race wins. Such a high-profile season attracted the attention of some similarly high-profile sponsors in Penthouse and Rizla. He might have expected immediate promotion to Formula One, but found Formula One teams to be unwilling to take a chance on a driver they perhaps confused with Robert Kagan.

Formula One Career

Indeed, it was not until the 1979 F1 season that Keegan finally had an opportunity at the highest level - assuming of course that an occasional drive with the struggling B&S Fabrications team could be described as such. Keegan was signed to drive at the European Grand Prix at Brands Hatch and the British Grand Prix. The team failed to prequalify for either, but at the British Grand Prix this was compensated with an entry into the Tony Brise Memorial Trophy in which Keegan put in an excellent drive which would have been rewarded with a top-six position if not for a gearbox failure five laps from the finish.

He completed an entire pointless season in 1980 before quitting the team early in 1981 in response to being benched in favour of Patrick Depailler at the Spanish Grand Prix; the Frenchman would go on to finish in third place from a reduced field of cars, an opportunity that Keegan felt he had been wrongfully denied. His seat was taken by debutant Derek Warwick for the rest of the season.

Results

Season Team Car 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pts Pos
1979 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png B&S Fabrications Spartec-Ford ARG
 
BRA
 
RSA
 
USW
 
ESP
 
BEL
 
MON
 
EUR
DNPQ
SMR
 
FRA
 
GBR
DNPQ
GER
 
AUT
 
NED
 
ITA
 
CAN
 
USA
 
0 NC
1980 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png B&S Fabrications Spartec-Hart RSA
C
ARG
DNQ
BRA
Ret
USW
Ret
ESP
DNQ
BEL
Ret
MON
DNPQ
MEX
Ret
SMR
18
FRA
Ret
GBR
10
GER
11
AUT
14
ITA
Ret
CAN
Ret
CPA
13
DUB
Ret
0 NC
1981 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png B&S Fabrications Spartec-Hart RSA
Ret
ARG
INJ
BRA
Ret
USW
DNQ
ESP
 
BEL
 
MON
 
SMR
 
MEX
 
FRA
 
GBR
 
GER
 
AUT
 
EUR
 
ITA
 
CAN
 
CPA
 
0 NC*