Derek Warwick has been classed, like Sir Stirling Moss, as one of the greatest drivers who never became Formula 1 World Champion although he won quite a few other titles.

Affectionately nicknamed Delboy from the time when aged 16 he drove a three-wheeler (because his parents disapproved of motorcycles), he was a fiesty racer from a very young age.

As an 11-year-old he was Southern Kart Champion then, after fibbing about his age, started stock car racing a year early alongside his father Derry, preparing the cars himself at the family's Warwick Trailers business (hence the race helmet stickers on the back of the blue farm trailers).

On the ovals he did 500 races, winning 300, in four years to take the British, European and World titles and establishing a huge fan base by the time he was 16.

Then he switched to formal racing with Formula Ford and in 60 starts won 30 races with 18 seconds. Graduating to Formula 3 he won the British title in 1978 battling Nelson Piquet, moved up to F2 to be second in the European contest, then made his F1 debut in 1981 with Toleman.

Following with Renault, Brabham, Arrows, Lotus and Footwork, he was to compete in 147 grands prix, race 18,494 miles, yet grace just four podiums, his best a second place in the 1984 British Grand Prix. The next season he declined a drive with Williams, the seat taken by a certain Nigel Mansell.

He had two forays with sports cars, finishing second for the title to Derek Bell in 1986, but then won the Le Mans classic and the title with Peugeot in 1991.

By this time he was expanding his motor group from a Honda dealership in Jersey to others bearing his name in Southampton, Winchester and Portsmouth, added Skoda but later sold out the mainland business to the Alan Day group.

He lives in Jersey, is married to Rhonda, and they have two daughters Marie and Kerry.

His elder brother Paul Warwick, died racing July 21, 1991 and was posthumous awarded the British Foruma 3000 championship.

Name: Derek Stanley Arthur Warwick OCCUPATION: Racing driver and car dealership owner date of birth: August 27, 1954 LOCAL LINK: Local businessman