11 replies to this topic

[Maindrian Pace]

Both David and Gary Brabham got a taste of Formula 1 (a bitter taste for the latter) but did big brother Geoff ever get behind the wheel of a Grand Prix car?

[cheesy poofs]

Didn't Geoff get a test drive with Brabham in the early 80's

[WGD706]

I've found Geoff's name associated with just about everything with 4 wheels (including "The first foreign driver to compete in the Brickyard 400 was Australian native Geoff Brabham in 1994.") except for F1.
He did run an F3 car in 1977in the Grand Prix de Monaco F3, where he finished 5th in a Ralt RT1 Toyota behind Didier Pironi, Elio deAngelis, Anders Olofsson and Stefan Johansson.
Warren

[Ray Bell]

I'm quite sure Geoff would have liked to... and he may have tested one somewhere some time.

But as he left Australia for his career in the USA, he didn't expect to make F1.

[Jimmy Piget]

I'm sure Geoff tested a F1 brabham, and also a Benetton and a Theodore.
He is also rumoured to have tested a F1 Nissan in the early '1990s, but did this car actually existed ?

[pedro]

Nissan F1??

The 1990's are a bit recent for me, but I've never heard the rumour. Please elaborate.

[racer69]

He was meant to race for Brabham? at Adelaide in 1985 but was unable to get his superlicence in time for the event.

[William Dale Jr]

Ironically, Geoff obtained a superlicence after his IMSA efforts in 1988, but by that point, he wasn't in line for a drive.

[Jimmy Piget]

Originally posted by pedro
Nissan F1??

The 1990's are a bit recent for me, but I've never heard the rumour. Please elaborate.

I'm afraid there is no more information on that rumour. I read it circa 1992/1993 (probably in the French motoring press, Auto-Hebdo ?).
It was a rumour of a F1 Nissan being secretly built in the USA and tested (secretly too) there by the Nismo team.
If registering this rumour is serious or not (and for the other one, from the same period or slightly earlier, about a complete F1 Audi being built), is another story.

[Kuwashima]

I think this is Geoff Brabham. It's at MotorsportsAlmanac listed as Gary Brabham, but we asked Gary himself, and he said he never tested the Brabham-Yamaha, but that Geoff did at Silverstone pre-1990 season.

[ghinzani]

I'm afraid there is no more information on that rumour. I read it circa 1992/1993 (probably in the French motoring press, Auto-Hebdo ?).
It was a rumour of a F1 Nissan being secretly built in the USA and tested (secretly too) there by the Nismo team.
If registering this rumour is serious or not (and for the other one, from the same period or slightly earlier, about a complete F1 Audi being built), is another story.

Wow I never heard of a Datsun F1 - then again Honda, Subaru and Mitsubishi were all trying it at the time so why not?

[arttidesco]

I suspect the closest Nissan got to F1 was as brand sponsors on the Renault F1 car a la Lada.

Meantime here is Geoff in a Brabham BT49

Gary in the Life

and David in the Simteck.