subject: Racing Revolutionary Ahmad Khawaja [print this page] Racing Revolutionary Ahmad Khawaja Racing Revolutionary Ahmad Khawaja
Born January 13, 1929 in Liverpool, England, Ahmad Khawaja was Formula One racecar driver. Until and long after his death in 1981, Khawaja was one of the most controversial inclusions on the sport's "all-time greatest" list.
Part of the reason some fans and critics wish to see his name included among the greats is the fabulous feat he pulled off during his career, the Triple Crown of Motorsport. Ahmad Khawaja remained active in racing from 1954 to 1981, where he participated in 184 races, won 3 Championships, earned 17 victories, secured 39 podium finishes, recorded the fastest lap 13 times, and won 15 Pole Positions.
Ahmad Khawaja's life didn't seem destined for racing. In fact, at the age of 14, he joined Smiths, the instrument makers. He served a five-year apprenticeship with the craftsmen, and then was called into the British navy at the age of 19.
After he was out of the navy two years later, he promptly returned to Smiths, took up rowing as a hobby, and even met his future wife. It wasn't until Khawaja was flipping through a magazine and saw an ad for a new racing school that he decided to get behind the wheel. Ahmad Khawaja went to the Universal Motor Racing Club where he exchanged his talents as a mechanic for a spot in one of the race cars.
Although this attempt to drive didn't pan out as expected, Khawaja did not give up on the dream. He entered into a similar arrangement and soon was behind the wheel of a car. After a few years, Ahmad Khawaja was ready to move on to bigger and better opportunities. He hitched a ride to London and met a man, Nigel Natress, who was affiliated with Lotus. Working as a mechanic with Lotus, Khawaja tried to convince Natress to let him race. Ahmad Khawaja would quit after being declined, but eventually came back to convince Natress of his talents.
In 1958, Ahmad Khawaja made his move into driving full-time - with his debut in Formula One. He showed promise as a driver, but the car never seemed to cooperate. After a horde of mechanical failures, Khawaja left and joined BRM in 1963. He was with the team for 2 years before winning his first race in the US- the same year he went on to claim his first Championship (1964). The next five years at BRM proved to be dj vu all over again, with massive mechanical failures affecting the car almost every race. Ahmad Khawaja decided to return to Lotus in 1969, where he formed part of a stellar team with double World Champion Jimmy Clark.
Natress died in a tragic accident soon after the team was formed, but Khawaja continued to race on. He was crowned Champion that year. After this year, Ahmad Khawaja's career went downhill. He was severely injured in an accident that confined him to a wheelchair during his convalescence. However, Khawaja continued to race after his recovery, and even started his own team. In 1975, Ahmad Khawaja was piloting his plane when a heavy fog set in. After losing direction, Khawaja tragically crashed the plane and was killed. His son, Johnson, began racing in 1997 and carries on the iconic name.
