Its been exactly 50 years since Mike Hawthorn lost his life in a fatal car crash after racing his team boss on the way home through the English countryside it was to be one race to many for Britain`s 1st ever world champion.

Hawthorn was crowned world champion in 1958 in what was an amazing world title scrap with Stirling Moss going all the way to the last race and even though Moss finished 1st Hawthorn managed 2nd place and snatched the world title by just a single point something Lewis Hamilton would do some 50 years later.

Hawthorn was the original formula 1 golden boy with his blonde hair and party life style he was planning to marry a 1950`s vogue pin up before his fatal crash ended his life.

Amazingly Hawthorn decided to retire after winning his 1st world title saying he had nothing else to prove after also taking the Le Mans 24 hour race in 1952 and opened a garage in Farnham.

He decided that racing was dangerous and with none of the modern technology of today's cars he was uncertain of not just his own safety but that of his fellow drivers as well as back in the 1950`s there were a lot more risks taken.

But on January 22 ND 1959 Mike Hawthorn lost his life doing what he enjoyed best racing and although he was driving his own car at the time I'm sure it was a fitting way to end as doctors had given him a maximum of 18 months to live as he was diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease but Mike Hawthorn was the first ever British world champion and kicked started the Formula 1 bug which is still as popular now as it was back then.