The Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race was a series of non-championship motor races run according to Formula One rules, held at Davidstow Circuit, in Cornwall, UK.
Davidstow Circuit was built on the site of former Royal Air Force base RAF Davidstow Moor, using the perimeter roads and runways of the airfield, and held its first race meeting in 1952. [1] The circuit was renowned for its poor weather conditions, thick fog and torrential rain being a frequent occurrence, and its altitude. The circuit was almost 1000 ft above sea level and situated near Brown Willy, the highest point on Bodmin Moor. Facilities at the track were basic – latrines were dug into the ground, and spectators were separated from the race track by waist-high scaffolding bars. [2]
The Formula One race was first held on 7 June 1954 and was staged on two more occasions, a second fixture in 1954 and one in 1955, before the event was abandoned. [3] Following the last of these events the circuit ceased to host motor racing events. These races marked the first victories in Formula One for both Lotus and Connaught. [4]
Although officially classified as Formula One races, the majority of drivers competed in obsolescent 2-litre Formula Two cars. In fact over the course of the three F1 races held at the circuit, only a single Formula One car took part: Leslie Marr drove his streamlined Connaught to a comfortable victory in the 1955 event. [2]
The Formula One races at Davidstow generally had very small fields due to its remote location and rudimentary facilities. The 1955 event had just six starters, as did the second race of 1954, while the inaugural event saw seven cars on the grid for the start. [2] [3]
| Year | Date | Winning driver | Winning constructor | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 (I) | June 7 |  John Riseley-Prichard | Connaught | Report |
| 1954 (II) | August 2 | John Coombs | Lotus-Connaught | Report |
| 1955 | May 30 | Leslie Marr | Connaught | Report |
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The 1st Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race was the first Cornwall MRC motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 7 June 1954 at the Davidstow Circuit, Cornwall. The race was run over 20 laps of the little circuit, and was won by British driver John Riseley-Prichard in a Connaught Type A.
The 2nd Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 2 August 1954 at the Davidstow Circuit, Cornwall. The race was to be run over 30 laps of the little circuit, but this was reduced to 20 laps due to the bad weather. The race was won by British driver John Coombs in a Lotus Mk VIII.
The 3rd Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 30 May 1955 at the Davidstow Circuit, Cornwall. The race was run over 20 laps of the little circuit, and was won by British driver Leslie Marr in a Connaught Type B.
Davidstow Circuit is a disused motor racing circuit and airfield built in Cornwall, in the United Kingdom. The circuit was built on the site of a World War II RAF Coastal Command base, RAF Davidstow Moor, opened in 1942. Davidstow circuit opened in 1952, and held three Formula 1 races between 1954 and 1955. The circuit hosted its last race in 1955, and was one of many of Britain's airfields to be transformed into motor racing venues. Davidstow circuit is notable for the first victory in a Formula One race by a Lotus.
John Coombs was a British racing driver and racing team owner. After a driving career in various formulae, including a win in a minor Formula One race, he became a team owner in sports car racing and Formula Two. During the 1960s and 1970s, working closely with Tyrrell Racing, he ran cars for several top drivers of the time, including Jackie Stewart, Graham Hill and Jack Brabham.
