Bobby Verdon-Roe

Robert Geoffrey Verdon-Roe (born 21 November 1965 in Winchester, Hampshire) is a British racing driver who has raced in various formats of motor sport throughout his career. He has won Formula Renault, TVR Tuscan and Historic Formula One Championships.

Verdon-Roe is the grandson of Sir Alliott Verdon Roe who was a pioneer of British aviation and founder of the Avro aircraft company. He was educated at Ashdown House and Stowe School having been brought up in Portugal.

Racing career

In 1988, Verdon-Roe started racing in single-seaters, with no previous karting experience. Verdon-Roe came 3rd in the Formula First championship of 1988.

In 1989, Verdon-Roe moved into Formula Ford and finished third in the P&O European Ferries Championship behind David Coulthard and Kelvin Burt.

During 1990 and 1991, Verdon-Roe raced in Formula Renault, culminating with him winning the Championship in 1991 after a heated battle with Jason Plato. He was nominated for an Autosport Award.

In 1992, Verdon-Roe switched to touring cars with a drive in a Vauxhall Cavalier for the Ecurie Ecosse team in the British Touring Car Championship. He also raced in the latter half of the Formula Vauxhall Championship that year.

In 1993, Verdon-Roe drove a semi-works Toyota Carina E for the Park Lane Toyota Carina team. His best result that year was a 6th place at Snetterton and finished the championship down in 19th.

After a quiet spell which included a one-off race in Formula Three in 1994, Verdon-Roe returned to motorsport in the TVR Tuscan Challenge. In 1997, he won the TVR Tuscan championship overall and was nominated for an Autosport award. In 1998, he stayed with the factory team and finished a close 2nd in the championship and the same year, competed with the new TVR Speed 12 in the British GT Championship. He also had his first taste of Historic racing, teaming up with Gerry Marshall in a Jaguar E-Type at Silverstone, finishing third after gaining pole position.

In 1999, Verdon-Roe briefly raced for the Lister works team in the FIA GT Championship, before returning to TVR and racing their new Cerbera Speed 12 GT car in the British GT Championship in 2000 and 2001, winning three races and eventually finishing third in the championship.

Verdon-Roe also drove one-off races in the European Le Mans Series in 2001 in 2002. In 2002, he returned to the Lister team and raced the Lister Storm in the FIA GT Championship. Highlights included a second place at Silverstone and second place at the Spa 24 hours, Lister's best ever result in a 24-hour race.

In 2003, Verdon-Roe raced for the newly formed Creation Autosportif racing team driving the 2000 FIA GT Championship winning Lister Storm chassis (002) to fourth place in the FIA GT Championship.

In 2004, Verdon-Roe again raced for Creation at Donington Park and the Spa 24 Hours in the Lister. He also raced once in the British GT Championship for Rollcentre Racing in the Mosler MT900R. There were also a number of entries in various historic events including the Le Mans 24 Hours Group C support race and winning the Spa-Francorchamps Classic Endurance Race.

In 2005, Verdon-Roe raced in the Le Mans 24 hours race driving a Dallara Nissan LMP1 car for the Rollcentre team, as well as the Spa 24 Hours for the Lister team.

In 2008, Verdon-Roe won the Goodwood Revival's feature race, the RAC TT Celebration, driving a Ferrari 330 LMB with Peter Hardman, the first victory for a Ferrari in the TT since the Revival began.

In 2009, Verdon-Roe won FIA Historic Formula One Championship driving a McLaren M26. At the Revival he shared the Ferrari 330 LMB with Emanuele Pirro finishing 2nd.

In 2010, Verdon-Roe won the Grand Prix Historique of Monaco aboard the ex-James Hunt McLaren.

Verdon-Roe also won the FIA Historic Formula One championship ground effect class and finished second overall driving a McLaren MP4/1B. At the Goodwood Revival, he shared the Ferrari with Tom Kristensen, but retired having started from pole position.

In 2011, Verdon-Roe again finished second overall in the FIA Historic Formula One Championship and won the ground effect class in the ex-Niki Lauda McLaren. At the Revival he raced Aston Martin DBR1-2 to 2nd place in the Sussex Trophy.

In 2012, Verdon-Roe finished second in the Grand Prix Historique of Monaco and 2nd in Goodwood Revival's TT Celebration race driving a Jaguar E-type.

In 2015, Verdon-Roe won the Sussex trophy in the Ferrari Dino 246S at the Goodwood Revival. In 2021, Verdon-Roe finished fifth with Martin Brundle in the AC Cobra known as Snakeyes in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival. In 2022, Verdon-Roe finished seventh with Alex Brundle in the AC Cobra known as Snakeyes in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival. In 2023, Verdon-Roe finished ninth, after it rained, in Snakeyes, with Alex Brundle in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival. In 2024, Verdon-Roe finished fourth in Snakeyes with Andre Lotterer in the RAC TT at the Goodwood Revival.

Racing record

Formula Renault Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete British Touring Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

British Formula 3

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans results

24 Hours of Daytona Results

FIA GT Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete British GT Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

FIA Historic Formula One

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Goodwood Revival RAC TT

† – Drivers did not finish the race, but were classified as they completed a sufficient number of laps.

Goodwood - Other Notable Results

Other sources