Why Richard Westbrook has called time on his fairytale sportscar career

Richard Westbrook had no designs on becoming a pro when he returned to racing after five years away. But he was so good that, as he hangs up his helmet, he can look back on two decades of sportscar success

“You’ve got to be honest with yourself and say, ‘You know what, I’ve had a good run and it’s time to pass the baton’.”

Richard Westbrook isn’t just being honest with himself with those words, but also the wider world. The Briton isn’t pulling any punches as he draws a line under a successful sportscar career that took him onto the podiums at Le Mans, Daytona, Sebring and beyond. Westbrook reveals that he wasn’t enjoying his racing as much as in the past, that his passion for the sport was ebbing away, and that there are a few regrets as he hangs his helmet on the peg.

In this article

Gary Watkins

WEC

IMSA

Richard Westbrook

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Author Gary Watkins

Gary Watkins has, for reasons best known to himself, devoted all his working life to covering sportscar racing. This season is his 33rd as a motorsport journalist, during which time he has reported on major long-distance events on four continents and approaching 80 24-hour races. He reckons a degree in political philosophy makes him well qualified for covering the sometimes Machiavellian world of international sportscars.

Gary, who also writes for Motor Sport, Autocourse, RACER and others, lives in Surbiton close to the former workshops of the Cooper Formula 1 team but spends more time on the road than at home for most of the year.