Tyrrell hires a second Briton

For the first time since Toleman entered Formula One in 1981 with Brian Henton and Derek Warwick, a Grand Prix team will be fielding an all-British driver line-up in 1988.

While retaining the services of Jim Clark Cup-winner Jonathan Palmer for a second season, Ken Tyrrell has recruited 26-year-old Julian Bailey to drive the second new Tyrrell 017, which was unveiled early in March.

Bailey, who was Palmer’s Formula Ford team-mate in 1980, becomes the first British driver to enter Formula One via the three year-old proving ground of Formula 3000.

He shot into the limelight last August when he led the Brands Hatch round of the championship, only his third race in the formula, from start to finish. In so doing he became the first, and so far only, Briton to win in F3000.

Bailey follows his 1987 sparring partners Stefano Modena (now with EuroBrun), Luis Sala (Minardi), Mauricio Gugelmin (March) and Yannick Dalmas (Larrousse-Calmels) up the ladder of success into the GP arena.

A publican from Stanstead Abbots in Hertfordshire, Bailey was helped into the Tyrrell seat by financial support from his backers Cavendish Finance and Braemar.

This will be the first time the team, powered again this year by the normallyaspirated Cosworth DFZ V8 engine, has had an all-British line-up.