Grand Prix racer Rolt competed in three Formula One World Championship races, the British Grands Prix of 1950, 1953, & 1955, but all three outings ended in retirement. At the 1950 British Grand Prix, the first-ever round of the F1 World Championship, he started 10th on the grid in an ERA that had been qualified by Peter Walker, but the gearbox failed after four laps. In the 1953 race, once again he started from 10th, but a half shaft on his Connaught failed after 70 laps. In his final Grand Prix, he again shared a drive with Walker in 1955. In what was to be the last F1 outing for both drivers: their Connaught started 14th and retired with transmission trouble after 18 laps. Stirling Moss asserts that Rolt would have been among the top GP drivers, if he raced regularly. Called from the Bar Rolt competed in every 24 Heures du Mans race from 1949 to 1955, famously winning the 1953 event in a Jaguar C-Type shared with Hamilton. Initially, the pairing were disqualified for practising in a Jaguar that had the same racing number as another on the circuit at the same time, but they were reinstated. Hamilton's account has become a motor racing legend: when Jaguar team manager Lofty England persuaded the organisers to let them race, both drivers were already drunk in a local bar. England said: ”Of course I would never have let them race under the influence. I had enough trouble when they were sober!” The Rolt/Hamilton partnership continued in 1954, where they finished second to a works Scuderia Ferrari, in a Jaguar D-Type. This was despite an incident during a hail storm, Rolt realised that he could not see properly, so he pitted for a visor, but as a Ferrari was in its pit, the team waved him out again. When Rolt pitted again the next lap, his goggles were full of water. He hopped out of the car to fix on a visor and Hamilton jumped into the car and was away. Having made up a four-lap deficit, the Rolt/Hamilton D-Type finished less than four kilometres behind the victorious Ferrari. They also finished second for Jaguar in the 12 heures internationals – Voiture Sport Reims, but retired from the 1955 Les 24 Heures du Mans while running in second place. Rolt and his wife, Lois witnessed the disaster that year, which claimed