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Jake Cook (20 June 1993 – 14 November 2023) was a British racing driver who competed in the Protyre Formula Renault Championship for Hillspeed. He was the nephew of former British Touring Car Championship driver Paula Cook. He won the MSA Young Driver of the Year award for 2010, the first recipient of the award.

Racing career

2008–2009

Born in Rotherham, Cook made his racing debut in 2008 in the Ginetta Junior Winter Championship, taking one podium in three races. For 2009, he entered the full Ginetta Junior Championship season, driving for TJ Motorsport, and won his first race in the series, having qualified on pole, at the Brands Hatch track. He won the second race at Brands Hatch, and later followed up these results by winning both races at Snetterton Circuit, and repeating the feat at Knockhill Circuit. However, these results were marred by a 20-point penalty for violating driving standards at Oulton Park. With six races left, Cook was leading the championship from Aaron Williamson and Sarah Moore, and a victory from the second race at Silverstone Circuit extended his lead. At the end of the season, however, Cook finished second overall, with Moore becoming the series' first female champion (having already become the series' first female race winner) by 16 points. In August of that year, Cook had joined the Motor Sport AASE programme, part of the MSA's Academy structure.

2010–2011

In 2010, Cook joined the British Formula Ford Championship, signing for Getem Racing, whom were entering a Mygale SJ07. His first podium came at the Zandvoort Circuit, before his season came to a premature close due to funding issues, resulting in Cook finishing ninth overall. Cook did, however, enter that year's Formula Ford Festival (held at the Brands Hatch circuit), and got through to the semi-final, where he retired on the first lap. Following this season, he was the first driver to be awarded the MSA's Young Driver of the Year award.

Cook returned to the series in 2011 with Jamun Racing, signing a one-round deal for the season opener at Silverstone, with his best result a seventh place in the second race of the weekend. Following this event, however he remained with the team until the Zandvoort round, and finished the season in 12th place. He also competed in two of the four Formula Ford EuroCup events, with a best result of eighth from race one of the second round at Zandvoort.

2012–2013

For 2012, Cook remained in the British Formula Ford with Jamun Racing, with the series using the new Ford Ecoboost engine for the first time. This proved to be Cook's most successful season in the series, with his first win coming in the second round of the season opener at Brands Hatch. His second win came at the second race of the season finale at Donington Park, where he secured a second-place finish the championship. In addition to the two victories, Cook finished on the podium 12 more times, with three fastest laps. During the season, Cook also competed in the Zandvoort round of the Formula Ford EuroCup, with a single victory coming at the third race.

In 2013, Cook made the switch to the Protyre Formula Renault Championship series, driving for Hillspeed Racing, a series which his aunt's brother, David, had won in 1996. His debut in the series came at Donington Park, where he finished 12th in race one, and 4th in race two. A hat-trick of podiums followed at the second round, held at Snetterton Circuit, resulting in Cook leaving the track in second place overall in the championship standings. He took two more podiums at Thruxton, and, apart from two retirements, did not finish below sixth after that weekend. At Silverstone, in the first race of the day, he took second, and his first fastest lap in the season; as a result, he finished the season in fifth place, with 292 points. His performances in the series saw him named as a BRDC Rising Star in August. Following the end of the Formula Renault season, Cook was selected to drive for Hillspeed in the BRDC Formula 4 Winter Championship. On the third race of his debut weekend, held at Snetterton, he started from pole, and won the race. He followed this with another win in the following race, and two podiums at Brands Hatch, on his way to securing second in the championship. At the end of the season, he was named in The Checkered Flag's Top 10 UK Single-Seater drivers list.

Personal life

Jake Cook was the nephew of former British Touring Car Championship driver Paula Cook, and was also related to former British Formula Renault champion David Cook and former Shellsport International Series driver Derek Cook. He stated in 2013 that his ambition was to become a Formula 1 driver, with his hero having been Ayrton Senna, and that he was a Sheffield Wednesday fan. He studied Economics at Newcastle University.

Cook died by suicide in November 2023, having struggled with mental health issues. He was a father of two.

References

1. ^ "Jake Cook career statistics". Driver Database. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
2. "Cook enjoys perfect start to Ginetta Junior season – Ginettas News". BTCCPages.com. 5 April 2009. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
3. "Cook's perfect recipe in the Ginetta Junior Championship". Ginetta Cars. 25 August 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
4. "CHAMPIONSHIP PENDULUM SWINGS IN COOK'S FAVOUR". Ginetta Cars. 2 September 2009. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
5. Auger, Matt (9 November 2009). "Ginetta Junior 2009 review – Ginetta Junior". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
6. "Applications now open for 2010 Advanced Apprenticeship in Sporting Excellence". Motor Sports Association United Kingdom. 26 May 2010. Archived from the original on 4 July 2013. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
7. Hornsby, Tom (3 March 2010). "F.Ford: Ginetta ace steps up to Formula Ford for 2010". Motors TV. Archived from the original on 20 February 2012. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
8. "Jake Cook: Profile". Jake Cook Racing. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
9. "Formula Ford Festival: 16th and 17th October 2010" (PDF). British Racing & Sports Car Club. 17 October 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2 November 2014. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
10. "Jake Cook becomes first ever RSF MSA Young Driver of the Year". Racecar. 13 January 2011. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
11. Wilkinson, Andy (1 April 2011). "Cook and Williams get Mygales for Formula Ford". Motors TV. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
12. Wilkinson, Andy (11 April 2011). "Malvern, Slaghekke and Uhrhane take Silverstone wins". Motors TV. Archived from the original on 10 May 2011. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
13. "Dunlop MSA Formula Ford 2011 standings" (PDF). British Racing & Sports Car Club. Retrieved 17 May 2013.
14. "Jake Cook race results". Driver Database. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
15. Stoklosa, Alexander (12 September 2011). "EcoBoost Goes Racing: New 2012 Formula Ford Powered by Turbocharged 1.6-Liter". Car and Driver Blog. Archived from the original on 6 April 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
16. "Cook & Williams join the EcoBoost victory club". British Formula Ford. 9 April 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
17. "Buri crowned Formula Ford Champ at Donington". British Formula Ford. 29 September 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
18. "SEASON REVIEW: DUNLOP MSA FORMULA FORD". British Racing & Sports Car Club. 14 November 2012. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
19. "Race win for Cook, Eurocup crown for Zandvoort crown for Lichtenstein". British Formula Ford. 15 July 2012. Archived from the original on 7 July 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
20. ^ "Famous Cook name returns to Formula Renault with Hillspeed". Renaultsport. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 27 May 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
21. "Consistent Start tO Protyre Formua Renault Season For Hillspeed". Hillspeed Racing. 15 April 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
22. "Cook and Rao Celebrate Maiden Podiums at Drama-Filled Snetterton". Hillspeed Racing. 13 May 2013. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
23. ^ "2013 Protyre Formula Renault Championship – Drivers Points Table". Renault Sport. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
24. Paice, Simon (18 November 2013). "2013 Protyre Formula Renault season review". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
25. Plaice, Simon (21 August 2013). "BRDC Unveil Latest Rising Stars Intake". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
26. "Jake Cook signs up to F4 Winter Championship with Hillspeed". BRDC Formula 4 News. Archived from the original on 3 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
27. "Jake Cooks up a dream win at Snetterton on debut weekend". BRDC Formula 4 News. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
28. Allen, Peter (10 November 2013). "Cook wins again in race four at Snetterton". PaddockScout.com. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
29. "F4 – Winter Series – 2013 Standings". BRDC Formula 4 News. Archived from the original on 19 December 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
30. Plaice, Simon (2 December 2013). "TCF Top 10: UK Single-Seaters 2013". The Checkered Flag. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
31. "Jake Cook Biography". The RaceWire. Archived from the original on 6 December 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2013.
32. "Driver: Jake Cook". BRDC Formula 4 Championship. Archived from the original on 1 February 2014. Retrieved 26 January 2014.
33. Lickorish, Stephen (23 November 2023). "Tributes paid to former single-seater star and driver coach Jake Cook". Readly. Autosport. Retrieved 3 December 2024.
34. "Jake Cook: Friends to run marathon together in memory of racing driver and young dad who took his own life at 30". National World. 18 March 2024. Retrieved 3 December 2024.

External links

• Official website
• Formula Renault profile

• Living people
• 1993 births
• 2023 deaths
• 2023 suicides
• Suicides in England
• English racing drivers
• British Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
• Sportspeople from Rotherham
• Racing drivers from Yorkshire
• Ginetta Junior Championship drivers
• Formula Renault BARC drivers