LIGHTS TO FLAG: Scott Speed on his ‘outrageous’ F1 ego, what happened at Toro Rosso and a new chapter off track

Scott Speed was one of the first Red Bull junior drivers to reach Formula 1 in the mid-noughties, only for the journey to last just a season and a half. In our latest Lights to Flag feature, Speed talks about battling a chronic disease in and out of the car, what really happened during his time at junior outfit Toro Rosso – which included run-ins with established racer David Coulthard and team boss Franz Tost – and how a significant post-F1 injury shaped the next phase of his life and career.

Speed lives up to his surname

Speed was born and raised in Manteca, California, but rather than the popular dirt oval route taken by the likes of NASCAR legend Jeff Gordon and current series star Kyle Larson – who both grew up a matter of miles away – he went go-karting with one eye already on F1.