Formula One championship-winning manager Alastair Caldwell was among those participating in Driving Ukraine’s latest round of vehicle donations, which arrived in Lviv on Saturday.

Caldwell was the team manager for McLaren from 1974 to 1978. During his tenure, the team won two World Drivers’ Championships courtesy of Emerson Fittipaldi (1974) and James Hunt (1976), while also claiming their first World Constructors’ title in 1974. He eventually worked for Brabham and ATS before departing F1.

Following the Russian invasion in 2022, Caldwell began backing Ukrainian humanitarian efforts. He has also auctioned off some his classic car collection to support Driving Ukraine including his 1961 BMW 700 Saloon, 1967 Citroën DS19 Pallas Saloon, 1981 Toyota Land Cruiser FJ40, and 1982 Porsche 928 Coupé. Funds from the latter were evenly split between Driving Ukraine and Thames Hospice.

The latest convoy consisted of seven vehicles, most of which were off-road trucks like Toyota Hiluxes. A Mercedes-Benz Sprinter ambulance was also donated to the 4th City Polyclinic of Lviv, for which the Lviv City Council plans to establish a Mobile Public Health Center to help veterans and people with limited mobility.

Caldwell was behind the wheel of a Toyota pickup truck adorned with decals based on the McLaren M23 that Hunt drove to the 1976 title; this included Hunt’s #11 and sponsor stickers like Marlboro, Texaco, and Goodyear. He was honored by the Lviv City Council for his contributions.

“Since the start of the full-scale war, he has donated more than $100,000 to aid Ukraine, and has actually purchased cars for the Armed Forces of Ukraine,” said Lviv councilman Taras Repytskyi. “On behalf of the city, he was presented with a special award for such assistance.”

Driving Ukraine is a joint British-Ukrainian effort led by rallycross driver Fynn Watt to donate vehicles to Ukrainian troops and emergency services. The British racing community has been open about supporting Ukraine since the invasion, with Motorsport UK having collaborated with their Ukrainian FIA counterparts too. In January, Driving Ukraine’s convoy turned laps around Silverstone Circuit before heading to Ukraine, where it was picked up and recognized by GUR head Kyrylo Budanov.

Featured image credit: Taras Repytskyi