Patrick Dempsey working on new F1-based TV show

Patrick Dempsey

American actor and racing driver Patrick Dempsey plans to produce a new television series based on the events of the 1961 Formula 1 World Championship.

Dempsey, who is best known for his role as Dr Derek Shepherd in Grey’s Anatomy, has increased his motor racing schedule in recent years and is now a regular GT class competitor at the Le Mans 24 Hours.

Now he plans to combine his two careers, and is working on a new racing-based project for TV.

“It is based on the book The Limit, which describes the World Championship fight between Phil Hill and [Wolfgang] Berghe von Trips in 1961," said Dempsey.

“We want to tell the story of these men and their lives in a TV series, but we still have a long way to go. The female protagonist is based on a real person: Denise McCluggage, who was a really good reporter and an excellent driver.

“The series shows her relationship with the other drivers. This is one project I’m working on."

Hill won the 1961 world title, after Ferrari teammate von Trips was killed at Monza, the penultimate round of the championship, after colliding with Jim Clark. The accident also claimed the lives of over a dozen spectators. Charles Bradley/Motorsport.com