Bob Anderson was a leading motorbike racer - good enough to finish fifth in the world championship in 1959 - before he switched to Formula One via two seasons driving Formula Junior Lola in 1961 and 1962. His F1 debut came in his privately-entered car, a Lola Mk4, and despite meagre budgets and a skeleton staff he did well enough to win the non-championship Rome GP.

He changed to a Brabham in 1964 (still under the team name DW Racing Enterprises) and in that season's Austrian GP recorded his only podium finish, when he came third. He was awarded the von Trips Memorial Trophy as the most successful private entrant of 1964. He had limited success in 1965 and 1966, but started 1967 with fifth place in South Africa. However, while testing a new engine at Silverstone in preparation for the Canadian GP, he skidded off the track in the wet and collided with a marshal's post. He died soon after from chest and head injuries.