José Froilán González

Argentine racing driver (1922–2013)

17 (77 914)[1]Pole positions3Fastest laps6First entry1950 Monaco Grand PrixFirst win1951 British Grand PrixLast win1954 British Grand PrixLast entry1960 Argentine Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years19501951, 19531954
TeamsAutomobiles Gordini
Henri Louveau
Scuderia Lancia
Scuderia Ferrari
Best finish1st (1954)

José Froilán González (October 5, 1922 – June 15, 2013) was an Argentine racing driver, particularly notable for scoring Ferrari's first win in a Formula One World Championship race at the 1951 British Grand Prix. He made his Formula One debut for Scuderia Achille Varzi in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix. His last Grand Prix was the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix.

González competed in 26 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix over nine seasons (1950–1957 and 1960) and numerous non-Championship events.[2] In the 26 World Championship races, González scored two victories (the 1951 British Grand Prix and the 1954 British Grand Prix), seven second-place finishes, six third-place finishes, three pole positions, six fastest laps, and 72 17 points. He won the 1951 Coppa Acerbo, in 1954 the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Maurice Trintignant, and the Portuguese Grand Prix for Ferrari.

Physically well built, González was nicknamed The Pampas Bull (by his English fans) and El Cabezón (Fat Head, by his Argentine fans). His close friends, like Juan-Manuel Fangio and Roberto Mieres, called him Pepe.

Sixtieth anniversary tribute

González demonstrating a Ferrari 500 in 2000

On 10 July 2011, during the British Grand Prix meeting, González was honoured by the Ferrari team and the FIA on the 60th anniversary of Ferrari's first Formula One World Championship race victory. As part of the celebration, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso drove González' Ferrari 375 F1 for four laps of the Silverstone track. Later that day, Alonso won the British Grand Prix in his Ferrari 150º Italia.

Death

He died in Buenos Aires from respiratory failure, aged 90, after a downturn in health following a heart attack earlier in 2013.[3][4]

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 WDC Pts.[1]
1950 Scuderia Achille Varzi Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati L4C GBR MON
Ret
500 SUI BEL FRA
Ret
ITA NC 0
1951 José Froilán González Talbot-Lago T26C-GS Talbot L6 SUI
Ret
500 3rd 24
(27)
Enrico Platé Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati L4 BEL
DNA
Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari V12 FRA
2*
GBR
1
GER
3
ITA
2
ESP
2
1952 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati L6 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER NED ITA
2**
9th 6 12
1953 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati L6 ARG
3
500 NED
3*
BEL
Ret
FRA
3
GBR
4**
GER SUI ITA 6th 13 12
(14 12)
1954 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 625 Ferrari L4 ARG
3
500 BEL
4*
GBR
1
GER
2*
SUI
2
ITA
3*
ESP 2nd 25 17
(26 914)
Ferrari 553 Ferrari L4 FRA
Ret
1955 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 625 Ferrari L4 ARG
2*
MON 500 BEL NED GBR ITA 17th 2
1956 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati L6 ARG
Ret
MON 500 BEL FRA NC 0
Vandervell Products Ltd. Vanwall VW 2 Vanwall L4 GBR
Ret
GER ITA
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari V8 ARG
5*
MON 500 FRA GBR GER PES ITA 21st 1
1960 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246 Ferrari V6 ARG
10
MON 500 NED BEL FRA GBR POR ITA USA NC 0

* Shared drive.
** Joint fastest lap.
González started the race in a Ferrari 553 Squalo, but took over one of his teammates' 625 during the race.

Complete Formula One non-championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35
1950 Scuderia Achille Varzi Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 1.5 s/c straight-4 PAU
Ret
RIC SRM
Ret
PAR EMP BAR JER ALB
2
NED
7
NAT
Ret
NOT ULS PES STT INT GOO PEN
1951 José Froilán González Talbot-Lago T26C-GS Talbot-Lago 4.5 L6 SYR PAU RIC SRM BOR INT PAR
2
ULS SCO
Enrico Platé Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 s/c L4 NED DNA ALB
Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari 4.5 V12 PES
1
BAR
2
GOO
1952 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari 4.5 V12 SYR VAL RIC
1
LAV PAU IBS MAR AST INT ELÄ NAP EIF PAR
British Racing Motors BRM Type 15 BRM P15 1.5 s/c V16 ALB
Ret
FRO ULS DMT
Ret
COM NAT BAU
Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati 2.0 L6 MNZ
Ret
LAC ESS MAR SAB CAE MOD
2
CAD SKA MAD AVU JOE NEW
1953 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati 2.0 L6 SYR PAU LAV AST BOR INT ELÄ NAP
3
ULS WIN FRO COR SNE EIF
British Racing Motors BRM Type 15 BRM P15 1.5 s/c V16 ALB
2
PRI ESS MID ROU CRY AVU USF LAC BRI CHE SAB NEW CAD RED SKA LON MOD MAD JOE CUR
1954 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 553 Ferrari 2.0 L4 SYR
Ret
ROU
Ret
CAE AUG COR OUL RED PES JOE CAD BER GOO DTT
Ferrari 625 Ferrari 2.5 L4 PAU
Ret
LAV BOR
1
INT
11
BAR
1
CUR ROM DNA FRO COR BRC CRY
1957 José Froilán González Ferrari 625 Ferrari 2.5 L4 BUE
NC
SYR GLV NAP RMS CAE INT MOD MOR

1Gonzalez drove the 553 in the heat and the 625 in the final of the 1954 BRDC International Trophy.

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

1950 Simca Gordini T15s, as raced, and retired, at the 1950 24 Hours of Le Mans by José Froilán González and Juan Manuel Fangio
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1950 France Automobiles Gordini Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio Simca-Gordini T15S Compresseur S 3.0 95 DNF
(Engine)
1951 France Henri Louveau Argentina Onofre Marimón Talbot-Lago T26 GS S 5.0 128 DNF
(Radiator)
1953 Italy Scuderia Lancia Italy Clemente Biondetti Lancia D20 Compressor S 8.0 213 DNF
(Engine)
1954 Italy Scuderia Ferrari France Maurice Trintignant Ferrari 375 Plus S 5.0 302 1st 1st

Other race results

  • Grand Prix of Interlagos: 3rd, (1952), Formula Libre
  • Grand Prix of Rio de Janeiro 1st, (1952), Formula Libre
  • Grand Prix of Buenos Aires 1st, (1951), Formula Libre
  • Glover Trophy: 1st, (1952), Formula Libre
  • Supercortemaggiore: 2nd, (1954)
  • Monsanto Park Circuit: 1st, (1954)
  • 1000 miles of Buenos Aires: 3rd, (1956), 1st (1960)
  • 500 miles of Rafaela: 1st, (1958), 1st (1959)

References

  1. ^ a b Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Number without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
  2. ^ "The Formula One Archives". Retrieved 25 July 2007.
  3. ^ "Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Ferrari's first GP winner, dies at age 90". 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  4. ^ Brown, Allen. "Jose Froilan Gonzalez". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 14 August 2018.

External links

  • Video: Tribute to Froilán González by Fernando Alonso
José Froilán González achievements
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Tony Rolt
Duncan Hamilton
Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1954
With: Maurice Trintignant
Succeeded by
Preceded by BRDC International Trophy
Winner

1954
Succeeded by
Peter Collins
Records
Preceded by Youngest driver to start
a Formula One race

27 years, 228 days
(1950 Monaco Grand Prix)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Youngest driver to score a
podium position in Formula One

28 years, 269 days
(1951 French Grand Prix)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Youngest Grand Prix polesitter
28 years, 282 days
(1951 British Grand Prix)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Youngest Grand Prix
race winner

28 years, 282 days
(1951 British Grand Prix)
Succeeded by
Preceded by Youngest driver to set
fastest lap in Formula One

29 years, 338 days
(1952 Italian Grand Prix)
Succeeded by
Hans Herrmann
26 years, 131 days
(1954 French GP)
Preceded by
Alberto Ascari
33 years, 107 days
(1951 season)
Youngest Formula One
World Drivers' Championship runner-up

32 years, 19 days
(1954 season)
Succeeded by
Stirling Moss
25 years, 302 days
(1955 season)
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