Robert Manzon

Robert Manzon
Born(1917-04-12)12 April 1917
Marseille, France
Died19 January 2015(2015-01-19) (aged 97)
Cassis, France
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityFrance French
Active years1950–1956
TeamsGordini; Ferrari inc. non-works
Entries29 (28 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums2
Career points16
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1950 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1956 Italian Grand Prix

Robert Jean Joseph Manzon (12 April 1917 – 19 January 2015)[1] was a French racing driver. He participated in 29 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 21 May 1950. He achieved two podiums, and scored a total of 16 championship points. At the time of his death, Manzon was the last surviving driver to have taken part in the first Formula One World Championship in 1950.

Career

Manzon began his career as a mechanic and after World War II he started racing, initially with a Cisitalia D46. Earning a contract with the Gordini team for 1948, Manzon won some minor races although his machinery was not always reliable.[2]

He continued with Gordini into the new Formula One era, scoring points at the 1950 French Grand Prix, and finishing sixth in the World Drivers' Championship in 1952, taking third place in the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix. He left Gordini in 1953 and joined Louis Rosier's team, which was campaigning Ferraris. He subsequently achieved his second podium at the 1954 French Grand Prix at the wheel of a Ferrari 625.[2]

Manzon then returned to the Gordini team, but found little success in World Championship events. Outside the Championship, he won the 1956 Naples Grand Prix and a sports car race at Pescara.[2]

After racing, he later operated his own diesel equipment distribution business. [3]

Manzon died at his home in the south of France on 19 January 2015 aged 97.[4] He was the last surviving entrant of the 1950 Formula One season.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1950 Equipe Simca Gordini Simca Gordini Type 15 Gordini Straight-4 GBR MON
Ret 		500 SUI BEL FRA
4 		ITA
Ret 		14th 3
1951 Equipe Simca Gordini Simca Gordini Type 15 Gordini Straight-4 SUI 500 BEL FRA
Ret 		GBR GER
7 		ITA
Ret 		ESP
9 		NC 0
1952 Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 Gordini Straight-6 SUI
Ret 		500 BEL
3 		FRA
4 		GBR
Ret 		GER
Ret 		NED
5 		ITA
14 		6th 9
1953 Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 Gordini Straight-6 ARG
Ret 		500 NED BEL FRA GBR GER SUI ITA NC 0
1954 Equipe Rosier Ferrari 625 Ferrari Straight-4 ARG 500 BEL FRA
3 		GBR
Ret 		GER
9 		ITA
Ret 		ESP
Ret 		15th 4
Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 553 SUI
DNS
1955 Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 Gordini Straight-6 ARG MON
Ret 		500 BEL NED
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		ITA NC 0
1956 Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 Gordini Straight-6 ARG
DNA 		MON
Ret 		500 BEL NC 0
Gordini Type 32 Gordini Straight-8 FRA
9 		GBR
9 		GER
Ret 		ITA
Ret

References

  1. ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Robert Manzon". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 22 March 2023.
  2. ^ a b c "Obituary: Former grand prix driver Robert Manzon 1917-2015". Autosport. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.
  3. ^ Brown, Allen. "Robert Manzon". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 3 September 2018.
  4. ^ "Formula One: French driver Robert Manzon, the last of the racers from F1's first season in 1950, dies at 97". ABC News. ABC Australia. 20 January 2015. Retrieved 20 January 2015.

Sources