Jean Behra

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Jean Behra
Formula One Career
Nationality France French
Active years 1952 - 1959
Team(s) Gordini, Maserati, BRM, Ferrari
Grands Prix 53
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podium finishes    9
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 1
First Grand Prix 1952 Swiss Grand Prix
Last Grand Prix 1959 French Grand Prix

Jean Marie Behra (born in Nice, France, February 16, 1921 - died in Berlin, Germany, August 1, 1959) was a Formula One driver who raced for the Gordini, Maserati, BRM, Ferrari and Porsche teams.

Although he never achieved a victory, he managed an unquenchable thirst for motorsport, being considered a formidable competitor to the day he died. He hit the headlines when he won the non-title 1952 Reims Grand Prix. Between then and 1959 he scored many victories but in non-championship races. In 1959 he moved to Ferrari where he partnered with Tony Brooks. When he retired in the French Grand Prix at Reims-Gueux after a piston failure, he was involved in a strong discussion in which he punched team manager Romolo Tavoni, and was instantly dismissed from the team. Less than a month later he crashed his Porsche RSK in the sports car race that preceded the German Grand Prix at AVUS. He was thrown from his car and fatally injured against a flagpole.


[edit] Complete Formula One World Championship Results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Team WDC Points
1952 Gordini SWI
3
INDY
BEL
Ret
FRA
7
GBR
GER
5
DUT
Ret
ITA
Ret
Gordini 11th 6
1953 Gordini ARG
6
INDY
DUT
BEL
Ret
FRA
10
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
SWI
Ret
ITA
Gordini - 0
1954 Gordini ARG
DSQ
INDY
BEL
Ret
FRA
6
GBR
Ret
GER
10
SWI
Ret
ITA
Ret
ESP
Ret
Gordini 26th 0.14
1955 Maserati ARG
6
MON
3
INDY
BEL
5
DUT
6
GBR
Ret
ITA
4
Maserati 9th 6
1956 Maserati ARG
2
MON
3
INDY
BEL
7
FRA
3
GBR
3
GER
3
ITA
Ret
Maserati 4th 22
1957 Maserati ARG
2
MON
INDY
FRA
6
GBR
Ret
GER
6
PES
Ret
ITA
Ret
Maserati 11th 6
1958 Ken Kavanagh ARG
5
MON
Ret
DUT
3
INDY
BEL
Ret
FRA
Ret
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
POR
4
ITA
Ret
MOR
Ret
BRM 11th 9
1959 Ferrari MON
Ret
INDY
DUT
5
FRA
Ret
GBR
DEU
DNS
POR
ITA
USA
Jean Behra 17th 2
Preceded by:
Stirling Moss
BRDC International Trophy winner
1957
Succeeded by:
Peter Collins
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