Birabongse Bhanudej

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Birabongse Bhanudej
Prince of Siam (later Thailand)

Spouse Ceril Heycock (1st) (19381949)
Chelita Hovard (19511956)
Salika Kalantananda (1957)
Arunee Chuladakoson (19591964)
Chuanchom Chaiyananda (19671980)
Ceril Heycock (2nd) (19831985)
Issue
Biradej Bhanubandh
Rabibara Bhanubandh
Biranubongse Bhanubandh
Full name
  His Serene Highness Prince (Mom Chao)
    Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh
    (15 July 1914 – 8 November 1927)
  His Highness Prince Birabongse Bhanudej
    (8 November 1927 – 23 December 1985)
House House of Bhanubandh
Chakri Dynasty
Father Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse,
the Prince Bhanubandhubongse Voradej
Mother Mom Lek Bhanubandh na Ayudhya
(née Yongchaiyudh)
Born Thailand Grand Palace, Bangkok, Thailand
Died United Kingdom Barons Court Stn, London, UK
Birabongse Bhanudej
("B. Bira")
Born (1914-07-15)15 July 1914
Died 23 December 1985(1985-12-23) (aged 71)
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality Thai
Active years 19501954
Teams Enrico Platé, Gordini, Connaught, Maserati, Scuderia Milano
Races 19
Championships 0
Wins 0
Podiums 0
Career points 8
Pole positions 0
Fastest laps 0
First race 1950 British Grand Prix
Last race 1954 Spanish Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Participating years 1939, 1954
Teams Raymond Sommer
Aston Martin
Best finish dnf (1939, 1954)
Class wins 0
Olympic medal record
Sailing
Competitor for  Thailand

12th, 1956 Melbourne, Star
19th, 1960 Rome, Star
22nd, 1964 Tokio, Dragon
21st, 1972 Munich, Tempest

Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh (born 15 July 1914 in Bangkok, Thailand; died 23 December 1985 in Barons Court Station, London), better known as Prince Bira of Siam (now Thailand) or by his nom de course B. Bira, was the only Thai racecar driver to race in Formula One. He raced in Formula One and Grand Prix races for the Maserati, Gordini, and Connaught teams, among others. He also was an Olympic sailor in the Melbourne Olympics, 1956 in the Star, Rome Olympics, 1960 in the Star, Tokyo Olympics, 1964 in the Dragon and the Munich Olympics, 1972 in the Tempest.[1] In the 1960 Games he competed against another former Formula One driver, Roberto Mieres, who finished 17th and ahead of the prince in 19th. Birabongse was the only Southeast Asian driver in Formula One until Malaysia's Alex Yoong joined Minardi in 2001. Prince Bira was not only a racing driver, he was also an excellent pilot of gliders and powered aircraft. In 1952 he flew the remarkable distance from London to Bangkok with his own twin engine Miles Gemini aircraft.

Before the Second World War

Prince Birabongse's father was Prince Bhanurangsi Savangwongse. Birabongse came to Europe in 1927 to complete his education in England at Eton and Cambridge University. Bira first raced with his cousin Prince Chula Chakrabongse's team, White Mouse Racing, driving a Riley Imp at Brooklands in 1935. In this car Bira established the national motor racing colours of Siam: pale blue with yellow. He later lived near Geneva, Switzerland, and in the south of France.

Later in 1935 Prince Chula gave him one of the new ERA voiturette racing cars – R2B, which was nicknamed Romulus. Bira finished second in his first ever race in Romulus, despite needing to stop for repairs. The remaining races of the season saw Bira consistently placing amongst the more powerful Grands Prix vehicles, with another second place, and fifth at the Donington Grand Prix.

For 1936 the princes decided that the previous season's results merited a second ERA. They purchased Remus to use in British events and retained Romulus for international races. Chula also purchased a Maserati 8CM to complete the White Mouse roster. Bira's expertise behind the wheel earned him the Coupe de Prince Rainier at Monte Carlo. Bira won a further four races in the ERAs that season, and took the Grand Prix Maserati to 5th at Donington and 3rd at Brooklands.

This was the high point for Bira and the White Mouse team. Following Dick Seaman's move to Mercedes for 1937, the Thais purchased his Grand Prix Delage and all of its spare parts, along with a second Delage. Despite several upgrades, and hiring experienced race engineer and future Jaguar team manager Lofty England, the cars underperformed, and on many occasions Bira raced in the older and by now substantially inferior ERAs. In addition, the money spent on the Delage upgrades had sapped the resources of the team and corners were being cut in the ERA's race preparations. While Bira maintained a respectable results tally in British events, the more costly international races were largely a disaster.

Post war

B. Bira's Maserati A6GCM in his racing colours.

After the war, Bira returned to racing with several teams. In 1951 he raced in an old 4CLT fitted with a newer V12 Osca engine. No results were obtained this year as a result of the poor performance of the car combined with a severe accident. By 1954, with some newer gear, a Maserati 250F, he won the Grand Prix des Frontières on the Chimay road circuit and then finished fourth in the 1954 French Grand Prix with his own Maserati. In January 1955, he won the New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore; he retired at the end of that season.

Prince Bira died of heart failure at Barons Court tube station, London, in 1985 at the age of 71.


Racing record

Complete World Championship Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 WDC Points
1950 Enrico Platé Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati Straight-4 s GBR
Ret
MON
5
500
SUI
4
BEL
FRA
ITA
Ret
8th 5
1951 Ecurie Siam Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati Straight-4 SUI
500
BEL
FRA
DNA
GBR
GER
DNA
ITA
NC 0
OSCA V12 ESP
Ret
1952 Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 15 Gordini Straight-4 s SUI
Ret
500
BEL
10
NC 0
Gordini Type 16 Gordini Straight-6 FRA
Ret
GBR
11
GER
NED
ITA
1953 Connaught Engineering Connaught Type A Lea-Francis Straight-4 ARG
500
NED
BEL
FRA
Ret
GBR
7
GER
Ret
SUI
NC 0
Scuderia Milano Maserati A6GCM Maserati Straight-6 ITA
11
1954 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati Straight-6 ARG
7
500
17th 3
"B. Bira" Maserati 250F Maserati Straight-6 BEL
6
FRA
4
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
SUI
ITA
ESP
9
1955 "B. Bira" Maserati 250F Maserati Straight-6 ARG
MON
500
BEL
DNA
NED
GBR
ITA
NC 0

Non-Championship Formula One results

(key)

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 36 37 38 39 40
1950 Enrico Platé Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati Straight-4 s PAU RIC
Ret
SRM
Ret
PAR
EMP
Ret
BAR
Ret
JER
Ret
ALB
Ret
NED
5
NAT
Ret
NOT
ULS
PES
Ret
STT INT GOO
2
PEN
Ret
1951 "B. Bira" Maserati 4CLT/48 OSCA V12 SYR
Ret
PAU RIC
1
SRM
Ret
BOR
4
INT
17
PAR
ULS
DNA
SCO
NED
ALB
PES
BAR
GOO
1952 Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 15 Gordini Straight-4 s RIO
SYR VAL AUS RIC LAV PAU
WD
IBS MAR
2
AST INT
6
ELA NAP EIF PAR
Ret
AGP
NC
FRO ULS
Ret
MOZ LAC
5
WEC MAR
4
SAB
4
CEA DMT COM NAT BAU MOD CAD SKA MAD AVU JOE NEW RIO
1953 Scuderia Milano Maserati A6GCM Maserati Straight-6 SYR PAU
LAV AST KMS INT
4
ELA NAP ULS WIN COR FRO
Ret
SNE EIF
11
AGP
COU PGG WEC MID ROU
DNA
HAL CRY AVU
Ret
USA LAC DRE BRI MCM SAB NEW CAD SAC RED SKA LON MOD MAD BER JOE CUR
1954 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati A6GCM Maserati Straight-6 RIO NZM BUE SYR
DNS
PAU
LAV BOR
Ret
INT
Ret
BAR
6
CUR ROM FRO
1
COM BAF CRY ROU
2
CEA
4
AUG COM OUL RED PES
2
SAC JOE CAD GBE GOO
DAI

Trivia

References

  1. Viva F1. "Formula One at the Olympics". Retrieved 2012-07-26. 
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