Formula One drivers from France

Last updated

Formula One drivers from France
Flag of France.svg
Drivers 74
Grands Prix993
Entries3190
Starts2962
Best season finish1st (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)
Wins 81
Podiums 312
Pole positions 79
Fastest laps 92
Points3656.47 [a]
First entry 1950 British Grand Prix
First win 1955 Monaco Grand Prix
Latest win 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix
Latest entry 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2025 drivers Pierre Gasly
Isack Hadjar
Esteban Ocon
Alain Prost in 2012 Festival automobile international 2012 - Photocall - Alain Prost - 013.jpg
Alain Prost in 2012

There have been 74 Formula One drivers from France, the most successful of them being Alain Prost, who won the World Drivers' Championship four times.

Contents

World champions and race winners

The title has been won by a French driver on four occasions, all of which were victories for Alain Prost. [3] Thirteen other drivers have won at least one race, though they are all far behind Prost's tally of 51 wins. [4]

Rene Arnoux in 2008 Rene Arnoux WSR2008 HU.png
René Arnoux in 2008
Didier Pironi in 1982 Didier Pironi 1982.jpg
Didier Pironi in 1982
Patrick Depailler in 1975 PatrickDepailler-ar.jpg
Patrick Depailler in 1975
Jean Alesi in 2001 Jean Alesi 2001.jpg
Jean Alesi in 2001
Gasly driving for AlphaTauri at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix FIA F1 Austria 2021 Nr. 10 Gasly.jpg
Gasly driving for AlphaTauri at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix
Ocon driving for Alpine-Renault at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix FIA F1 Austria 2021 Nr. 31 Ocon.jpg
Ocon driving for Alpine-Renault at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

Driver statistics

Jean-Pierre Jabouille in 1975 JeanPierreJabouille1975.jpg
Jean-Pierre Jabouille in 1975
DriversActive YearsEntriesWinsPodiumsCareer PointsPolesFastest LapsChampionships
Eugène Chaboud 19501951 300100-
Philippe Étancelin 19501952 1200300-
Yves Giraud-Cabantous 19501953 1300500-
Pierre Levegh 19501951 600000-
Henri Louveau 19501951 200000-
Guy Mairesse 19501951 300000-
Robert Manzon 19501956 29 (28 starts)021600-
Eugène Martin 1950 200000-
Charles Pozzi 1950 100000-
Louis Rosier 19501956 38021800-
Raymond Sommer 1950 500300-
Maurice Trintignant 19501964 86 (81 starts) [b] 210 [18] 72 1⁄301-
Aldo Gordini 1951 100000-
Georges Grignard 1951 100000-
André Simon 19511952, 19551957 12 (11 starts)00000-
Marcel Balsa 1952 100000-
Élie Bayol 19521956 8 (7 starts)00200-
Jean Behra 19521959 53 (52 starts) [c] 0951 1⁄701-
Roger Loyer 1954 100000-
Jacques Pollet 19541955 500000-
Jean Lucas 1955 100000-
Mike Sparken 1955 100000-
André Guelfi [21] 1958 100000-
François Picard 1958 100000-
Jean Lucienbonnet 1959 1 (0 starts)00000-
Bernard Collomb 19611964 6 (4 starts)00000-
Guy Ligier 19661967 13 (12 starts)00100-
Jo Schlesser 19661968 300000-
Jean-Pierre Beltoise 19671974 88 (86 starts)187704-
Johnny Servoz-Gavin 19671970 13 (12 starts)01900-
Henri Pescarolo 19681974, 1976 64 (57 starts)011201-
François Cevert 19691973 48 (47 starts)1138902-
Jean-Pierre Jarier 1971, 19731983 143 (135 starts)0331.533-
Max Jean 1971 100000-
François Mazet 1971 100000-
Patrick Depailler 1972, 19741980 95219139 (141) [22] 14-
François Migault 1972, 19741975 16 (13 starts)00000-
José Dolhem 1974 3 (1 start)00000-
Jean-Pierre Jabouille 19741975, 19771981 55 (49 starts)222160-
Jacques Laffite 19741986 180 (176 starts)63222877-
Jean-Louis Lafosse 1974 1 (0 starts)00000-
Gérard Larrousse 1974 2 (1 start)00000-
Michel Leclère 19751976 8 (7 starts)00000-
Patrick Tambay 19771979, 19811986 123 (114 starts)21110352-
René Arnoux 19781989 165 (149 starts)7221811812-
Didier Pironi 19781982 72 (70 starts)31310145-
Patrick Gaillard 1979 5 (2 starts)00000-
Alain Prost 19801991, 1993 202 (199 starts)51106768.5 (798.5) [22] 33414 (1985, 1986, 1989, 1993)
Jean-Louis Schlesser 1983, 1988 2 (1 start)00000-
Philippe Alliot 19841990, 19931994 116 (109 starts)00700-
François Hesnault 19841985 21 (19 starts)00700-
Philippe Streiff 19841988 55 (53 starts)011100-
Yannick Dalmas 19871990, 1994 49 (24 starts)00000-
Pascal Fabre 1987 14 (11 starts)00700-
Pierre-Henri Raphanel 19881989 17 (1 start)00000-
Jean Alesi 19892001 202 (201 starts)13224124-
Éric Bernard 19891991, 1994 47 (45 starts)011000-
Olivier Grouillard 19891992 62 (41 starts)00100-
Érik Comas 19911994 63 (59 starts)00700-
Paul Belmondo 1992, 1994 27 (7 starts)00000-
Bertrand Gachot 1992, 19941995 43 (32 starts)00100-
Jean-Marc Gounon 19931994 900000-
Franck Lagorce 1994 200000-
Olivier Panis 19941999, 20012004 158 (157 starts)157600-
Jean-Christophe Boullion 1995 1100300-
Stéphane Sarrazin 1999 100000-
Franck Montagny 2006 700000-
Sébastien Bourdais 20082009 2700600-
Romain Grosjean 2009, 20122020 181 (179 starts)01039101-
Charles Pic 20122013 3900000-
Jean-Éric Vergne 20122014 58005100-
Jules Bianchi 20132014 3400200-
Esteban Ocon 20162018, 20202025 156 (156 starts)1444501-
Pierre Gasly 20172025 154 (153 starts)1543603-
Isack Hadjar 20252025 0 (0 starts)00000-

Current drivers

In the 2024 Formula One season there are two French drivers, both driving for Alpine.

Pierre Gasly made his debut for Scuderia Toro Rosso at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix. He was then promoted to Red Bull Racing for 2019 after Daniel Ricciardo left the team, before being demoted back to Toro Rosso mid-season. At the 2020 Italian Grand Prix, Gasly became the first French driver to win an F1 race since Olivier Panis in 1996. Esteban Ocon made his debut at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix. As of 2024 he is the most recent race winner, having won the 2021 Hungarian Grand Prix.

See also

Notes

  1. 2 points less than what's shown on StatsF1, [1] since Nano da Silva Ramos is incorrectly listed there as racing under French license while he was actually racing under Brazilian license. [2]
  2. Trintignant got sick before the race at Italy in 1951, and was secretly replaced by Jean Behra. Team principal Amédée Gordini did not inform the race organizers about the switch as it would have cut the team's starting fee. Since the organizers were not informed about the driver change Trintignant was initially credited with the race start and some sources still do. [16] [17]
  3. Behra secretly replaced the unwell Maurice Trintignant for the race of the 1951 Italian Grand Prix. Team principal Amédée Gordini did not inform the race organizers about the switch as it would have cut the team's starting fee. Behra competed in the race but wasn't officially credited with the race start. [19] [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alain Prost</span> French racing driver (born 1955)

Alain Marie Pascal Prost is a French former racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1980 to 1993. Nicknamed "The Professor", Prost won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles and—at the time of his retirement—held the records for most wins (51), fastest laps (41), and podium finishes (106).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maurice Trintignant</span> French racing driver (1917–2005)

Maurice Bienvenu Jean Paul Trintignant was a French racing driver and winemaker, who competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1964. Trintignant won two Formula One Grands Prix across 15 seasons. In endurance racing, Trintignant won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1954 with Ferrari.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">René Arnoux</span> French racing driver (born 1948)

René Alexandre Arnoux is a French former racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1989. Arnoux won seven Formula One Grands Prix across 12 seasons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1952 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1952 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 6 July 1952 at Rouen-Les-Essarts. It was race 4 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. Unusually this race was run over a duration of 3 hours, rather than a fixed distance.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 Monaco Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1955 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 22 May 1955. It was race 2 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers and was given an honorary name, Grand Prix d'Europe. The 100-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Maurice Trintignant after he started from ninth position. Eugenio Castellotti finished second for the Lancia team and Maserati drivers Jean Behra and Cesare Perdisa came in third.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Argentine Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1980 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 January 1980 at the Autodromo Municipal Ciudad de Buenos Aires in Argentina. It was the opening round of the 1980 Formula One season. The race was the 16th Argentine Grand Prix and the sixth to be held on the #15 variation of the Buenos Aires circuit. The race was held over 53 laps of the 5.81-kilometre (3.61 mi) circuit for a total race distance of 308 kilometres (191 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1981 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Dijon-Prenois near Dijon, France on 5 July 1981. It was the eighth race of the 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Austrian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1981 Austrian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Österreichring on 16 August 1981. It was the eleventh race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Dutch Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1981 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Zandvoort on 30 August 1981. It was the twelfth race of the 1981 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 San Marino Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1985 San Marino Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Imola on 5 May 1985. It was the third race of the 1985 Formula One World Championship. The 60-lap race was won by local driver Elio de Angelis, driving a Lotus-Renault, after McLaren driver Alain Prost had been disqualified for being underweight. It was de Angelis' second and last win. Thierry Boutsen was second in an Arrows-BMW, with Patrick Tambay third in a factory Renault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1985 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1985 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Paul Ricard on 7 July 1985. It was the seventh race of the 1985 Formula One World Championship. It was the 63rd French Grand Prix and the ninth to be held at Paul Ricard. The race was held over 53 laps of the 5.81-kilometre (3.61 mi) circuit for a total race distance of 307.93 kilometres (191.34 mi).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 Australian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1986 Australian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 26 October 1986 at the Adelaide Street Circuit, Adelaide, Australia. It was the sixteenth and final race of the 1986 Formula One World Championship. The race decided a three-way battle for the Drivers' Championship between Brit Nigel Mansell, driving a Williams-Honda; his Brazilian teammate Nelson Piquet; and Frenchman Alain Prost, driving a McLaren-TAG.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1993 French Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1993 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Magny-Cours on 4 July 1993. It was the eighth race of the 1993 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1986 Formula One World Championship</span> 40th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1986 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 40th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1986 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1986 Formula One World Championship for Manufacturers, both of which commenced on 23 March and ended on 26 October after sixteen races. The Drivers' Championship was won by Alain Prost, Prost was the first driver to win back-to-back Drivers' Championships since Jack Brabham in 1959 and 1960. Together with Prost, Nigel Mansell, Nelson Piquet and Ayrton Senna dominated throughout the season and formed what was dubbed as the "Gang of Four".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 Formula One World Championship</span> 37th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1983 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 37th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1983 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1983 Formula One World Championship for Manufacturers, which were contested concurrently over a fifteen-race series that commenced on 13 March and ended on 15 October.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1981 Formula One World Championship</span> 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1981 FIA Formula One World Championship was the 35th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1981 Formula One World Championship for Drivers and the 1981 Formula One World Championship for Manufacturers, which were contested over a fifteen-race series that commenced on 15 March and ended on 17 October. The 1981 South African Grand Prix, as a non-championship race due to difficulties from the ongoing FISA–FOCA war, was open to Formula One entrants but was not part of the World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1980 Formula One season</span> 34th season of FIA Formula One motor racing

The 1980 Formula One season was the 34th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1980 World Championship of Drivers and the 1980 International Cup for F1 Constructors, which were contested concurrently from 13 January to 5 October over a fourteen-race series. The season also included one non-championship race, the Spanish Grand Prix.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1955 Formula One season</span> 9th season of FIAs Formula One motor racing

The 1955 Formula One season was the ninth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the sixth World Championship of Drivers, which was contested over seven races between 16 January and 11 September 1955. The season also included several non-championship races for Formula One cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Didier Pironi</span> French racing driver (1952–1987)

Didier Joseph Louis Pironi was a French racing driver and offshore powerboat racer, who competed in Formula One from 1978 to 1982. Pironi was runner-up in the Formula One World Drivers' Championship in 1982 with Ferrari, and won three Grands Prix across five seasons. In endurance racing, Pironi won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1978 with Renault.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1983 United States Grand Prix West</span> Formula One race

The 1983 United States Grand Prix West was a Formula One motor race held on March 27, 1983 at Long Beach, California. It was the second race of the 1983 Formula One World Championship.

References

  1. "Statistics – Nations – Points – By Number". StatsF1.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  2. Paolozzi, Rémi (27 December 2002). "A Brazilian tune in Paris". 8W.forix.com. Retrieved 14 August 2023.
  3. "Drivers". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  4. 1 2 3 "Alain Prost". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
  5. "René Arnoux". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  6. "Jacques Laffite". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  7. "Didier Pironi". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  8. "Patrick Tambay". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  9. Williamson, Martin. "Maurice Trintignant". ESPN F1. ESPN EMEA Ltd. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  10. "Drivers: Maurice Trintignant". GrandPrix.com. Inside F1, Inc. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
  11. "Patrick Depailler". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  12. "Jean-Pierre Jabouille". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  13. "François Cevert". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  14. "Jean-Pierre Beltoise". STATS F1. Retrieved 27 January 2015.
  15. "Big hitters – Button joins the 200-plus club". Formula1.com. Formula One World Championship Limited. July 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2012.
  16. "Jean Behra - Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  17. "Seasons - Italy 1951". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  18. Total of 10 podiums includes both 2nd and 3rd places at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix
  19. "Jean Behra - Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  20. "Seasons - Italy 1951". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  21. "Grand Prix of Marocco (1958)". The Formula One Archives..
  22. 1 2 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). Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.