Formula One drivers from Sweden

Last updated

Formula One drivers from Sweden
Flag of Sweden.svg
Drivers 11
Grands Prix441
Entries510
Starts469
Best season finish2nd (1971, 1978)
Wins 12
Podiums 44
Pole positions 15
Fastest laps 10
Points396
First entry 1951 German Grand Prix
First win 1959 Dutch Grand Prix
Latest win 1978 Austrian Grand Prix
Latest entry 2018 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix
2024 driversNone

There have been 11 Formula One drivers from Sweden who have entered a Formula One Grand Prix of whom 10 have started a race. [1]

Contents

Former drivers

Erik Lundgren was the first Swedish driver to enter a Formula One race when he entered the 1951 German Grand Prix, however he would later withdraw.

Bonnier driving for Porsche at the 1962 German Grand Prix. 1962-08-05 Joakim Bonnier, Porsche F1-804 (sw).jpg
Bonnier driving for Porsche at the 1962 German Grand Prix.

Jo Bonnier was the first Swedish Formula One driver. [2] He made his debut at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix in a Maserati, resulting in a retirement. [2] [3] He raced sporadically across the following 15 Formula One seasons, his greatest achievement being victory in the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix with BRM. [3] He was killed in an accident in the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans. [4]

1967 Swedish F3 champion Reine Wisell made his debut with Lotus at the 1970 United States Grand Prix. He scored a podium finish in his debut race, but only four more points finishes followed in his career, all in the following year. The subsequent years saw a large drop in form and he eventually retired following his home race of 1974.

Peterson driving for Lotus at the 1974 British Grand Prix. Ronnie Peterson 1974 British GP.jpg
Peterson driving for Lotus at the 1974 British Grand Prix.

Sweden's most successful Formula One driver was Ronnie Peterson . In a career that spanned 9 seasons he won 10 Grands Prix and came close to winning the championship on multiple occasions. He was an in-demand driver who was signed by teams such as March, Tyrrell and Lotus. Peterson was killed as a result of medical complications following a fiery accident at the 1978 Italian Grand Prix. His last career victory at the 1978 Austrian Grand Prix is the most recent for a Swedish Formula One driver.

Bertil Roos competed in one race – the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix in a Shadow. He retired on lap two through transmission failure.

Torsten Palm entered two Grands Prix in the 1975 season in a privateer Hesketh. He failed to qualify in Monaco and finished 10th in Sweden despite running out of fuel.

Conny Andersson entered five Grands Prix. His only appearance in the 1976 season was with Surtees at the Dutch Grand Prix, retiring after 9 laps. He failed to qualify for any of the events he entered in 1977.

Gunnar Nilsson raced for 2 almost full seasons in Formula One, in 1976–77 – qualifying his Lotus for every Grand Prix he entered. His short career was very up-and-down, with 17 retirements along with 4 podiums, including a win in the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix. He retired from his last seven straight Grands Prix and was beginning to show the signs of the testicular cancer that he would eventually pass away from.

Johansson driving for Ferrari at the 1985 European Grand Prix 1985 European GP Stefan Johansson 01.jpg
Johansson driving for Ferrari at the 1985 European Grand Prix

Stefan Johansson made an inauspicious start in Formula One, failing to qualify for his first two races in a Shadow at the 1980 Argentine and Brazilian Grands Prix. He didn't return until 1983, where he drove six of the last seven Grands Prix for Spirit. The next eight seasons were continually up-and-down; from two seasons at Ferrari and a season with McLaren to struggling to qualify for Onyx and Footwork at career's end. He scored 12 podiums (including a shock 3rd with Onyx in the 1989 Portuguese Grand Prix) but a win proved elusive.

In the two-year break Johansson took from Formula One, Slim Borgudd entered 15 Grands Prix with ATS and Tyrrell. He failed to pre-qualify five times and scored his sole point at the 1981 British Grand Prix. He was dumped by Tyrrell after three races.

Ericsson driving for Alfa Romeo-Sauber at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix FIA F1 Austria 2018 Nr. 9 Ericsson.jpg
Ericsson driving for Alfa Romeo-Sauber at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix

The most recent Formula One driver from Sweden is Marcus Ericsson . Making his debut at the 2014 Australian Grand Prix, Ericsson became the first Swedish driver to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix since Stefan Johansson raced in the 1991 Australian Grand Prix. He made his debut with the backmarker Caterham F1 Team, and struggled throughout the season. He was forced to sit out the final three races of the 2014 season as the team was placed into liquidation. He was signed by Sauber for the 2015 season and saw a slight reversal of fortune, picking up his first of 11 points finishes in Australia, finishing 18th in the championship. He maintained his Sauber drive up to 2018, with a best championship result of 17th in 2018 with 9 points. Having had two pointless seasons in 2016 and 2017, as well as being outscored by over 4 times the points in 2018 by his rookie team-mate Charles Leclerc, he was dropped from a race seat at Sauber and subsequently moved across to IndyCar for 2019. [5]

Timeline

DriversActive YearsEntriesWinsPodiumsCareer PointsPolesFastest LapsChampionships
Erik Lundgren 1951 1 (0 starts)00000-
Joakim Bonnier 1956–1971 109 (104 starts)113910-
Reine Wisell 1970–1974 23 (22 starts)011300-
Ronnie Peterson 1970–1978 1231026206149-
Bertil Roos 1974 100000-
Torsten Palm 1975 2 (1 start)00000-
Conny Andersson 1976–1977 5 (1 start)00000-
Gunnar Nilsson 1976–1977 32 (31 starts)143101-
Stefan Johansson 1980, 1983–1991 103 (79 starts)0128800-
Slim Borgudd 1981–1982 15 (10 starts)00100-
Marcus Ericsson 2014–2018 97001800-

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ronnie Peterson</span> Swedish racing driver (1944–1978)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1973 Swedish Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1974 Swedish Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1976 Brazilian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1977 Belgian Grand Prix</span> Formula One race

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1978 Argentine Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">1984 British Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1984 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Brands Hatch, Kent, England on 22 July 1984. It was the tenth race of the 1984 Formula One World Championship.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Belgian Grand Prix</span> Motor car race

The 1987 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 17 May 1987 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Wallonia. Contested over 43 laps, the race was the 45th Belgian Grand Prix, the 33rd to be held at Spa and the fourth since the circuit was redeveloped in 1979, and the third race of the 1987 Formula One season.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stefan Johansson</span> Swedish racing driver (born 1956)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marcus Ericsson</span> Swedish racing driver (born 1990)

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecurie Bonnier</span> Motor racing team

Ecurie Bonnier, Ecurie Suisse, Joakim Bonnier Racing Team and Anglo-Suisse Racing Team were names used by Swedish racing driver Joakim Bonnier to enter his own cars in Formula One, Formula Two and sports car racing between 1957 and his death in 1972. Commonly the vehicles were entered for Bonnier himself, but he also provided cars for a number of other drivers during the period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formula One drivers from Finland</span> List of Formula One drivers who competed as Finnish

There have been nine Formula One drivers from Finland who have taken part in races since the championship began in 1950. Three drivers have won the World Drivers' Championship, with Keke Rosberg being the first in 1982. Mika Häkkinen won it in 1998 and retained it in 1999, becoming the first - and so far only - Finnish double world champion. Kimi Räikkönen is the most recent Finnish champion having won the title in 2007. Finland is considered to have an unusually high amount of successful Formula One drivers for a country of its relatively small size.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Australian Grand Prix</span> Formula One motor race

The 2015 Australian Grand Prix, formally titled the 2015 Formula 1 Rolex Australian Grand Prix, was a Formula One motor race that was held on 15 March 2015 in Melbourne. The race was contested over fifty-eight laps of the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit and was the first round of the 2015 FIA Formula One World Championship. The race marked the 80th race in the combined history of the Australian Grand Prix – which dates back to the 100 Miles Road Race of 1928 – and the 20th time the event was held at the Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Formula One drivers from Japan</span> List of Formula One drivers who competed as Japanese

There has been a total of 21 Formula One drivers from Japan, of whom 18 took part in a race, with varying degrees of success.

References

  1. ↑ "Sweden – Drivers". StatsF1.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 "Sweden - Grands Prix started". StatsF1.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  3. 1 2 "Jo BONNIER - Grands Prix started". StatsF1.com. Archived from the original on 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  4. ↑ "Jo BONNIER". StatsF1.com (in French). Archived from the original on 21 March 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. ↑ "Marcus ERICSSON". StatsF1.com. Archived from the original on 9 December 2018. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
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