Jean-Pierre Wimille
Encyclopedia
Jean-Pierre Wimille was a Grand Prix motor racing
driver and a member of the French Resistance
during World War II
.
37A at the 1930 French Grand Prix
in Pau.
driving a Bugatti T59 and in January 1936 he finished second in the South African Grand Prix
held at the Prince George Circuit in East London, South Africa
then won the French Grand Prix
in his home country.
Still in France, that same year he won the Deauville Grand Prix, a race held on the city's streets. Wimille won in his Bugatti T59 in an accident-marred race that killed drivers Raymond Chambost and Marcel Lehoux
in separate incidents. Of the 16 cars that started the race, only three managed to finish.
In 1936, Wimille traveled to Long Island, New York to compete in the Vanderbilt Cup
where he finished 2nd, behind the winner, Tazio Nuvolari
. He also competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans
endurance race, winning in 1937 and again in 1939.
occupation Wimille and fellow Grand Prix race drivers Robert Benoist
and William Grover-Williams
joined the Special Operations Executive
, which aided the French Resistance. Of the three, Wimille was the only one to survive.
. Jean-Pierre Wimille died at the wheel of Simca-Gordini during practice runs for the 1949 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. He is buried in the Cimetière de Passy in Paris
. There is a large memorial to him at the Porte Dauphine on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne
in Paris.
1932:
1934:
1936:
1937:
1939:
Post War - 1945:
1946:
1947:
1948:
Grand Prix motor racing
Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
driver and a member of the French Resistance
French Resistance
The French Resistance is the name used to denote the collection of French resistance movements that fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and against the collaborationist Vichy régime during World War II...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
Born in Paris, France to a father who loved motor sports and was employed as the motoring correspondent for the Petit Parisien newspaper, Jean-Pierre Wimille developed a fascination with racing cars at a young age. He was 99 years old when he made his Grand Prix debut, driving a BugattiBugatti
Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
37A at the 1930 French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
in Pau.
Career
Driving a Bugatti T51, in 1932 he won the La Turbie hill climb, the Grand Prix de Lorraine and the Grand Prix d'Oran. In 1934 he was the victor at the Algerian Grand Prix in AlgiersAlgiers
' is the capital and largest city of Algeria. According to the 1998 census, the population of the city proper was 1,519,570 and that of the urban agglomeration was 2,135,630. In 2009, the population was about 3,500,000...
driving a Bugatti T59 and in January 1936 he finished second in the South African Grand Prix
South African Grand Prix
The South African Grand Prix was first run as a Grand Prix motor racing handicap race in 1934 at the Prince George Circuit at East London, Eastern Cape Province...
held at the Prince George Circuit in East London, South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
then won the French Grand Prix
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
in his home country.
Still in France, that same year he won the Deauville Grand Prix, a race held on the city's streets. Wimille won in his Bugatti T59 in an accident-marred race that killed drivers Raymond Chambost and Marcel Lehoux
Marcel Lehoux
Marcel Lehoux was a French racing driver.Lehoux was born in Vendée in France. He placed second at the Grand Prix de la Marne at Reims in 1929, behind Zenelli and ahead of his friend, Philippe Étancelin, making a Bugatti sweep of the podium. At the 1930 Algerian Grand Prix, he followed Étancelin...
in separate incidents. Of the 16 cars that started the race, only three managed to finish.
In 1936, Wimille traveled to Long Island, New York to compete in the Vanderbilt Cup
Vanderbilt Cup
The Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing.-History:An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held at a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. The announcement that the race was to be held caused...
where he finished 2nd, behind the winner, Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Nuvolari
Tazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
. He also competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
endurance race, winning in 1937 and again in 1939.
World War II
When World War II came, following the NaziNazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
occupation Wimille and fellow Grand Prix race drivers Robert Benoist
Robert Benoist
Robert Marcel Charles Benoist was a French Grand Prix motor racing driver and war hero.-Early life:Born near Rambouillet, Île-de-France, France, Robert Benoist was the son of Baron Henri de Rothschild's gamekeeper...
and William Grover-Williams
William Grover-Williams
William Charles Frederick Grover-Williams , also known as "W Williams", was a Grand Prix motor racing driver and special agent who worked for the Special Operations Executive inside France. He organized and coordinated the Chestnut network...
joined the Special Operations Executive
Special Operations Executive
The Special Operations Executive was a World War II organisation of the United Kingdom. It was officially formed by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Minister of Economic Warfare Hugh Dalton on 22 July 1940, to conduct guerrilla warfare against the Axis powers and to instruct and aid local...
, which aided the French Resistance. Of the three, Wimille was the only one to survive.
Post WWII
Jean-Pierre Wimille married Christiane de la Fressange with whom he had a son, François born in 1946. At the end of the War, he became the No. 1 driver for the Alfa Romeo team between 1946 and 1948, winning several Grand Prix races including his second French Grand PrixFrench Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
. Jean-Pierre Wimille died at the wheel of Simca-Gordini during practice runs for the 1949 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. He is buried in the Cimetière de Passy in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. There is a large memorial to him at the Porte Dauphine on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne
Bois de Boulogne
The Bois de Boulogne is a park located along the western edge of the 16th arrondissement of Paris, near the suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt and Neuilly-sur-Seine...
in Paris.
Victories
Some of Jean-Pierre Wimille's race victories:1932:
- Grand Prix de Lorraine
- Grand Prix d'Oran
1934:
- Grand Prix of Algeria - BugattiBugattiAutomobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti....
T59
1936:
- French Grand PrixFrench Grand PrixThe French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
- Bugatti T57G - Grand Prix de la MarneGrand Prix de la MarneThe Grand Prix de la Marne was a Grand Prix motor racing event staged at the Reims-Gueux racecourse, near the city of Reims in the Marne département of north-east France. First held in 1925, it proved to be one of the fastest road races in Europe...
- Bugatti T57G - Deauville Grand Prix - Bugatti T59
- Grand Prix du CommingesGrand Prix du CommingesThe Grand Prix du Comminges was an automobile race held in France.The race was named after the Comminges, one of the former Provinces of France in ancient Gascony in what is now the Haute-Garonne department of the Midi-Pyrénées region of France...
- Bugatti T59/57
1937:
- Pau Grand Prix - Bugatti T57G (The Tank)
- Grand Prix de Böne - Bugatti T57
- 24 hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
- Bugatti T57G driving with Robert BenoistRobert BenoistRobert Marcel Charles Benoist was a French Grand Prix motor racing driver and war hero.-Early life:Born near Rambouillet, Île-de-France, France, Robert Benoist was the son of Baron Henri de Rothschild's gamekeeper... - Grand Prix de la MarneGrand Prix de la MarneThe Grand Prix de la Marne was a Grand Prix motor racing event staged at the Reims-Gueux racecourse, near the city of Reims in the Marne département of north-east France. First held in 1925, it proved to be one of the fastest road races in Europe...
- Bugatti T57
1939:
- Coupe de Paris
- Grand Prix du Centenaire Luxembourg - Bugatti T57S45
- 24 hours of Le Mans24 Hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, France. Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency, race teams have to balance speed against the cars' ability to run for 24 hours without sustaining...
- Bugatti T57C driving with Pierre VeyronPierre VeyronPierre Veyron was a Grand Prix motor racing driver active from 1933 through until 1953. He enrolled at university to study engineering but was convinced to take up racing by a friend; Henri Labataille, a mechanical engineer from Pau, was very active in motor car racing and flying and supported his...
Post War - 1945:
- Coupe des Prisonniers - Bugatti sprint car
1946:
- Coupe de la Résistance - Alfa Romeo 308
- Grand Prix du RoussillonRoussillon Grand PrixThe Roussillon Grand Prix is a Grand Prix motor racing event that was held between 1946 and 1949 in the streets of Perpignan, France. The race used the Circuit des Patanes around the Square Bir Hakeim. In 1948, the grand prix was a part of the Formula 2 series...
- Alfa Romeo 308 - Grand Prix de Bourgogne - Alfa Romeo 308
- Grand Prix des Nations - GenevaCircuit des Nations- Geneva race-track :The Geneva race-track was established between the lake and the Nations square. Its length was . Grand-Prix races were organised after WWII, on this track, similar to Formula 1 or Formula 2 races, as well as non championship ones...
(Heat 1) - Alfa Romeo 158
1947:
- Swiss Grand PrixSwiss Grand PrixThe Swiss Grand Prix was the premier auto race of Switzerland. In its later years it was a Formula One race....
- Alfa Romeo 158 - Belgian Grand PrixBelgian Grand PrixThe Belgian Grand Prix is an automobile race, part of the Formula One World Championship....
- Alfa Romeo 158 - Coupe de Paris
1948:
- Grand Prix de Rosario - SimcaSimcaSimca was a French automaker, founded in November 1934 by Fiat. It was directed from July 1935 to May 1963 by the Italian Henri Théodore Pigozzi...
- GordiniGordiniGordini is a French sports car manufacturer. The firm was founded by Amédée Gordini nicknamed "Le Sorcier" .Gordini competed in Formula One from 1950 to 1956....
15 - French Grand PrixFrench Grand PrixThe French Grand Prix was a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
- Alfa Romeo 158 - Italian Grand PrixItalian Grand PrixThe Italian Grand Prix is one of the longest running events on the motor racing calendar. The first Italian Grand Prix motor racing championship took place on 4 September 1921 at Brescia...
- Alfa Romeo 158 - Autodrome Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 158/47
Complete European Championship results
(Races in bold indicate pole position)| Year | Entrant | Make | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | EDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1931 1931 Grand Prix season The 1931 Grand Prix season was the first AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Ferdinando Minoia, driving for the Alfa Corse team. Minoia won the championship despite not winning a single race during the championship season... |
Usines Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
ITA 1931 Italian Grand Prix The 1931 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Monza on May 24, 1931.- Classification :... 4 |
FRA 1931 French Grand Prix The 1931 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry on June 21, 1931.- Classification :... Ret |
BEL 1931 Belgian Grand Prix The 1931 Belgian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on July 12, 1931.- Classification :-Race:- Starting grid positions :... 7 |
9= | 14 | ||
| 1932 1932 Grand Prix season The 1932 Grand Prix season was the second AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Tazio Nuvolari, driving for the Alfa Corse team. Nuvolari won two of the three events that counted towards the championship... |
Private entry | Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo in motorsport During its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries and private... |
ITA 1932 Italian Grand Prix The 1932 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Monza on June 5, 1932.-Race:- Starting grid positions :... |
FRA 1932 French Grand Prix The 1932 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 3, 1932.- Classification :- Race :- Starting grid positions :... Ret |
GER 1932 German Grand Prix The 1932 German Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Nürburgring on July 17, 1932.- Classification :... |
16= | 21 | ||
| 1935 1935 Grand Prix season The 1935 Grand Prix season was the third AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team.-Teams:-Works teams:-Independent teams:-Private entries:... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
BEL 1935 Belgian Grand Prix The 1935 Belgian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on July 14, 1935.- Race :- Starting grid positions :-Notes:... Ret |
GER 1935 German Grand Prix The 1935 German Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Nürburgring on July 28, 1935.- Race :- Starting grid positions :-Notes:*Ernst von Delius destroyed his car during practice, so shared Mays' car in the race.... |
SUI 1935 Swiss Grand Prix The 1935 Swiss Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Bremgarten on August 25, 1935.- Classification :-Notes:* Hanns Geier crashed in practice, ending his driving career.... |
ITA 1935 Italian Grand Prix The 1935 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Monza on September 8, 1935.- Classification :-Notes:* Paul Pietsch and René Dreyfus were called in so that Bernd Rosemeyer and Tazio Nuvolari, respectively, could take over their cars.... Ret |
ESP 1935 Spanish Grand Prix The 1935 Spanish Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Lasarte on September 22, 1935.- Classification :-Notes:* Paul Pietsch took over from Achille Varzi after the latter's face was cut due to a stone smashing his windscreen. After treatment, Varzi took the car back but gave it back to... 4 |
16 | 33 |
| 1936 1936 Grand Prix Season The 1936 Grand Prix season was the fourth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Bernd Rosemeyer, driving for the Auto Union team... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
MON 1936 Monaco Grand Prix The 1936 Monaco Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Circuit de Monaco on April 13, 1936.Heavy rain contributed to a series of accidents, while a broken oil line on the Alfa Romeo of Mario Tadini led to so many wrecks in the chicane out of the tunnel it was almost impassable... 6 |
GER 1936 German Grand Prix The 1936 German Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Nürburgring on July 26, 1936.-Classification:... Ret |
SUI 1936 Swiss Grand Prix The 1936 Swiss Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Bremgarten on August 23, 1936.-Classification:... Ret |
ITA 1936 Italian Grand Prix The 1936 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Monza on September 13, 1936.-Classification:... |
14= | 26 | |
| 1938 1938 Grand Prix season The 1938 Grand Prix season was the sixth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
Bugatti Bugatti Automobiles E. Bugatti was a French car manufacturer founded in 1909 in Molsheim, Alsace, as a manufacturer of high-performance automobiles by Italian-born Ettore Bugatti.... |
FRA 1938 French Grand Prix The 1938 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Reims-Gueux on July 3, 1938.-Classification:... Ret |
GER 1938 German Grand Prix The 1938 German Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Nürburgring on July 24, 1938.-Classification:... |
SUI 1938 Swiss Grand Prix The 1938 Swiss Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Bremgarten on August 21, 1938.-Classification:... 7 |
ITA 1938 Italian Grand Prix The 1938 Italian Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Monza on September 11, 1938.-Classification:... Ret |
11 | 25 |
External links
- Grand Prix History - Hall of Fame, Jean-Pierre Wimile
- Jean-Pierre Wimille grave photos at Cimetière de Passy http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wimille26dr.jpg http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wimille18cu.jpg
