Olivier gendebien birthday clip
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12 June 1961.
Formula 1 Success with Cooper
Despite his success with Ferrari, Gendebien's greatest Formula 1 achievements came while driving for Cooper.
Enzo Ferrari summed him up as "a gentleman who never forgets that noblesse oblige and, when he is at the wheel, he translates this code of behaviour into an elegant and discerning forcefulness."
During his career he competed in only 15 Formula One races as most of the time he was Ferrari's spare driver, filling in only occasionally.
They finished second to a fellow Ferrari pairing Phil Hill and Peter Collins.
During his career he competed in only 15 Formula One races, making his debut at the Argentine Grand Prix in 1956. Much respected as a true gentleman by everyone who knew him, he remained a member of the Ferrari team until he retired from racing.
The New York Times: p. 26. When asked about the key to winning as a race car driver, Gendebien responded: "It is a matter of taking the corners a little faster than one would want." In honour of Gendebien's three wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the turn onto the Ullman straight is named after him. Piloting a 2.5-litre Ferrari, Gendebien teamed up with Maurice Trintignant to place third in the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans.
In the race Argentine Maserati driver, Jorge Magnasco, died after his car skidded and turned over.
The same year he partnered Hill and won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. At 38 years of age, in 1962 Olivier Gendebien retired following his fourth victory at Le Mans.
Born into a wealthy family, an heir to the industrial holdings of the Solvay family, Olivier Gendebien studied engineering at university but when World War II erupted and the Nazis occupied Belgium, he joined the Belgian resistance movement.
Gendebien's record number of Le Mans victories was not exceeded until 1981, when fellow-Belgian Jacky Ickx won for the fifth time.
Away from Circuit de la Sarthe, Gendebien also triumphed in the Targa Florio (1958, '61, '62), the 12 Hours of Sebring (1959, '60, '61), the 12 Hours of Reims (1957, '58) and the 1000 km Nürburgring (1962).[1] When asked about the key to winning as a race car driver, Gendebien responded: "It is a matter of taking the corners a little faster than one would want."[10] In honour of Gendebien's three wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring, the turn onto the Ullman straight is named after him.
Major race victories
- Tour of Sicily : 1957
- Tour de France (auto) : 1957, 1958, 1959
- Reims 12 Hour race : 1957, 1958
- Targa Florio : 1958, 1961, 1962
- 12 Hours of Sebring : 1959, 1960, 1961
- 24 hours of Le Mans : 1958, 1960, 1961, 1962
- 1000km Nürburgring : 1962
Post race life
Married with three children, Gendebien’s wife pressured him to get out of the dangerous sport of automobile racing where more than two dozen of his competitors had died at the wheel.
Enzo Ferrari summed him up as "a gentleman who never forgets that noblesse oblige and, when he is at the wheel, he translates this code of behaviour into an elegant and discerning forcefulness."[1] During his career he competed in only 15 Formula One races — most of the time he was Ferrari's spare driver, filling in only occasionally — he nonetheless scored points in five races, and was only one place away from a points-scoring finish on a further two occasions.
They were seven laps behind the winners, privateer Ecurie EcosseJaguar drivers Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson. Their car was an Alfa Romeo 1900 TI. The Gendebien and Fraiken partnership gained the nickname "the eternal bridesmaids", owing to their number of second-place finishes, but after two previous attempts they triumphed in the Liège-Rome-Liège Rally, the Coppa d'Oro delle Dolomiti and Rally Stella Alpina in 1955, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300SL.
Gendebien's success in rally competitions brought him to the attention of Enzo Ferrari, who offered him a contract to drive a Ferrari in sports car events and selected Grands Prix.
He has been cited as "one of the greatest sportscar racers of all time".[1]
Background
Born into a wealthy family, an heir to the industrial holdings of the Solvay family, Olivier Gendebien studied engineering at university. The second of these was a somewhat bitter-sweet success, as Gendebien's team-mate at the time, Chris Bristow, was killed in an accident during the race.
The duo were a natural fit and together they won the Le Mans race three times, with Gendebien winning it a fourth time, partnered with fellow Belgian Paul Frère.