Jean-Pierre Beltoise

Jean-Pierre Maurice Georges Beltoise (26 April 1937 – 5 January 2015) was a French Grand Prix motorcycle road racer and Formula One driver who raced for the Matra and BRM teams. He competed in 88 Grands Prix achieving a single victory, at the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix, and a total of eight podium finishes.

Jean-Pierre Beltoise
Beltoise in 1968
NationalityFrench
Born(1937-04-26)26 April 1937
Paris, France
Died5 January 2015(2015-01-05) (aged 77)
Dakar, Senegal
Motorcycle racing career statistics
Grand Prix motorcycle racing
Active years19621964
First race1962 250cc French Grand Prix
Last race1964 50 cc French Grand Prix
Team(s)Kreidler
Starts Wins Podiums Poles F. laps Points
8 0 1 0 0 16
Formula One World Championship career
Active years19671974
TeamsMatra, BRM
Entries88 (86 starts)
Championships0
Wins1
Podiums8
Career points77
Pole positions0
Fastest laps4
First entry1967 Monaco Grand Prix
First win1972 Monaco Grand Prix
Last win1972 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1974 United States Grand Prix

Early career

Beltoise won 11 French national motorcycle road racing titles in three years.[1] He competed in international Grand Prix motorcycle racing from the 1962 to 1964 seasons in the 50, 125, 250 and 500 cc classes. His best finish was a sixth place in the 1964 50 cc World Championship.[2]

In 1964 he was racing a 1.1-litre René Bonnet sports car. His career almost ended with a huge crash in the Reims 12-hour sports car endurance race, in which he suffered a broken arm, so severely damaged that its movement was permanently restricted.[3] However he returned in 1965 and won the Reims Formula 3 race, after which he graduated to Formula 2 for the following season.

Formula One

In a Matra car during practice for the 1968 German Grand Prix.
Beltoise at the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix.

In 1966, Beltoise drove in the German Grand Prix at the Nurburgring in a Formula Two (F2) one litre Matra MS5-Cosworth. He finished one lap down but won the F2 class.[4] However, it was his only Grand Prix that season.[4] In 1967 Beltoise competed in three Grands Prix with a Formula Two Matra MS7 1.6 litre Cosworth, and finished seventh at both Watkins Glen and Mexico City.[4] He also won the 1967 Buenos Aires Grand Prix, which was not part of the World Championship calendar. In 1968 Beltoise began the season again with an F2 car but from the second race onward had Formula One machinery and finished second in the 1968 Dutch Grand Prix. In 1969 he was placed in Ken Tyrrell's Matra team, whilst the works V12 engine was developed[3] driving alongside Jackie Stewart, and finished second in the French grand Prix. Beltoise returned to the works Matra team for both 1970 and 1971. In 1971, racing in the Matra sports car team, he was involved in the accident in which Ignazio Giunti died during the 1000 km Buenos Aires, and his international racing license was suspended for some time.

In 1971 Matra signed Chris Amon[3] as team leader which frustrated Beltoise's ambitions.[3] For 1972 he moved to the BRM team and won what turned out to be his only and BRM's final championship-qualifying Formula One victory at the 1972 Monaco Grand Prix in heavy rain. He spent three seasons with BRM, without much success and finally retired from Formula 1 at the end of the 1974 season.

Later career

He later did most of the testing for the Ligier F1 team, although a proposed Formula One drive for 1976 went instead to Jacques Laffite[3] and he thereafter turned his attention to touring car racing in France, twice winning the French title for BMW before entering rallycross in an Alpine-Renault with which he won the French title. In 1981 he returned to touring cars and raced for Peugeot throughout the 1980s. He was also a regular ice racer. His two sons, Anthony and Julien, are both race drivers.

In fiction, Beltoise frequently appeared in the Michel Vaillant series of comic books, amongst others being part of the winning Vaillante Le Mans team.

Death

Beltoise died at his holiday home in Dakar, Senegal, on 5 January 2015, aged 77, following two strokes.[5]

Racing record

Motorcycle Grand Prix results

Position 1 2 3 4 5 6
Points 8 6 4 3 2 1

(key) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Class Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Points Rank Wins
1962 250cc Moto Morini ESP FRA
5
IOM NED BEL GER ULS DDR NAT ARG 2 20th 0
1963 50cc Kreidler ESP GER FRA
5
IOM NED BEL
6
FIN ARG JPN 3 11th 0
125cc Bultaco ESP GER FRA IOM NED BEL
6
ULS DDR FIN NAT ARG JPN 1 20th 0
1964 50cc Kreidler USA
5
ESP FRA
3
IOM NED BEL GER FIN JPN 6 6th 0
125cc Bultaco USA
5
ESP FRA
5
IOM NED GER DDR ULS FIN NAT JPN 4 13th 0

[2]

24 Hours of Le Mans results

Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1963 Automobiles René Bonnet Claude Bobrowski René Bonnet Aérodjet LM6 P
3.0
269 11th 4th
1964 Société Automobiles René Bonnet Gérard Laureau René Bonnet Aérodjet P
3.0
54 DNF DNF
1966 Matra Sports SARL Johnny Servoz-Gavin Matra M620 P
2.0
112 DNF DNF
1967 Equipe Matra Sports Johnny Servoz-Gavin Matra MS630 P
2.0
155 DNF DNF
1969 Equipe Matra Elf Piers Courage Matra MS650 P
3.0
368 4th 2nd
1970 Equipe Matra-Simca Henri Pescarolo Matra-Simca MS660 P
3.0
79 DNF DNF
1971 Equipe Matra-Simca Chris Amon Matra-Simca MS660 P
3.0
263 DNF DNF
1972 Equipe Matra-Simca Chris Amon Matra-Simca MS670 S
3.0
1 DNF DNF
1973 Equipe Matra-Simca Shell François Cevert Matra-Simca MS670B S
3.0
157 DNF DNF
1974 Equipe Gitanes Jean-Pierre Jarier Matra-Simca MS680 S
3.0
104 DNF DNF
1975 Gitanes Automobiles Ligier Jean-Pierre Jarier Ligier JS2-Ford Cosworth S
3.0
36 DNF DNF
1976 Inaltera Henri Pescarolo Inaltera LM-Ford Cosworth GTP 305 8th 1st
1977 Inaltera Al Holbert Inaltera LM77-Ford Cosworth S
+2.0
275 13th 5th
1979 ITT Oceanic Jean Rondeau Henri Pescarolo Rondeau M379-Ford Cosworth S
+2.0
279 10th 2nd
Source:[6]

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 Pos. Pts
1967 Matra Sports Matra MS5 Ford SNE
Ret
SIL
Ret
NÜR
10
HOC TUL
3
JAR
Ret
ZAN
4
PER
2
BRH
DNS
VAL
2
3rd 27
1968 Matra Sports Matra MS7 Ford HOC
1
THR
2
JAR
1
PAL TUL
2
ZAN
1
PER
NC
HOC VAL
4
1st 48
1969 Matra Sports Matra MS7 Ford THR
3
HOC
1
NÜR
3
JAR
2
TUL
4
PER
Ret
VAL NC 0
1970 Constructions Mécaniques Pygmée Pygmée MDB15 Ford THR HOC BAR
Ret
ROU
DNQ
PER
Ret
TUL IMO HOC
Ret
NC 0
1971 Constructions Mécaniques Pygmée Pygmée MDB16 Ford HOC THR NÜR JAR
DNS
PAL ROU
Ret
MAN TUL NC 0
GTE Racing Cars Lotus 69 ALB
DNQ
VAL VAL
1972 Shell-Arnold Team March 722 Ford MAL THR HOC PAU
Ret
NC 0
Motul-Rondel Racing Brabham BT38 PAL
6
HOC ROU
Ret
ÖST IMO MAN PER SAL ALB HOC
1973 STP March Racing Team March 732 BMW MAL
Ret
HOC
Ret
THR
DNQ
NÜR PAU
NC
KIN NIV HOC ROU MNZ MAN KAR PER SAL NOR ALB
3
VAL 20th 4
1974 Écurie Elf Alpine A367 BMW BAR HOC
NC
PAU SAL HOC MUG KAR PER HOC VAL NC 0
1975 Racing Organisation Course Chevron B29 Chrysler EST THR HOC NÜR PAU
NC
HOC SAL NOG
NC
VAL NC 0
Écurie Elf Alpine A367 BMW ROU
Ret
MUG PER SIL ZOL
Source:[7]

Graded drivers not eligible for European Formula Two Championship points

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Pts
1966 Matra Sports Matra MS5 (F2) Ford Cosworth SCA 1.0 L4 MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER
8
ITA USA MEX NC 0
1967 Matra Sports Matra MS5 (F2) Ford Cosworth FVA 1.6 L4 RSA MON
DNQ
NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA NC 0
Matra MS7 (F2) USA
7
MEX
7
1968 Matra Sports Matra MS7 (F2) Ford Cosworth FVA 1.6 L4 RSA
6
9th 11
Matra International Matra MS10 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 ESP
5
Matra Sports Matra MS11 Matra MS9 3.0 V12 MON
Ret
BEL
8
NED
2
FRA
9
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
ITA
5
CAN
Ret
USA
Ret
MEX
Ret
1969 Matra International Matra MS10 Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 RSA
6
5th 21
Matra MS80 ESP
3
MON
Ret
NED
8
FRA
2
GER
121
ITA
3
CAN
4
USA
Ret
MEX
5
Matra MS84 GBR
9
1970 Equipe Matra Elf Matra-Simca MS120 Matra MS12 3.0 V12 RSA
4
ESP
Ret
MON
Ret
BEL
3
NED
5
FRA
13
GBR
Ret
GER
Ret
AUT
6
ITA
3
CAN
8
USA
Ret
MEX
5
9th 16
1971 Equipe Matra Sports Matra-Simca MS120B Matra MS71 3.0 V12 RSA ESP
6
MON
Ret
NED
9
FRA
7
GBR
7
GER AUT ITA CAN
Ret
USA
8
22nd 1
1972 Marlboro BRM BRM P160B BRM P142 3.0 V12 ARG RSA
Ret
ESP
Ret
MON
1
BEL
Ret
FRA
15
11th 9
BRM P160C GBR
11
GER
9
AUT
8
BRM P180 ITA
8
CAN
Ret
USA
Ret
1973 Marlboro BRM BRM P160D BRM P142 3.0 V12 ARG
Ret
BRA
Ret
RSA
Ret
10th 9
BRM P160E ESP
5
BEL
Ret
MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
FRA
11
GBR
Ret
NED
5
GER
Ret
AUT
5
ITA
13
CAN
4
USA
9
1974 Team Motul BRM BRM P160E BRM P142 3.0 V12 ARG
5
BRA
10
13th 10
BRM P201 BRM P200 3.0 V12 RSA
2
ESP
Ret
BEL
5
MON
Ret
SWE
Ret
NED
Ret
FRA
10
GBR
12
GER
Ret
AUT
Ret
ITA
Ret
CAN
NC
USA
DNQ
Source:[7]
Notes
  • ^1 – In the 1969 German Grand Prix, Beltoise was classified 12th on the circuit but was the 6th Formula One car behind six Formula 2 cars, thus scoring one World Championship point.

Non-Championship Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1967 Matra Sports Matra MS5 (F2) Ford Cosworth FVA 1.6 L4 ROC
Ret
SPC INT SYR OUL
5
Matra MS7 (F2) ESP
10
1970 Equipe Matra Elf Matra-Simca MS120 Matra MS12 3.0 V12 ROC
DNS
INT OUL
1971 Equipe Matra Sports Matra-Simca MS120B Matra MS71 3.0 V12 ARG ROC QUE SPR INT
Ret
RIN OUL VIC
1972 Marlboro BRM BRM P160B BRM P142 3.0 V12 ROC
6
BRA
DNS
INT
2
OUL REP
BRM P180 VIC
1
1973 Marlboro BRM BRM P160D BRM P142 3.0 V12 ROC
6
INT
1974 Team Motul BRM BRM P160E BRM P142 3.0 V12 PRE
8
ROC INT
Source:[7]

References

  1. "Drivers: Jean-Pierre Beltoise". grandprix.com. Retrieved 24 December 2016.
  2. Jean Pierre Beltoise career statistics at MotoGP.com
  3. Small, Steve (1994). The Complete Guinness Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 54. ISBN 0851127029.
  4. Small, Steve (1994). The Complete Guinness Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 55. ISBN 0851127029.
  5. "Jean-Pierre Beltoise, ex-F1 driver and 1972 Monaco GP winner, dies". Autosport.com. Haymarket. 5 January 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2015.
  6. "All Results of Jean-Pierre Beltoise". RacingSportCars. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
  7. "Jean-Pierre Beltoise – Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved January 20, 2019.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
None
French Formula Three
Champion

1965
Succeeded by
Johnny Servoz-Gavin
Preceded by
Peter Revson
Monaco Formula Three
Race Winner

1966
Succeeded by
Henri Pescarolo
Preceded by
Jacky Ickx
European Formula Two
Champion

1968
Succeeded by
Johnny Servoz-Gavin
Preceded by
None
French Touring Car Champion
1976–1977
Succeeded by
Lucien Guitteny
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