Olivier Gendebien

Olivier Jean Marie Fernand Gendebien (; 12 January 1924 – 2 October 1998) was a Belgian racing driver, who competed in Formula One from to . Widely regarded as one of the greatest drivers in the history of sportscar racing, Gendebien was a four-time winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Ferrari, a three-time winner of the 12 Hours of Sebring, and a three-time winner of the Targa Florio.

Born and raised in Brussels, Gendebien was initially a forester in the Belgian Congo before moving back to Europe in 1952, where he began his career in rallying. He won his first event driving an Alfa Romeo 1900 TI at the Tulip Rally in 1954. Gendebien added to his successes by winning the Liège–Rome–Liège Rally, Dolomites Gold Cup Race and Rally Stella Alpina in 1955, driving a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. Attracting the attention of Enzo Ferrari, Gendebien signed for Ferrari in to compete in Formula One and sportscars, making his debut in the former at the .

Gendebien was appointed to the Order of the Crown of Belgium by Albert II in 1998.

Rally racer Gendebien spent some years in the Belgian Congo. On his return to Europe he teamed up with Fraikin to compete in the 1952 Liège–Rome–Liège Rally using a Jaguar Mk VII saloon car. Together with Pierre Stasse, Gendebien won the sixth running of the Tulip Rally in Zandvoort in April 1954. 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. In 1956 Olivier Gendebien and Pierre Stasse finished in third place driving a Ferrari 250 GT Europa (Nr 0373).

Formula One driver 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. Much respected as a true gentleman by everyone who knew him, he remained a member of the Ferrari team until he retired from racing. 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, Gendebien competed in only 15 Formula One races as 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.

Gendebien made his début at the 1956 Argentine Grand Prix, with the Ferrari team, but it was during a stint driving for the British Racing Partnership's Yeoman Credit Racing team in that Gendebien scored his best finishes; he took second in the 1960 French Grand Prix and third in front of a home crowd at the 1960 Belgian Grand Prix.

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. Gendebien himself walked away with slight injuries in October 1961 after his Lotus-Climax failed to negotiate a turn during practice for the 1961 United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, New York. The car flipped over and Gendebien's shoes were torn off by the impact.

Sports car competition However, it was in sports car racing, particularly the long distance and endurance events, where Gendebien excelled. Piloting a 2.5-litre Ferrari, Gendebien teamed up with Maurice Trintignant to place third in the 1956 24 Hours of Le Mans. They were seven laps behind the winners, privateer Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar drivers Ron Flockhart and Ninian Sanderson. The 1958 Grand Prix of Buenos Aires was a 1,000 kilometre event in which Gendebien paired with Wolfgang von Trips. They finished second to a fellow Ferrari pairing Phil Hill and Peter Collins. In the race Argentine Maserati driver, Jorge Magnasco, died after his car skidded and turned over.

The same year, Gendebien partnered Hill and won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans. Their victory came in a 3-litre Ferrari and secured the World Sportscar Championship for the Ferrari factory. They covered 2,511 miles with an average speed of 107 miles per hour. Hill became the first American to win the event and their Ferrari was the sole factory-sponsored car running at the end. Ferrari drivers took the first three positions at the conclusion of the 1961 24 Hours of Le Mans and, as they were to be again the following year, Hill and Gendebien were first, averaging 115.89 miles per hour, and establishing a race record. The duo were a natural fit and together they won the Le Mans race three times in total, with Gendebien winning it a fourth time, partnered by fellow Belgian Paul Frère in . Gendebien's record number of Le Mans victories was not exceeded until , 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). In honour of Gendebien's three wins at the 12 Hours of Sebring, turn 15 just before the final corner, onto the Ullman straight is named after him. He also won the Dolomites Cup, a one-lap sportscar race that took place on a 188-mile circuit in the Dolomite Mountains in Italy.

Major race victories Tour of Sicily : 1957 Tour de France Automobile : 1957, 1958, 1959 Reims 12 Hours : 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. At 38 years of age, in 1962 Olivier Gendebien retired following his fourth victory at Le Mans. His wife Marie-Claire was killed in a car accident in April 1965, their son Robert receiving minor injuries. Independently wealthy, and an avid skier, tennis player, and equestrian rider, he devoted the rest of his life to running a variety of businesses. In 1998 King Albert II awarded him the Belgian Order of the Crown.

Olivier Gendebien died in 1998 at his home in Les Baux-de-Provence in southern France and is buried in Saint-Rémy-de-Provence Cemetery.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Pts. Equipe Nationale Belge Ferrari 625 Ferrari Straight-4 ARG MON 500 BELDNA NED GBR ITA NC 0 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555 Ferrari L4 ARG MON 500 BEL 23rd 2 Lancia-Ferrari D50 Lancia V8 FRA GBRDNA GER ITA Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246 Ferrari V6 ARG MON NED 500 BEL FRA GBR GER POR ITA MOR NC 0 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246 Ferrari V6 MON 500 NED FRA GBR GER POR ITA USA15th 3 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246 Ferrari V6 ARGDNA MON 500 NED 6th 10 Yeoman Credit Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax L4 BEL FRA GBR POR ITA USA Equipe Nationale Belge Emeryson Mk2 Maserati L4 MON NED 14th 3 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 156 Ferrari V6 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA UDT-Laystall Racing Team Lotus 18/21 Climax L4 USA

Non-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 18 19 20 21 1956 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 555 Ferrari BUE GLV SYR AIN INT NAP 100 VNW CAE SUS BRH 1957 Scuderia Ferrari Lancia D50 Lancia V8 BUE SYR PAU GLV NAP RMS CAE INT MOD MOR 1961 Equipe Nationale Belge Emeryson Mk2 Maserati L4 LOM GLV PAU BRX VIE AIN SYR NAP LON SIL SOLDNA KAN DAN MOD FLG OUL LEW VAL RAN NAT RSA

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

Complete 24 Hours of Daytona results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1962 Scuderia Serenissima Ferrari 250 GT SWBGT3.075 16th 3rd

Complete 24 Hours of Spa results Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps 1953 Roland du Roy de Blicky Panhard Dyna T DNF DNF