Tom Belsø

Tom Belsø (27 August 1942 – 12 January 2020) was a motor racing driver, credited as the first Formula One driver from Denmark.

Early career Belsø started out in touring cars, where he won his debut race and went on to become Scandinavian Touring Car Champion in 1969. He became a Formula Two racer in 1972, with his best result being a fourth place at the Albi Grand Prix, finishing 17th in the European F2 Championship. In 1973, he raced a Lola in Formula 5000. He also raced in a few non-championship Formula One races, finishing seventh in the 1973 Race of Champions and eighth in the 1973 BRDC International Trophy, and retiring in the 1974 BRDC International Trophy and 1975 Race of Champions. He contested the 1974 Rothmans 5000 European Championship winning at Snetterton and finishing eighth in the Series. He also competed in the 1977 Shellsport 5000/Libre series and finished fifth in a Radio Luxemburg-sponsored Lola T330-Chevrolet.

Formula One Belsø qualified a Formula One Iso-Marlboro for the Frank Williams Racing Cars team at the 1973 Swedish Grand Prix, but could not start the race because his sponsorship money did not arrive. In 1974, he tried four times to qualify for Williams, but was only successful in South Africa and Sweden. In South Africa, the clutch on Belsø's FW failed on the first lap of the race. In Sweden, he finished his only complete Grand Prix, in eighth place.

Racing record

Complete Formula One results (key) Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 WDC Points 1973 Frank Williams Racing Cars Iso-Marlboro IR Cosworth V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE‡ FRA GBR NED GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0 1974 Frank Williams Racing Cars Iso-Marlboro FW Cosworth V8 ARG BRA RSA ESP BEL MON SWE NED FRA GBR GER AUT ITA CAN USA NC 0

‡ Belsø took part in practice only. The car was driven in the race by Howden Ganley.

Personal life In 1977 he founded Belso Cereals, a food manufacturing company based in Peterborough. he was 77 years old.