Ferenc Szisz facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ferenc Szisz
Szisz at the 1914 French Grand Prix
Nationality	Hungarian
Born	(1873-09-20)September 20, 1873 Szeghalom, Kingdom of Hungary
Died	February 21, 1944(1944-02-21) (aged 70) Auffargis, France
Retired	1914
Years active	1906–1914
Teams	Renault, Alda
Starts	4
Wins	1
Podiums	2

Ferenc Szisz (born September 20, 1873 – died February 21, 1944) was a Hungarian racing driver. He made history by winning the very first Grand Prix event. He achieved this victory on June 26, 1906, driving a Renault AK 90CV car.

Early Life and a Passion for Cars

Ferenc Szisz was born in a small town called Szeghalom. This town was part of the Hungarian region of the large Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was born on September 20, 1873.

Ferenc first trained to be a locksmith and a coppersmith. But when he was in his early twenties, he became fascinated by the new automobiles. He decided to study engineering and learn about car design. After spending time in cities in Austria and Germany, he moved to Paris, France, in 1900. There, he found a job at the new Renault car company.

Racing Career Highlights

At Renault, Ferenc Szisz was very talented in engineering. He became an important part of the car testing team. When Renault started racing cars in 1902, Ferenc was chosen as the "riding mechanic" for Louis Renault. A riding mechanic was like a co-driver who helped with the car during the race.

After a sad accident in 1903, Ferenc Szisz became a main driver for Renault. In 1905, he raced in the Gordon Bennett Cup in France. He finished fifth in that race. Later that year, he also raced in the Vanderbilt Cup in the United States. He finished fifth again, competing against famous drivers like Felice Nazzaro and Louis Chevrolet.

The First Grand Prix Winner

Ferenc Szisz was mainly in charge of testing cars at Renault. This meant he couldn't race as often as some other drivers. However, in 1906, he made history. He and his riding mechanic, M. Marteau, won the very first Grand Prix race. This big event took place in Le Mans, France. They drove a Renault AK 90CV car.

Ferenc Szisz averaged about 101.2 kilometers per hour (about 63 miles per hour) during his winning race. His victory in the French Grand Prix was a huge success. It soon led to many other Grand Prix races starting all over Europe.

The next year, Felice Nazzaro from Italy won the second French Grand Prix. He had finished second behind Szisz in the first race. Ferenc Szisz raced in the 1908 French Grand Prix but had to stop early due to mechanical problems. He also faced similar issues in an American Grand Prize race in Savannah, Georgia.

In 1909, Ferenc Szisz left Renault to open his own car garage. In July 1914, he was convinced to come out of retirement. He drove an Alda car in the 1914 French Grand Prix in Lyon. He was given the special number 1 for his car. However, an injury forced him to leave the race before it finished.

Serving During Wartime

Car racing in Europe stopped in September 1914 because World War I began. Ferenc Szisz joined the French army. He worked as the head of transport troops in Algeria. He later had to go to the hospital because he got sick with typhoid fever.

Life After Racing

A statue of Ferenc Szisz at the entrance of Hungaroring

After the war ended, Ferenc Szisz worked for an aircraft company. He later retired to a small house in the countryside near Paris, in a place called Auffargis. He passed away there in 1944.

Ferenc Szisz and his wife are buried in the churchyard cemetery in Auffargis. There is also a special Szisz Museum. It is part of the Renault Museum, located near the famous Le Mans racetrack.

Complete Grand Prix Results