Louis Chiron facts for kids
Chiron in 1931
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| Born | Louis Alexandre Chiron 3 August 1899 Monte Carlo, Monaco |
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| Died | 22 June 1979 (aged 79) Monte Carlo, Monaco |
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| Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||||
| Nationality |  Monégasque |
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| Active years | 1950–1951, 1953, 1955–1956, 1958 | ||||||||||
| Teams | Maserati Ecurie Rosier Private Lancia Scuderia Centro Sud |
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| Entries | 19 (15 starts) | ||||||||||
| Championships | 0 | ||||||||||
| Wins | 0 | ||||||||||
| Podiums | 1 | ||||||||||
| Career points | 4 | ||||||||||
| Pole positions | 0 | ||||||||||
| Fastest laps | 0 | ||||||||||
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix | ||||||||||
| Last entry | 1958 Monaco Grand Prix | ||||||||||
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Louis Alexandre Chiron (born August 3, 1899 – died June 22, 1979) was a famous racing driver from Monaco. He competed in many different types of car competitions, like rallies, sports car races, and Grand Prix races.
Many people consider him one of the best drivers between World War I and World War II. His racing career lasted over 30 years, from 1927 to the late 1950s. He holds the record for being the oldest driver to finish a Formula One race. He was 55 years old when he finished 6th in the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. The super-fast Bugatti Chiron car is named after him!
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Louis Chiron's Racing Career
Louis Chiron loved cars and racing from a young age. He started racing in Grand Prix events after World War I. During the war, he worked as a driver for important military leaders.
Early Victories and Milestones
He won his first race, the Grand Prix du Comminges, in 1926. After that, he won many races driving famous cars like Bugatti and Alfa Romeo. These wins included the Marseille Grand Prix and the Spanish Grand Prix. In 1929, he finished 7th in the famous Indianapolis 500 race.
Chiron made history by winning the 1931 Monaco Grand Prix. He is the only driver from Monaco to ever win his home Grand Prix! In 1933, he teamed up with Luigi Chinetti to win the challenging Spa 24 hours race.
Returning to Racing After World War II
Chiron decided to retire from racing in 1938. But then World War II started, and most motor racing stopped. When racing began again after the war, he came out of retirement. He drove a Talbot-Lago car and won two more French Grand Prix races.
In 1954, Chiron won the Monte Carlo Rally with his co-driver, Ciro Basadonna. He also achieved podium finishes in 15 Formula One races that year. His last race was in 1955, at the 1955 Monaco Grand Prix. He finished 6th in a Lancia D50 car, just a few weeks before his 56th birthday. This made him the oldest driver to compete in a Formula One race. He is also the oldest driver to even enter a Formula One race, taking part in practice for the 1958 Monaco Grand Prix when he was 58 years old.
Major Race Wins
Louis Chiron won many important races throughout his long career. Here are some of his major victories:
- Belgian Grand Prix – 1930
- Czechoslovakian Grand Prix – 1931, 1932, 1933
- French Grand Prix – 1931, 1934, 1937, 1947, 1949 (Reims)
- German Grand Prix – 1929
- Italian Grand Prix – 1928
- Spanish Grand Prix – 1928, 1929, 1933
- Monaco Grand Prix – 1931
- Moroccan Grand Prix– 1934
- Grand Prix du Comminges – 1947
- Grand Prix de Marseilles – 1933
- Grand Prix de Nice – 1932
- Spa 24 hours – 1933
- Rome Grand Prix – 1928
- Marne Grand Prix – 1928
- Monte Carlo Rally – 1954
Louis Chiron's Legacy
Chiron retired after 35 years in racing. But he stayed involved with the organizers of the Monaco Grand Prix. They honored him with a statue on the Grand Prix track. They also renamed the "Swimming Pool corner" after him.
Because he achieved the most podium finishes in Bugatti cars, two Bugatti concept cars were named after him: the 1999 Bugatti 18/3 Chiron and the 2016 Bugatti Chiron.
Louis Chiron was very popular in Czechoslovakia. He won their Grand Prix three times in a row! Even after 75 years, his name is still used in a popular saying there: "He drives like Chiron." People use this saying when someone drives very quickly.
Chiron was the only driver from Monaco to score points in a Formula One race for a long time. This record stood until Charles Leclerc did it in the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix. He was also the only Monegasque to get a podium finish until Leclerc in the 2019 Bahrain Grand Prix.
See also
- Formula One drivers from Monaco
