Lucien Bianchi facts for kids
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| Born | 10 November 1934 Milan, Italy |
|---|---|
| Died | 30 March 1969 (aged 34) Circuit de la Sarthe, Le Mans, France |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Active years | 1959–1963, 1965, 1968 |
| Teams | ENB, UDT Laystall, Reg Parnell, Scuderia Centro Sud, Cooper |
| Entries | 19 (17 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 6 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1959 Monaco Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1968 Mexican Grand Prix |
Lucien Bianchi (born Luciano Bianchi on November 10, 1934 – died March 30, 1969) was a famous Belgian racing driver. He was born in Italy but became a Belgian citizen. Lucien competed in many types of races, including Formula One, which is the highest class of international racing.
He drove for teams like Cooper and ENB. Lucien raced in 19 Formula One World Championship events. His best result was finishing third at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix. Sadly, he passed away in a testing accident while getting ready for a big race in 1969.
About Lucien's Life
Lucien Bianchi was born in Milan, Italy. When he was a young boy in 1946, his family moved to Belgium. His father was a mechanic for race cars, which likely sparked Lucien's interest in racing.
Lucien's brother, Mauro Bianchi, also became a racing driver. They even won a race together in 1965 called the Nürburgring 500 km. Years later, Lucien's grandnephew, Jules Bianchi, also became a Formula One driver. Sadly, Jules also passed away due to injuries from a racing accident.
Lucien's Racing Adventures
Lucien Bianchi started his racing career in 1951 at the Alpine Rally. He was very good at rally racing, winning the Tour de France three times in a row from 1957 to 1959. He also won the Paris 1000 sports car race twice.
He began racing in Formula One in 1959. At first, he only raced sometimes. He drove different cars for the ENB team, including a Cooper T51 and a Lotus 18. In 1968, he got a more regular spot with the Cooper-BRM team. In his very first race for Cooper, he finished third at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix. This was his best Formula One result.
Lucien was a very versatile driver. This means he was good at many different kinds of racing! He raced touring cars, sports cars, and rally cars. He won some of his biggest races in sports cars. In 1968, he won the famous 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans race with his teammate Pedro Rodríguez. He also won at Sebring in 1962.
He was even leading a long-distance rally race, the 1968 London–Sydney Marathon, when his car had an accident.
Lucien Bianchi passed away in 1969 during a test drive. He was preparing for the Le Mans race when his Alfa Romeo T33 car crashed.
To remember him, a turn at the Circuit Zolder race track in Belgium is named "LucienBianchiBocht" after him.
Other Race Wins
Lucien Bianchi won many other important races throughout his career:
- Tour de France Automobile: 1957, 1958, 1959, 1964
- Spa 24 Hours: 1964 (in his class)
- 12 hours of Sebring: 1962
- 12 Hours of Reims: 1965 (in his class)
- Targa Florio: 1965 (in his class)
- 6 Hours of Nürburgring: 1965
- 6 Hours of Watkins Glen: 1968
- 1000 km of Nürburgring: 1965 (in his class), 1967 (in his class)
- 1000 km of Paris: 1960
- Mugello Grand Prix: 1968
- 9 hours of Kyalami: 1968
- Grand Prix of Angola: 1962
- Grand Prix of Zolder: 1964
- 500 km of Nürburgring: 1965, 1963 (in his class)
- Trophée d'Auvergne: 1963 (in his class)
Images for kids
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A replica of the Ford GT40 that Lucien Bianchi and Pedro Rodríguez drove to win the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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See also
In Spanish: Lucien Bianchi para niños
