Paul Frère facts for kids
Paul Frère in 2003
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| Born | 30 January 1917 Le Havre, France |
|---|---|
| Died | 23 February 2008 (aged 91) Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  Belgian |
| Active years | 1952–1956 |
| Teams | HWM, Gordini, Ferrari |
| Entries | 11 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 1 |
| Career points | 11 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1952 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1956 Belgian Grand Prix |
Paul Frère (born January 30, 1917 – died February 23, 2008) was a famous racing driver and journalist from Belgium. He raced in 11 Formula One Grand Prix races, starting on June 22, 1952. He even finished on the podium once, earning 11 championship points.
He also won other Formula One races that weren't part of the main championship. These included the 1952 Grand Prix des Frontières and the 1960 VI South African Grand Prix. In 1960, he won the famous 1960 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He drove for Ferrari with his Belgian teammate Olivier Gendebien.
Contents
Life and Career
Paul Frère was born in Le Havre, France, in 1917. He was a very talented driver. He even drove for the official Ferrari racing team alongside Peter Collins.
From Racer to Journalist
After he stopped racing in 1960, Paul Frère became an automotive journalist. He was based in Europe and worked as the European Editor for Road & Track magazine. He knew many vehicle design engineers, especially at companies like Honda and Mazda in Japan. He also worked as a consultant for car manufacturers.
As a journalist, he got to test many different road and racing cars. One special moment was when he tested the Audi R8 race car in 2003. He was 86 years old at the time, making him the oldest racing driver to drive a modern sports car!
Writing About Driving
Paul Frère was one of the first writers to explain motor racing as a skill. He showed how it could be studied, understood, and taught. His 1963 book, Sports Car and Competition Driving, is still a very important guide. It helped create many racing schools, like those started by Jim Russell and Bob Bondurant.
Frère was also an expert on Porsche cars, especially the Porsche 911. He wrote a well-known book about this car series called The Porsche 911 Story. He kept a close connection with Porsche for many years. He was also an advisor to Alois Ruf, who runs Ruf Automobile, a company famous for tuning Porsches. Ruf even asked Frère for advice when developing his RGT8 car model.
Later Years
In 1967, Paul Frère appeared in a Belgian film called The Departure. It was about a young man who loved cars and wanted a Porsche 911 for a race.
In January 2007, just weeks before his 90th birthday, he was badly hurt in an accident near the Nürburgring racetrack. He spent 14 days in intensive care. Paul Frère passed away on February 23, 2008, in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France. To honor him, Turn 15 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps racetrack was renamed after him.
Rowing Champion
Paul Frère was not only a great racing driver but also a successful rower! He won three Belgian championships in rowing. In 1946 and 1947, he won the national title in a coxless four boat. In 1946, he also won with a coxed four boat.
Racing Achievements
Paul Frère had a notable career in various racing events. He achieved a podium finish in Formula One and won the famous 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Formula One Highlights
- He raced in 11 Formula One World Championship Grand Prix races.
- His best finish was 2nd place at the 1956 Belgian Grand Prix.
- He scored a total of 11 championship points during his Formula One career.
24 Hours of Le Mans Highlights
- Paul Frère won the 24 Hours of Le Mans race in 1960 with Ferrari.
- He also finished 2nd twice, in 1955 and 1959.
- He won his class (meaning he was the fastest in his car's category) four times: in 1953, 1955, 1958, and 1960.
Images for kids
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Paul Frère in 2003
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Porsche 904 race car
