Élie Bayol facts for kids
| Born | 28 February 1914 |
|---|---|
| Died | 25 May 1995 (aged 81) |
| Formula One World Championship career | |
| Nationality |  French |
| Active years | 1952 – 1956 |
| Teams | O.S.C.A., Gordini |
| Entries | 8 (7 starts) |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 2 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1952 Italian Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1956 Monaco Grand Prix |
Élie Marcel Bayol (born February 28, 1914, in Marseille, France – died May 25, 1995, in La Ciotat, France) was a French racing driver. He competed in Formula One races for the O.S.C.A. and Gordini teams. Beyond Formula One, Bayol was also very successful in sports car racing, especially with the DB-Panhard team. He even won the 750cc class and a special award called the Index of Performance at the famous 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans race.
Contents
Élie Bayol's Racing Journey
Early Days in Racing
Élie Bayol began his racing career in 1950. He drove small 500cc DB-Panhard cars in races and hillclimbs across France. These cars used special Panhard engines, which were very helpful for racing.
In 1950, Bayol took part in the challenging 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He shared his car with René Bonnet, one of the founders of DB. They were doing very well, leading in a category called the Index of Performance. However, their engine broke a part. With Bonnet's help, Bayol managed to fix the engine enough to drive the car on one cylinder back to the pits for a full repair! Even though they lost a lot of time, they finished the race.
In 1951, Bayol started racing DB's Formula 2 car. This car was based on their smaller 500cc model and had a 750cc engine. It wasn't as powerful as other Formula 2 cars, which had two-litre engines. But it was fast on very tight and twisty race tracks. He also returned to Le Mans with Bonnet, but their new 850cc car couldn't keep up with the faster Porsche cars.
Stepping Up to Formula 2
In 1952, Bayol raced a modified OSCA MT4 car in some French Grand Prix races. Again, his car had a smaller 1.3-litre engine, which made it hard to compete on faster tracks. But he did better on twisty circuits like Pau. He also raced at Le Mans again with DB, but had to retire early.
Later in 1952, Bayol got to drive the new OSCA 20 Formula 2 car, which had a full-sized two-litre engine. He made his first World Championship race start at the 1952 Italian Grand Prix at Monza. He qualified well but had to retire on the first lap due to a gearbox problem. A week later, he finished sixth in another race, which was a great result for a private driver.
For the 1953 season, Bayol continued with OSCA. He was joined by experienced driver Louis Chiron. While Chiron had a good second-place finish in one race, Bayol and the team faced challenges. Bayol did qualify in pole position (first place) at one race, but a clutch problem forced him to spin out in the final.
At Le Mans in 1953, Bayol drove a much larger 4.5-litre Talbot-Lago car. He teamed up with Louis Rosier, but they had to retire early because of a transmission issue. Later that year, Bayol achieved OSCA's first Formula 2 victory at the Aix-les-Bains Circuit du Lac race.
Formula One Debut and Challenges
In 1954, the World Championship races switched back to Formula One rules. Bayol joined the Gordini team, racing alongside their main driver, Jean Behra. Élie scored his first and only World Championship points by finishing fifth at the first race of the season, the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix.
However, during another race in Buenos Aires, Élie was involved in a serious accident where a spectator was sadly injured. This was a very difficult moment. After returning to Europe, Bayol performed well in other races. But at the Bordeaux race, he refused to give his car to Behra, as he had been told to do. Because of this, the Gordini team fired him.
After leaving Gordini, Bayol returned to the DB team for Le Mans. He teamed up with Bonnet again. They had a nearly perfect race, winning the Index of Performance and the 750cc class, and finishing tenth overall! This was a huge success.
A Difficult Year and Big Crash
In 1955, Jean Behra left Gordini, and Élie Bayol was brought back as the main driver for the 1955 season. He raced the older Gordini 16 cars in several Formula One events, including the first two World Championship races in Argentina and Monaco. Unfortunately, he had to retire from all of them.
At Le Mans in 1955, Bayol was supposed to drive one of the new Gordini T24S cars with Behra. During practice, Élie had a very serious crash. He swerved to avoid two spectators who were crossing the road. This caused him to crash badly, damaging the car and sending him to the hospital with serious injuries. This accident ended his racing season.
Final Races
Élie Bayol stayed with the Gordini team for 1956, even though they were struggling. He didn't have much success that year. He made his only World Championship appearance at the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix. During the race, he handed his car over to André Pilette, who finished sixth. After this, Élie Bayol's racing career came to an end.
See also
In Spanish: Élie Bayol para niños
