Robert O'Brien (April 11, 1908 – February 10, 1987) was a racing driver from the United States. He participated in one

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship, ...

World Championship Grand Prix, the

1952 Belgian Grand Prix The 1952 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 22 June 1952 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was race 3 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula On ...

Career

O'Brien was born in Lyndhurst,

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

. He mostly raced

sports cars A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

in the US, finishing fourth in the

1952 12 Hours of Sebring The Sebring International Grand Prix of Endurance, was a non-championship race. The race was held at the Sebring International Raceway, on March 15, 1952. Victory overall went to the No. 9 J. S. Donaldson Frazer Nash Frazer Nash was a brand ...

in a Ferrari 166 MM shared with Richard Cicurel. He later made a few appearances in Europe through his contacts in Belgium. This included an appearance at the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix driving a Simca-Gordini T15 at

Spa-Francorchamps The Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps (), frequently referred to as ''Spa'', is a motor-racing circuit located in Stavelot, Belgium. It is the current venue of the Formula One Belgian Grand Prix, hosting its first Grand Prix in 1925, and has he ...

. Qualifying slowest of the 22 entrants, 1 minute 23 seconds slower than the fastest time of

Alberto Ascari Alberto Ascari (; 13 July 1918 – 26 May 1955) was an Italian racing driver and a two time Formula One World Champion. He was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. Ascari won consecutive world titles ...

, O'Brien circulated at the back and finished 14th of the 15 finishers. He subsequently drove (and retired) the same car in a race at the

Grenzlandring The Grenzlandring (German for "border-region ring"), sometimes written ''Grenzland-Ring'', is a former high-speed oval race track in the Lower Rhine area of Germany, around the town of Wegberg, located close to Mönchengladbach and the Dutch tow ...

in Germany before returning to the US. O'Brien is one of the more obscure drivers to have participated in the Formula One World Championship, and unsubstantiated rumours arose that he was involved with the

CIA The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

and operated as a spy. He was later involved in the motor industry in his home state and in New York. O'Brien died in Hackensack,

in 1987.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key)

Career

Complete Formula One World Championship results

References

Further reading