Robert Manzon (12 April 1917 – 19 January 2015) was a French

racing driver Auto racing (also known as car racing, motor racing, or automobile racing) is a motorsport involving the racing of automobiles for competition. Auto racing has existed since the invention of the automobile. Races of various sorts were organise ...

. He participated in 29

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 Grands Prix, debuting on 21 May 1950. He achieved two podiums, and scored a total of 16 championship points. At the time of his death, Manzon was the last surviving driver to have taken part in the first Formula One World Championship in 1950.

Career

Manzon began his career as a mechanic and after World War II he started racing, initially with a Cisitalia D46. Earning a contract with the

Gordini Gordini () is a division of Renault Sport Technologies (Renault Sport). In the past, it was a sports car manufacturer and Car tuning, performance tuner, established in 1946 by Amédée Gordini (1899–1979), nicknamed "Le Sorcier" (The Sorcerer). ...

team for 1948, Manzon won some minor races although his machinery was not always reliable. He continued with Gordini into the new Formula One era, scoring points at the

1950 French Grand Prix The 1950 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 2 July 1950 at Reims-Gueux. It was race 6 of 7 in the 1950 World Championship of Drivers. The 64-lap race was won by Alfa Romeo driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole p ...

, and finishing sixth in the World Drivers' Championship in 1952, taking third place in 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 ...

. He left Gordini in 1953 and joined

Louis Rosier Louis Rosier (5 November 1905 in Chapdes-Beaufort – 29 October 1956 in Neuilly-sur-Seine) was a racing driver from France. Career highlights He participated in 38 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 May 1950. He achi ...

's team, which was campaigning

Ferraris Ferrari Società per Azioni, S.p.A. (; ) is an Italian luxury sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari (1898–1988) in 1939 from the Alfa Romeo racing division as ''Auto Avio Costruzioni'', the company buil ...

. He subsequently achieved his second podium at the 1954 French Grand Prix at the wheel of a Ferrari 625. Manzon then returned to the Gordini team, but found little success in World Championship events. Outside the Championship, he won the

1956 Naples Grand Prix The 9th Naples Grand Prix was a motor race, run to Formula One rules, held on 6 May 1956 at Posillipo Circuit, Naples. The race was run over 60 laps of the circuit, and was won by French driver Robert Manzon in a Gordini Type 16. Results Source ...

and a sports car race at

Pescara Pescara (; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Abruzzese, Pescàrë; nap, label=Neapolitan language, Pescarese, Piscàrë) is the capital city of the Province of Pescara, in the Abruzzo Regions of Italy, region of Italy. It is the most populated ci ...

. After racing, he later operated his own diesel equipment distribution business. Manzon died at his home in the south of France on 19 January 2015 aged 97. He was the last surviving entrant of the 1950 Formula One season.

Complete Formula One World Championship results

( key)

References

Sources

Profile at www.grandprix.comRobert Manzon's obituary
{{DEFAULTSORT:Manzon, Robert 1917 births 2015 deaths French racing drivers French Formula One drivers Gordini Formula One drivers Ecurie Rosier Formula One drivers Ferrari Formula One drivers 24 Hours of Le Mans drivers 12 Hours of Reims drivers World Sportscar Championship drivers Sportspeople from Marseille