Jean Behra

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Jean Behra
BRM, Ferrari
Entries53 (52 starts)[a]
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums9
Career points51 1⁄7
Pole positions0
Fastest laps1
First entry1952 Swiss Grand Prix
Last entry1959 French Grand Prix
Jean Behra (left) with Fritz Huschke von Hanstein, Richard von Frankenberg and Edgar Barth

Jean Marie Behra (16 February 1921 – 1 August 1959) was a

BRM, Ferrari and Porsche
teams.

Appearance and personality

Behra was small in stature, stocky, and weighed 178 pounds.

Reims Grand Prix
race in 1959. He was dismissed from the Ferrari team after assaulting a team manager, shortly before his death.

Career synopsis

He raced motorcycles for

Joakim Bonnier claimed that he learned the majority of his racing skill from Behra.[3] Although he never achieved victory in a World Championship Formula One race, he managed an unquenchable thirst for motorsport, being considered a formidable competitor to the day he died. He hit the headlines when he won the non-title 1952 Reims Grand Prix. Between then and 1959 he scored many victories, but none in Formula One
championship races.


Gordini

Behra was in a

Puebla.[6] In April 1954 Behra passed the leader in the last ten minutes on his way to victory in the Grand Prix of Pau, France. He finished 200 yards (180 m) ahead of Maurice Trintignant after having to make many pit stops due to mechanical trouble. Behra drove a six-cylinder Gordini.[7]

Maserati

Behra finished first at the Grand Prix de Pau for a second consecutive year, this time at the wheel of a Maserati.

Monza, Italy. The two Italians shared a 3000cc Maserati that won and established course and lap records for 6.3 kilometer track.[9]

Behra had surgery on his leg in June 1956, forcing him to miss a 1,000 kilometer Monza Grand Prix.

Grand Prix of Rome, a 2000cc sports car event, in October 1956. His winning distance was 166.030 kilometers. He covered one lap in 2 minutes, 16.9 seconds, to average 174.003 kilometers an hour. This established a record for the Castelfusano track.[13]

Behra had his best season in the Formula One World Championship in 1956, finishing 4th overall in the championship, with 5 podiums out of 7 starts.

In April 1957 Behra turned in the quickest time for the Pau Grand Prix. He circuited the 2.77 meter course in 1 minute 35.7 seconds, which was a half second slower than his lap record time. The race covered a distance of 304.6 kilometers or about 190 miles (310 km).[14] Behra won the race which was run through the streets of Pau, with an average speed of 62.7 mph (100.9 km/h).[15] Behra was injured while testing a car for the

Kristianstad, Sweden
in August 1957. He drove in a Swedish 6-hour Grand Prix at the Rabelov, 6,537 meter, asphalt track.
Modena, Italy in September.[18]

Porsche

Behra drove a

Berlin, Germany
held in September. He navigated the twenty circuits of the 5.19-mile (8.35 km) track with a time of 128.2 mph (206.3 km/h). in 48 minutes, 14.8 seconds.
Porsche Spyder. In Formula One he drove exclusively for BRM that year.[3]
Behra finished 4th at Riverside International Raceway in a small Porsche RSK, in October 1958. He made a quick exit and took an airplane to Europe, where he left for the Grand Prix of Morocco at Casablanca. He was in such a hurry that he left Riverside, California in an ambulance to make his flight.[22]

Final season and death

In 1959 he moved to Ferrari where he partnered with Tony Brooks. Behra won a 200-mile (320 km) international race of Formula One cars at Aintree, in April 1959. He averaged 88.7 miles per hour in an event in which Brooks took second place, 10 seconds behind.[23]

While still contracted to the team, he began development of a

Porsche 718 RSK. The team, known as Behra-Porsche, entered the 1959 Monaco Grand Prix with Maria Teresa de Filippis at the wheel but did not qualify. Despite the lack of initial success, Behra regarded the project as "tremendous fun" and was rewarded when Hans Herrmann drove the car to second in the prestigious Reims F2 race supporting that year's French Grand Prix. In so doing, Behra had beaten Scuderia Ferrari's own F2 entries, enraging Enzo Ferrari and doing little to ease tensions in an already strained relationship with the team.[24]
Things came to a head later that weekend, after he retired from the Grand Prix with a piston failure. Behra was involved in a strong discussion in a restaurant in which he punched team manager Romolo Tavoni and another patron, and was instantly dismissed from the team.

Less than a month later he crashed his

Berlin, Germany.[25]
He was thrown from his car and fatally injured when he hit a flagpole, causing a skull fracture.

The sports car race featured entries of small, under 1,500 c.c. engine capacity. After three laps Behra was third behind Wolfgang von Trips and Bonnier, who eventually finished one and two. The AVUS was unique among race tracks. It used a strip of the Autobahn 2.5 miles (4.0 km) in length. The north and south bound lanes were fifty feet apart. At one end was a hairpin turn which drivers negotiated at around 30 mph (48 km/h). At the other end was a 30-foot (9.1 m) high, steeply banked loop. Behra lost control in the pouring rain, while going 110 mph (180 km/h). The Porsche began to fishtail with the tail of the car going higher and higher up the slick, steep bank. Then the Porsche spun and went over the top of the banking, with its nose pointing toward the sky. It landed heavily on its side on top of the banking. It remained there wrecked, while the race continued on underneath. Behra was thrown out and for a fleeting moment he could be seen against the background of the sky, with his arms outstretched as though attempting to fly. He impacted one of eight flagpoles arranged at the summit of the embankment which bore the flags of the competing nations. The flagpole toppled over when Behra collided with it, about halfway to its top.

Behra came down into trees and rolled almost into a street where drivers and cars often waited in a paddock to practice. A doctor arrived from a Red Cross ambulance close by. He examined Behra briefly and shook his head. A hospital bulletin stated that Behra broke most of his ribs in addition to the skull fracture which killed him.[25] Currently AVUS is a vital part of the German public highway system as Autobahn A 115.

Mourning

Behra was buried in

Nice, France
on 7 August, six days after his fatal crash. He had three funeral services: one in Berlin, another in Paris, and a final one in Nice. At the Nice service, 3,000 mourners lined the streets from wall to wall.

Behra left a nineteen-year-old son, Jean Paul. Behra's demise left only Maurice Trintignant among living French drivers of fame. Trintignant comforted Behra's family and called on the young men of France to defend the colours of their country in international motor racing. Conspicuously absent among those present in the racing community was Enzo Ferrari. He dropped Behra as a factory driver ten days before his death when he learned that Behra was going to race a Porsche at Avus in breach of their agreement and sent no remembrance to the funeral masses.[26]

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Race in italics indicates fastest lap (shared))

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1951 Equipe Gordini
Simca-Gordini T15
Straight-4
 SUI 500 BEL FRA GBR GER ITA
Ret 		ESP NC 0
1952 Equipe Gordini
Type 16
Straight-6
 SUI
3 		500 BEL
Ret 		FRA
7 		GBR GER
5 		NED
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		11th 6
1953 Equipe Gordini
Type 16
Straight-6
 ARG
6 		500 NED BEL
Ret 		FRA
10 		GBR
Ret 		GER
Ret 		SUI
Ret 		ITA NC 0
1954 Equipe Gordini
Type 16
Straight-6
 ARG
DSQ 		500 BEL
Ret 		FRA
6 		GBR
Ret 		GER
10 		SUI
Ret 		ITA
Ret 		ESP
Ret 		26th 1⁄7
1955 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 ARG
6 * 		MON
3 † 		500 BEL
5 ‡ 		NED
6 		GBR
Ret 		ITA
4 		9th 6
1956 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 ARG
2 		MON
3 		500 BEL
7 		FRA
3 		GBR
3 		GER
3 		ITA
Ret 		4th 22
1957 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 ARG
2 		MON 500 FRA
6 		GBR
Ret 		GER
6 		PES
Ret 		11th 6
Maserati V12 ITA
Ret
1958 Ken Kavanagh Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 ARG
5 		11th 9
Owen Racing Organisation
BRM P25
Straight-4
 MON
Ret 		NED
3 		500 BEL
Ret 		FRA
Ret 		GBR
Ret 		GER
Ret 		POR
4 		ITA
Ret 		MOR
Ret
1959 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246
V6
 MON
Ret 		500 NED
5 		FRA
Ret 		GBR 17th 2
Jean Behra Behra-Porsche RSK
Flat-4
 GER
DNS 		POR ITA USA
* Indicates shared drive with Harry Schell
† Indicates shared drive with Cesare Perdisa
‡ Indicates shared drive with Roberto Mieres

Non-Championship Formula One results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36
1951 Equipe Gordini
Type 16
Straight-6
 SYR PAU RIC SRM BOR INT PAR ULS SCO NED ALB
6 		PES BAR GOO
1952 Equipe Gordini
Type 11
Straight-6
 RIO SYR VAL RIC LAV PAU
3 		IBS
Type 15
 MAR
NC
AST
 INT
Ret 		ELÄ NAP EIF
Type 16
 PAR
Ret 		ALB
Ret 		FRO ULS MNZ LAC
1 		ESS MAR
1 		SAB
DNS 		CAE
2 		DAI COM
3 		NAT NAT BAU
Ret 		MOD
Ret 		CAD SKA MAD AVU JOE NEW RIO
1953 Equipe Gordini
Type 16
Straight-6
 SYR PAU
Ret 		LAV AST BOR INT ELÄ NAP ULS
DNA 		WIN FRO COR EIF ALB PRI ESS MID ROU
Ret 		CRY AVU USF LAC
Ret 		BRI CHE SAB
NC 		NEW CAD
3 		RED SKA LON MOD
Ret 		MAD JOE CUR
1954 Equipe Gordini
Type 16
Straight-6
 SYR PAU
1 		LAV BOR
Ret 		INT
2 		BAR
3 		CUR ROM
4* 		FRO COR BRC CRY ROU
DSQ 		CAE
3† 		AUG COR OUT
Ret 		RED PES
5 		JOE CAD
1 		BER
Ret 		GOO DAI
16
1955 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 BUE VLN
Ret 		PAU
1 		GLV BOR
1 		INT NAP
4 		ALB CUR CRN LON REC RDX TLG OUL AVO SYR
1956 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 BUE
3 		GLV SYR
Ret 		AIN INT NAP 100 VNW CAE BRH
1957 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F
Straight-6
 BUE
2 		SYR
Ret 		PAU
1 		GLV NAP RMS
2 		MOD
1 		MOR
1
Jean Behra BRM P25
Straight-4
 CAE
1 		INT
1
1958
Owen Racing Organisation
BRM P25
Straight-4
 BUE GLV
Ret 		SYR AIN
Ret 		INT
4 		CAE
Ret
1959 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Dino 246
V6
 BUE GLV AIN
1 		INT OUL SIL
* Indicates shared drive with André Simon
† Indicates shared drive with Jacques Pollet

Notes

  1. ^ Behra secretly replaced the unwell Maurice Trintignant for the race of the 1951 Italian Grand Prix. Team principal Amédée Gordini did not inform the race organizers about the switch as it would have cut the team's starting fee. Behra competed in the race but wasn't officially credited with the race start.[1][2]

References

  1. ^ "Jean Behra - Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  2. ^ "Seasons - Italy 1951". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved June 26, 2019.
  3. ^ a b c Behra Arrives To Drive In $14,500 U.S. Grand Prix, Los Angeles Times, October 10, 1958, Page C1.
  4. ^ Grand Prix Drivers Accentuate The Positive, The New York Times, May 3, 1959, Page S7.
  5. ^ Behra and Faulkner Lead Sections On First Leg of Mexican Auto Race, New York Times, November 20, 1952, Page 41.
  6. ^ Italian Auto Pilot Paces Mexican Race, New York Times, November 21, 1952, Page 32.
  7. ^ Behra Wins Pau Auto Race, New York Times, April 20, 1954, Page 37.
  8. ^ Behra Takes Pau Race; Italian Driver Is Killed, New York Times, April 12, 1955, Page 34.
  9. ^ Behra, Musso Take Monza Race, New York Times, May 30, 1955, Page 9.
  10. ^ Behra Faces Surgery, New York Times, June 20, 1956, Page 37.
  11. ^ "GP Rouen 1956 - Grid - Racing Sports Cars". www.racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
  12. ^ Behra At Pole Position, New York Times, July 8, 1956, Page 144.
  13. ^ Behra Of France Takes Auto Race, October 22, 1956, Page 47.
  14. ^ Behra Has Fast Trial, April 21, 1957, Page 183.
  15. ^ Behra's Auto First In Pau Grand Prix, New York Times, April 23, 1957, Page 37.
  16. The Washington Post and Times-Herald
    , Page C5.
  17. ^ Behra Takes Auto Race, New York Times, August 12, 1957, Page 23.
  18. ^ Briefs, Los Angeles Times, September 23, 1957, Page C2.
  19. ^ Behra Takes Rouen Race, New York Times, June 9, 1958, Page 32.
  20. ^ Moss Wins Portugal's Grand Prix, The Washington Post and Times-Herald, August 25, 1958, Page A15.
  21. ^ Behra's Porsche Wins, New York Times, September 22, 1958, Page 36.
  22. ^ Behra Makes Hurried Departure From Race, Los Angeles Times, October 13, 1958, Page C2.
  23. ^ Behra's Ferrari First At Aintree, New York Times, April 19, 1959, Page S1.
  24. ^ "1958 Porsche-Behra Formula 2 - Revs Institute". Revs Institute. Archived from the original on 11 July 2021. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  25. ^ a b Jean Behra Killed In Race Crack-Up, New York Times, August 2, 1959, Page S1.
  26. ^ A Tribute To Behra, New York Times, August 11, 1959, Page 30.
Sporting positions
Preceded by BRDC International Trophy
Winner
1957 		Succeeded by
Records
Preceded by
Juan Manuel Fangio
52 entries, 51 starts
(1950 – 1958)
 Most Grand Prix entries
53 entries, 52 starts
(1950 – 1959),
53rd at the 1959 German GP 		Succeeded by
Harry Schell
56 entries (56 starts),
54th at the 1959 Italian GP
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jean_Behra&oldid=1191283280"