José Froilán González
José Froilán González (October 5, 1922 – June 15, 2013) was an Argentine racing driver, particularly notable for scoring Ferrari's first win in a Formula One World Championship race at the 1951 British Grand Prix. He made his Formula One debut for Scuderia Achille Varzi in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix. His last Grand Prix was the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix.
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Born | Arrecifes, Argentina | 5 October 1922||||||||
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Died | 15 June 2013 90) Buenos Aires, Argentina | (aged||||||||
Formula One World Championship career | |||||||||
Nationality | ![]() | ||||||||
Active years | 1950–1957, 1960 | ||||||||
Teams | Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Ferrari, Vanwall | ||||||||
Entries | 26 | ||||||||
Championships | 0 | ||||||||
Wins | 2 | ||||||||
Podiums | 15 | ||||||||
Career points | 72 1⁄7 (77 9⁄14)[1] | ||||||||
Pole positions | 3 | ||||||||
Fastest laps | 6 | ||||||||
First entry | 1950 Monaco Grand Prix | ||||||||
First win | 1951 British Grand Prix | ||||||||
Last win | 1954 British Grand Prix | ||||||||
Last entry | 1960 Argentine Grand Prix | ||||||||
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González competed in 26 World Championship Formula One Grands Prix over nine seasons (1950–1957 and 1960) and numerous non-Championship events.[2] In the 26 World Championship races, González scored two victories (the 1951 British Grand Prix and the 1954 British Grand Prix), seven second-place finishes, six third-place finishes, three pole positions, six fastest laps, and 72 1⁄7 points. He won the 1951 Coppa Acerbo, in 1954 the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Maurice Trintignant, and the Portuguese Grand Prix for Ferrari.
Physically well built, González was nicknamed The Pampas Bull (by his English fans) and El Cabezón (Fat Head, by his Argentine fans). His close friends, like Juan-Manuel Fangio and Roberto Mieres, called him Pepe.
Sixtieth anniversary tribute
![](../I/Froilan_Gonzalez_Ferrari_500.png.webp)
On 10 July 2011, during the British Grand Prix meeting, González was honoured by the Ferrari team and the FIA on the 60th anniversary of Ferrari's first Formula One World Championship race victory. As part of the celebration, Ferrari driver Fernando Alonso drove González' Ferrari 375 F1 for four laps of the Silverstone track. Later that day, Alonso won the British Grand Prix in his Ferrari 150º Italia.
Death
He died in Buenos Aires from respiratory failure, aged 90, after a downturn in health following a heart attack earlier in 2013.[3][4]
Racing record
Complete Formula One World Championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap)
* Shared drive.
** Joint fastest lap.
† González started the race in a Ferrari 553 Squalo, but took over one of his teammates' 625 during the race.
Complete Formula One non-championship results
(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
1Gonzalez drove the 553 in the heat and the 625 in the final of the 1954 BRDC International Trophy.
Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
![](../I/1950_Simca_Gordini_T15s.JPG.webp)
Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
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1950 | ![]() |
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Simca-Gordini T15S Compresseur | S 3.0 | 95 | DNF (Engine) | |
1951 | ![]() |
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Talbot-Lago T26 GS | S 5.0 | 128 | DNF (Radiator) | |
1953 | ![]() |
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Lancia D20 Compressor | S 8.0 | 213 | DNF (Engine) | |
1954 | ![]() |
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Ferrari 375 Plus | S 5.0 | 302 | 1st | 1st |
Other race results
- Grand Prix of Interlagos: 3rd, (1952), Formula Libre
- Grand Prix of Rio de Janeiro 1st, (1952), Formula Libre
- Grand Prix of Buenos Aires 1st, (1951), Formula Libre
- Glover Trophy: 1st, (1952), Formula Libre
- Supercortemaggiore: 2nd, (1954)
- Monsanto Park Circuit: 1st, (1954)
- 1000 miles of Buenos Aires: 3rd, (1956), 1st (1960)
- 500 miles of Rafaela: 1st, (1958), 1st (1959)
References
- Up until 1990, not all points scored by a driver contributed to their final World Championship tally (see list of points scoring systems for more information). Number without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
- "The Formula One Archives". Retrieved 25 July 2007.
- "Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Ferrari's first GP winner, dies at age 90". 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
- Brown, Allen. "Jose Froilan Gonzalez". oldracingcars.com. Retrieved 14 August 2018.