Maurice Trintignant

Maurice Bienvenu Jean Paul Trintignant (French pronunciation: [mo.ʁis bjɛ̃.v(ə).ny ʒɑ̃ pɔl tʁɛ̃.ti.ɲɑ̃]; 30 October 1917 – 13 February 2005) was a motor racing driver and vintner from France. He competed in the Formula One World Championship for fourteen years, between 1950 and 1964, one of the longest careers in the early years of Formula One. During this time he also competed in sports car racing, including winning the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Following his retirement from the track Trintignant concentrated on the wine trade.

Maurice Trintignant
Trintignant in 1954
Born(1917-10-30)30 October 1917
Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Vaucluse, France
Died13 February 2005(2005-02-13) (aged 87)
Nîmes, Gard, France
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityFrance French
Active years1950 – 1964
TeamsGordini, Ecurie Rosier, Ferrari inc. non-works, Vanwall, Rob Walker Racing Team, Scuderia Centro Sud, Bugatti, Aston Martin, BRM inc privateer, Scuderia Serenissima, Reg Parnell Racing
Entries86 (81 starts)[lower-alpha 1]
Championships0
Wins2
Podiums10[3]
Career points72 1⁄3
Pole positions0
Fastest laps1
First entry1950 Monaco Grand Prix
First win1955 Monaco Grand Prix
Last win1958 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1964 Italian Grand Prix

Maurice Trintignant was the brother of Bugatti race car driver Louis Trintignant — who was killed in 1933, in practice, at Péronne, Picardy — and the uncle of renowned French film actor Jean-Louis Trintignant.

Racing career

He began racing in 1938, and won the 1939 Grand Prix des Frontières, but his career was interrupted by the Second World War, during which his own Bugatti was stored in a barn. When he rebuilt it for an event of 1945, the Coupé de la Liberation, he overlooked a clogged fuel filter, which caused him to drop out of the race. It transpired that the filter was plugged with rat droppings, earning him the unenviable nickname, from another celebrated racer, Jean-Pierre Wimille, of 'Le Petoulet, "the rat-droppings man".[4]

By 1950 Le Petoulet was successful enough to be offered a works drive for the Gordini team, in the newly formed Formula One World Championship racing series. He competed in Formula One every year until his retirement after the 1964 season. During this long career Trintignant scored two victories, both at the Monaco Grand Prix, in 1955 and 1958.[5] 1954 and 1955 were his best Championship years and he finished fourth in the Drivers' Championship in both.

During the course of his career, Trintignant drove a huge variety of cars, for many different teams: both works and privateer. Unusually, at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix Trintignant shared both second and third places, a product of the Scuderia Ferrari policy of passing cars to their top drivers, should their original car break down. In 1956 he drove the Bugatti Type 251 in the French Grand Prix, becoming the last driver to represent the famed marque at a Grand Prix race.[6] Even in his final season, driving his own BRM P57, he scored points, taking fifth place at the 1964 German Grand Prix on the intimidating Nürburgring. Following his retirement from racing, Maurice Trintignant returned to a quiet life as a wine-grower (naming his vintage Le Petoulet),[7] near the town of Vergèze, in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine growing region.

Trintignant competed in the 2000 Historic Grand Prix of Monaco, reunited with the Cooper T45 he had driven to victory there in 1958.[8]

Trintignant died, aged 87, in 2005.

Major career wins

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Pts
1950 Equipe Gordini Simca-Gordini T15 Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s GBR MON
Ret		 500 SUI BEL FRA ITA
Ret		 NC 0
1951 Equipe Gordini Simca-Gordini T15 Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s SUI
DNA		 500 BEL FRA
Ret		 GBR GER
Ret		 ITA
DNS		 ESP
Ret		 NC 0
1952 Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 166 F2 Ferrari 166 2.0 V12 SUI
DNS		 500 BEL 16th 2
Equipe Gordini Simca-Gordini T15 Gordini 1500 1.5 L4 FRA
5
Gordini T16 Gordini 20 2.0 L6 GBR
Ret		 GER
Ret		 NED
6		 ITA
Ret
1953 Equipe Gordini Gordini T16 Gordini 20 2.0 L6 ARG
7*		 500 NED
6		 BEL
5		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
Ret		 GER
Ret		 SUI
Ret		 ITA
5		 12th 4
1954 Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 625 Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 ARG
4		 500 4th 17
Scuderia Ferrari BEL
2		 FRA
Ret		 GBR
5		 GER
3		 SUI
Ret		 ITA
5
Ferrari 553 Ferrari 554 2.5 L4 ESP
Ret
1955 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 625 Ferrari 555 2.5 L4 ARG
2+3†		 MON
1		 500 GBR
Ret		 4th 11 1⁄3
Ferrari 555 BEL
6		 NED
Ret		 ITA
8
1956 Vandervell Products Ltd Vanwall VW 2 Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 ARG MON
Ret		 500 BEL
Ret		 GBR
Ret		 GER ITA
Ret		 NC 0
Automobiles Bugatti Bugatti T251 Bugatti 2.5 L8 FRA
Ret
1957 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 801 Ferrari DS50 2.5 V8 ARG MON
5		 500 FRA
Ret		 GBR
4‡		 GER PES ITA 13th 5
1958 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper T45 Climax FPF 2.0 L4 ARG MON
1		 NED
9		 500 GER
3		 ITA
Ret		 MOR
Ret		 7th 12
Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 BEL
7
Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 FRA
Ret
R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper T43 Climax FPF 2.0 L4 GBR
8		 POR
8
1959 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 MON
3		 500 NED
8		 FRA
11		 GBR
5		 GER
4		 POR
4		 ITA
9		 USA
2		 5th 19
1960 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper T51 Climax FPF 2.5 L4 ARG
3[9]		 NC 0
Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250S 2.5 L4 MON
Ret		 500 NED
Ret		 BEL FRA
Ret		 USA
15
David Brown Corporation Aston Martin DBR5 Aston Martin RB6 2.5 L6 GBR
11		 POR ITA
1961 Scuderia Serenissima Cooper T51 Maserati Tipo 6 1.5 L4 MON
7		 NED BEL
Ret		 FRA
13		 GBR GER
Ret		 ITA
9		 USA NC 0
1962 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Lotus 24 Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 NED
WD		 MON
Ret		 BEL
8		 FRA
7		 GBR
WD		 GER
Ret		 ITA
Ret		 USA
Ret		 RSA NC 0
1963 Reg Parnell Racing Lola Mk4A Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 MON
Ret		 BEL NED NC 0
Lotus 24 FRA
8		 GBR GER
Scuderia Centro Sud BRM P57 BRM P56 1.5 V8 ITA
9		 USA MEX RSA
1964 Maurice Trintignant BRM P57 BRM P56 1.5 V8 MON
Ret		 NED BEL FRA
11		 GBR
DNQ		 GER
5		 AUT
DNA		 ITA
Ret		 USA MEX 16th 2
* Indicates shared drive with Harry Schell
† Indicates shared drives with José Froilán González and Giuseppe Farina (2nd place) & Giuseppe Farina and Umberto Maglioli (3rd place)
‡ Indicates shared drive with Peter Collins

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1950 France Automobiles Gordini France Robert Manzon Gordini T15S Coupé S 3.0 34 DNF
(Water radiator)
1951 France Equipe Gordini France Jean Behra Gordini T15S S 1.5 49 DNF
(Ignition)
1952 France Ecurie Rosier France Louis Rosier Ferrari 340 America Spyder S 5.0 DNF
(Clutch)
1953 France Automobiles Gordini United States Harry Schell Gordini T26S S 3.0 293 6th 1st
1954 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Argentina José Froilán González Ferrari 375 Plus S 5.0 302 1st 1st
1955 Italy Scuderia Ferrari United States Harry Schell Ferrari 735 LM S 5.0 107 DNF
(Clutch)
1956 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Belgium Olivier Gendebien Ferrari 625 LM Touring S 3.0 293 3rd 2nd
1957 Italy Scuderia Ferrari Belgium Olivier Gendebien Ferrari 250 TR S 5.0 109 DNF
(Piston)
1958 United Kingdom David Brown Racing Dept. United Kingdom Tony Brooks Aston Martin DBR1/300 S 3.0 173 DNF
(Gearbox)
1959 United Kingdom David Brown Racing Dept. Belgium Paul Frère Aston Martin DBR1/300 S 3.0 322 2nd 2nd
1960 West Germany Porsche KG West Germany Hans Herrmann Porsche 718 RS 60 S 2.0 57 DNF
(Piston)
1961 Italy Scuderia Serenissima Italy Carlo Maria Abate Ferrari 250 GT SWB GT 3.0 162 DNF
(Transmission)
1962 France Maserati France Belgium Lucien Bianchi Maserati Tipo 151/1 E +3.0 152 DNF
(Suspension)
1964 France Maserati France France André Simon Maserati Tipo 151/3 P 5.0 99 DNF
(Electrical)
1965 France Ford France S.A. France Guy Ligier Ford GT40 Roadster P 5.0 11 DNF
(Gearbox)

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results
Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1957 Italy Ferrari Factory United Kingdom Peter Collins Ferrari 315 S S5.0 187 6th 5th

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Pos. Pts Class
1962 Ford Motor Company Ford Zodiac Mk 3 C SNE GOO AIN SIL
?		 CRY AIN BRH OUL 22nd 6 3rd
Source:[10]

Trivia

Notes
  1. Trintignant got sick before the race at Italy in 1951, and was secretly replaced by Jean Behra. Team principal Amédée Gordini did not inform the race organizers about the switch as it would have cut the team's starting fee. Since the organizers were not informed about the driver change Trintignant was initially credited with the race start and some sources still do.[1][2]

References
  1. "Jean Behra - Biography". MotorSportMagazine. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  2. "Seasons - Italy 1951". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  3. Total of 10 podiums includes both 2nd and 3rd places at the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix
  4. Michael Kettlewell, World of Automobiles (Orbis, 1974), Volume 20, p.2368
  5. Daily Express page 9 Monday 19 May 1958
  6. Mattijs Diepraam, Colombo's flawed brilliance, 8W, October 1998.
  7. ibid.
  8. "The Ex-Rob Walker Racing Team/Maurice Trintignant 1958 Monaco Grand Prix Winning, 1958 Cooper-Climax Type 45 — Polson Motor Company". polsonmotorco.com. Archived from the original on 20 May 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2021.
  9. No points awarded for shared drive with Stirling Moss in the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix
  10. de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 29 September 2022.
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