Moisés Solana

Moisés Solana Arciniega (December 26, 1935 – July 27, 1969) was a Mexican racing driver. He participated in eight Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on October 27, 1963, and scoring no championship points. He also participated in one non-championship Formula One race. He also took part in Formula Two in 1968 with Team Lotus at the Jarama Circuit near Madrid, Spain. His first racing events were in a 1954 special (the "Solana Sports"), built by Javiér Solana.[1] Solana was also a proficient Jai alai player and his racing career was partly funded by this.[2]

Moisés Solana
Born(1935-12-26)26 December 1935
Died27 July 1969(1969-07-27) (aged 33)
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityMexico Mexican
Active years19631968
TeamsCooper, Lotus,
Non-works BRM
Entries8
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1963 Mexican Grand Prix
Last entry1968 Mexican Grand Prix

In 1968, Solana tested a Formula Two car for Ferrari. He also drove for Lola and McLaren in the USRRC/Can-Am series between 1966 and 1968, and in March 1968 he won the first point-scoring race of the USRRC Group 7 series in the first international race in Mexico City. He still holds all the records in the Mexican road race categories and those at the Mexican Magdalena Mixhuca circuit.

He was the only driver in the history of the Formula One World Championship to start a race in a number 13 car (Divina Galica, in the 1976 British Grand Prix, also attempted a race with the number, but failed to qualify), something he did for BRM on his Formula One debut in the 1963 Mexican Grand Prix until Pastor Maldonado adopted 13 as his permanent number in 2014. Solana was a classified finisher in 11th despite his engine having failed eight laps short of the chequered flag.[3]

On July 27, 1969, Solana was killed in the Hillclimb Valle de Bravo-Bosencheve in Mexico, in a fatal accident after his McLaren went wide in a bend and hit a concrete trimming on the edge of the road, overturning the car which landed on top of him and caught fire. The Solana family is still very active in motor racing and has manufactured handmade sports cars on a mostly one-off basis.[1][4]

The first chicane at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City (turns 1–3) are known as the Ese Moisés Solana ("the Moises Solana Esses").

Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 WDC Points
1963 Scuderia Centro Sud BRM P57 BRM V8 MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA USA MEX
11
RSA NC 0
1964 Team Lotus Lotus 33 Climax V8 MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER AUT ITA USA MEX
10
NC 0
1965 Team Lotus Lotus 25 Climax V8 RSA MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA
12
MEX
Ret
NC 0
1966 Cooper Car Company Cooper T81 Maserati V12 MON BEL FRA GBR NED GER ITA USA MEX
Ret
NC 0
1967 Team Lotus Lotus 49 Cosworth V8 RSA MON NED BEL FRA GBR GER CAN ITA USA
Ret
MEX
Ret
NC 0
1968 Gold Leaf Team Lotus Lotus 49B Cosworth V8 RSA ESP MON BEL NED FRA GBR GER ITA CAN USA MEX
Ret
NC 0

References

  1. Samperio, Gilberto (February 1997). "Solana Sport Serie II: Tradición familiar" [Family tradition]. Automóvil Panamericano (in Spanish): 58. Archived from the original on 16 February 2016. Retrieved 27 February 2013.
  2. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 355. ISBN 0851127029.
  3. "Google". F1fanatic.co.uk. 9 January 2008. Retrieved 7 August 2018.
  4. Solana, Joaquín. "Moisés Solana: Biografía de un Campeón" [Biography of a champion]. Familia Solana en el automovilismo de México (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 22 July 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.