27 Facts About Gunnar Nilsson

Gunnar Axel Arvid Nilsson was a Swedish racing driver, who competed in Formula One from 1976 to 1977.

Gunnar Nilsson began his racing career in the late 1960s, progressing into Formula Super Vee in 1973 with Ecurie Bonnier.

Gunnar Nilsson signed for Lotus in 1976, making his Formula One debut at the South African Grand Prix.

Qualifying for every race in his rookie season, Gunnar Nilsson scored podium finishes in Spain and Austria.

Outside of Formula One, Gunnar Nilsson was a race-winner in both the World Sportscar and European Touring Car Championships with BMW.

Gunnar Axel Arvid Nilsson was born on 20 November 1948 in Helsingborg, the second son of a local building contractor.

Gunnar Nilsson attended school in his home town and went into the service as a submarine radio officer in the Swedish Navy.

Gunnar Nilsson had seen the exploits of fellow Swedes; Ronnie Peterson and Reine Wisell and knew he wanted to be a racing driver.

Gunnar Nilsson began racing in national events in Sweden, in the late 1960s.

Gunnar Nilsson was clearly good as he stepped up to Formula Two, and promptly finished fourth in the Norisring-Trophae, at the Norisring, in a Team Pierre Robert entered GRD-Ford 273, mainly due to misfortunes of others.

Gunnar Nilsson did score some second places, but victories and the season was punctuated by many spins and minor accidents.

Gunnar Nilsson had interspersed his success with some spectacular accidents, but with Ted Moore, he made no mistakes.

Gunnar Nilsson impressed and was offered a contract for 1976, but turned it down in favour of an F2 drive with March which did not require a budget.

Gunnar Nilsson got his chance with the famous marque when Jacky Ickx and Ronnie Peterson abandoned ship when the Lotus 76 proved a disastrous replacement for the legendary Lotus 72.

The replacement car for 1976, Lotus 77 was promising, meanwhile the team was undergoing big change at the time and Mario Andretti soon replaced Evans, the team was back on the way up, with Gunnar Nilsson taking advantage of Andretti's experience.

Gunnar Nilsson's debut was not an auspicious one; he qualified last of 25 drivers, in what was attributed to a bad car, which had caught fire during practice.

Gunnar Nilsson might have scored more points but for a whole catalogue of accidents.

Gunnar Nilsson signed to race for Arrows in 1978, in their debut season, but as it happened he did not have the health required to drive the car, and was forced to stand down before the first race.

Gunnar Nilsson was versatile; having driven a BMW saloon in both the World Championship for Makes and European Touring Car Championship in 1976 and 1977.

Gunnar Nilsson briefly sampled American style oval racing in the International Race of Champions series, scoring a fifth at Michigan in September 1977.

In December 1977, during a routine check-up with a London doctor, Gunnar Nilsson was informed he had cancer.

At the Charing Cross Hospital, London, Gunnar Nilsson was treated for his cancer by intensive radiotherapy.

Gunnar Nilsson returned to the Charing Cross hospital where five weeks later, on 20 October 1978, he died due to his testicular cancer.

Those who knew Gunnar Nilsson described him as a warm, energetic character with a love of life.

Gunnar Nilsson could become quite solitary and would sometimes detach himself from social situations, so that few people became truly close to him.

Gunnar Nilsson's contemporaries attributed this to the lack of a father figure in his life, Nilsson's father having died when he was young.

Gunnar Nilsson grew particularly close to Danny Sullivan after racing together in F3, eventually sharing a flat in London.