25 Facts About Jo Bonnier

Karl Jockum Jonas "Joakim" Bonnier, commonly known as Jo Bonnier, was a Swedish racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1956 to 1971.

Jo Bonnier competed in Formula One for Maserati, Scuderia Centro Sud, BRM, Porsche, Rob Walker Racing and Ecurie Jo Bonnier, winning the Dutch Grand Prix with BRM to become the first Swedish Formula One Grand Prix winner and finishing eighth in the World Drivers' Championship that year.

Outside of Formula One, Jo Bonnier entered 13 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1957 to 1972, finishing runner-up in 1964 alongside Graham Hill, driving the Ferrari 330P.

Until his death, Jo Bonnier had been the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Karl Jockum Jonas Jo Bonnier was born in Stockholm, to the wealthy Jo Bonnier family.

Jo Bonnier's father, Gert, was a professor of genetics at the University of Stockholm, while many members of his extensive family were in the publishing business.

Jo Bonnier spoke six languages and, although his parents hoped that he would become a doctor, for a while it was his aspiration to enter the family publishing business.

Jo Bonnier attended Oxford University for a year, studying languages, then went to Paris, France, planning to learn about publishing.

Jo Bonnier began competitive racing in Sweden at age 17, on an old Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

Jo Bonnier returned home to Sweden in 1951 after his Paris trip, and later took part in several rallies as the proud owner of a Simca.

Jo Bonnier's racing career almost ended in September 1958 in a race at Imola.

Jo Bonnier debuted a 1500cc Maserati and moved up through the field following a bad start, passing Luigi Musso, and was gaining on leader Eugenio Castellotti at around two seconds per lap when he lost control after another car pulled directly into his path as they negotiated a fast corner.

Jo Bonnier's Maserati struck a large rock at the edge of the road and catapulted.

Jo Bonnier's Maserati landed on its side before skidding 75 feet and heading into a ditch, where it came to a stop against a pole.

Jo Bonnier was thrown out of the car and suffered concussion, several cracked ribs, and a broken vertebra.

Jo Bonnier won the 1960 German Grand Prix with a Porsche 718, a race held for Formula Two in preparation for the rule change of 1961.

Jo Bonnier was one of the driving forces behind the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

Alongside Formula One, Jo Bonnier took part in many sports car races.

Jo Bonnier won the 1960 Targa Florio, co-driving a works Porsche 718 with Hans Herrmann, and in 1962 took a Ferrari 250 TRI entered by Count Giovanni Volpi to top honours in the 12 Hours of Sebring, sharing the car with Lucien Bianchi.

Jo Bonnier purchased a McLaren M6B to campaign in the 1968 Can-Am series.

Jo Bonnier then ran his McLaren in five of the six Can-Am races with his best finish an eighth at Las Vegas.

Jo Bonnier was plagued with mechanical problems most of the season.

Jo Bonnier had taken a lead in the fight for track safety, which had started around that time.

Jo Bonnier was killed in a crash during the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Jo Bonnier's car was catapulted over the Armco barriers and into the trees next to the track and he was killed instantly.