10 Facts About Lucien Bianchi

1.

Lucien Bianchi, born Luciano Bianchi, was an Italian-born Belgian racing driver who raced for the Cooper, ENB, UDT Laystall and Scuderia Centro Sud teams in Formula One.

2.

Lucien Bianchi entered a total of 19 Formula One World Championship races, scoring six points and had a best finish of third at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix.

3.

Lucien Bianchi died in a testing crash in preparation for the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans.

4.

Lucien Bianchi won the 1957,1958 and 1959 Tour de France as well as the Paris 1000 sports car race in the latter two years.

5.

Lucien Bianchi entered Formula One in 1959, although only with sporadic appearances at first.

6.

Lucien Bianchi drove various cars under the banner of the ENB team, including a Cooper T51, a Lotus 18 and an Emeryson.

7.

Lucien Bianchi finally secured a more regular drive in Formula One in 1968, with the Cooper-BRM team, although success was elusive despite a bright start.

8.

Lucien Bianchi managed his best Formula One performance, finishing third at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, in his first race for Cooper.

9.

Lucien Bianchi raced touring cars, sports cars and rally cars, being successful in all disciplines, his biggest victories coming in the 1968 24 Hours of Le Mans, behind the wheel of a Ford GT40 with Pedro Rodriguez and at Sebring in 1962 with Jo Bonnier.

10.

Lucien Bianchi was killed when his Alfa Romeo T33 spun into a telegraph pole during Le Mans testing in 1969.