Люсьен Бьянки: Бельгиялық жарыс жолдарының шебері

Belgian racing driver (1934–1969)

Lucien Bianchi (10 November 1934 – 30 March 1969), 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. He 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. He died in a testing crash in preparation for the 1969 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Bianchi was born in Milan, Italy, but moved to Belgium in 1946 when he was still a child, with his father who was a race mechanic working, before the Second World War, in the Alfa Romeo competition department. His brother, Mauro Bianchi, also became a racing driver. They drove to victory together in the 1965 Nürburgring 500 km. Mauro later won the P1.6 class at the 1967 24 Hours of Le Mans. His grandnephew, Jules Bianchi, who made his Formula One debut with the Marussia team for the F1 season of 2013 season competing under the French flag, also died as a result of injuries sustained in a racing accident.

Lucien Bianchi's first race event was at the Alpine Rally in 1951. He won the 1957, 1958 and 1959 Tour de France as well as the Paris 1000 sports car race in the latter two years. He entered Formula One in 1959, although only with sporadic appearances at first. He drove various cars under the banner of the ENB team, including a Cooper T51, a Lotus 18 and an Emeryson. After a couple of races for the UDT Laystall team in 1961, driving another Lotus, he returned to ENB for whom he drove their ENB Maserati. He finally secured a more regular drive in Formula One in 1968, with the Cooper BRM team, although success was elusive despite a bright start. Bianchi managed his best Formula One performance, finishing third at the 1968 Monaco Grand Prix, in his first race for Cooper. Bianchi also 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 Rodríguez and at Sebring in 1962 with Jo Bonnier. He was also leading the 1968 London–Sydney Marathon when his Citroën DS collided with a non competing car on the closed course near Nowra, 100 km south of Sydney. He was killed when his Alfa Romeo T33 spun into a telegraph pole during Le Mans testing in 1969. At Circuit Zolder, the fourth turn of the circuit, entering the back stretch, is named LucienBianchiBocht in his memory.

Year Team Co Drivers Car Class Laps 1956 Equipe Nationale Belge Alain de Changy Ferrari 500 TR S 2.0 76 DNF DNF 1957 Equipe Nationale Belge Georges Harris Ferrari 500 TRC S 2.0 288 7th 1st 1958 Ecurie Francorchamps Willy Mairesse Ferrari 250 TR S 3.0 33 DNF DNF 1959 Equipe Nationale Belge Alain de Changy Ferrari 250 TR S 3.0 47 DNF DNF 1960 Equipe Nationale Belge Jean Blaton Ferrari 250 GT GT 3.0 29 DNF DNF 1961 Ecurie Francorchamps Georges Berger Ferrari 250 GT GT 3.0 60 DNF DNF 1962 Maserati France Maurice Trintignant Maserati Tipo 151 E +3.0 152 DNF DNF 1963 David Brown Phil Hill Aston Martin DP215 P+3.0 29 DNF DNF 1964 Equipe Nationale Belge Jean Blaton Ferrari 250 GTO GT 3.0 333 5th 1st 1965 Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. Michael Salmon Ferrari 250LM P 5.0 99 DNF DNF 1966 Holman & Moody Mario Andretti Ford GT40 Mk. II P +5.0 97 DNF DNF 1967 Holman & Moody Mario Andretti Ford GT40 Mk. IV P +5.0 188 DNF DNF 1968 J. W. Automotive Engineering Ltd. Pedro Rodriguez Ford GT40 S 5.0 331 1st 1st