Raymond Sommer (August 31, 1906,
MouzonMouzon may refer to the following:Places in France:*Mouzon, Ardennes, a commune in the department of Ardennes*Mouzon, Charente, a commune in the department of CharentePeople*Alphonse Mouzon...
, in the
ArdennesThe Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and old mountains formed on the Givetian Ardennes mountains, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
département of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
- September 10, 1950) was a
Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
driver.
Sommer was born into a wealthy
Sedan, FranceSedan is a town and commune in France, a sub-prefecture of the Ardennes department in northern France.-Geography:The historic centre is built on a peninsula formed by an arc of the Meuse River. It is around from the Belgian border, and around from Paris.-History:Sedan was founded in 1424...
carpet making family. His father, Roger, broke the
Wright BrothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans who are generally credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
record for the longest flight in 1909. It was not until 1931 that Raymond started to display daredevil tendencies of his own, entering motor races in a privateer
Chrysler ImperialThe Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was the company's top of the range vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, and again from 1990 to 1993. The company positioned the cars as a prestige marque that would rival Cadillac and Lincoln...
. The following year, he won the
24 hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France...
, despite having to drive over 20 hours solo after his teammate
Luigi ChinettiLuigi Chinetti was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II and became an American citizen.Born in Milan, he began work for Alfa Romeo as a mechanic in 1917 at the age of sixteen...
retired ill.
Raymond Sommer (August 31, 1906,
MouzonMouzon may refer to the following:Places in France:*Mouzon, Ardennes, a commune in the department of Ardennes*Mouzon, Charente, a commune in the department of CharentePeople*Alphonse Mouzon...
, in the
ArdennesThe Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rolling hills and old mountains formed on the Givetian Ardennes mountains, primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, but stretching into France , and geologically into the Eifel...
département of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
- September 10, 1950) was a
Grand Prix motor racingGrand Prix motor racing has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver...
driver.
Sommer was born into a wealthy
Sedan, FranceSedan is a town and commune in France, a sub-prefecture of the Ardennes department in northern France.-Geography:The historic centre is built on a peninsula formed by an arc of the Meuse River. It is around from the Belgian border, and around from Paris.-History:Sedan was founded in 1424...
carpet making family. His father, Roger, broke the
Wright BrothersThe Wright brothers, Orville and Wilbur , were two Americans who are generally credited with inventing and building the world's first successful airplane and making the first controlled, powered and sustained heavier-than-air human flight, on December 17, 1903...
record for the longest flight in 1909. It was not until 1931 that Raymond started to display daredevil tendencies of his own, entering motor races in a privateer
Chrysler ImperialThe Chrysler Imperial, introduced in 1926, was the company's top of the range vehicle for much of its history. Models were produced with the Chrysler name until 1954, and again from 1990 to 1993. The company positioned the cars as a prestige marque that would rival Cadillac and Lincoln...
. The following year, he won the
24 hours of Le MansThe 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France...
, despite having to drive over 20 hours solo after his teammate
Luigi ChinettiLuigi Chinetti was an Italian-born racecar driver, who emigrated to the United States during World War II and became an American citizen.Born in Milan, he began work for Alfa Romeo as a mechanic in 1917 at the age of sixteen...
retired ill. During the 1930s, Sommer was to dominate the French endurance classic, winning again in 1933 driving an
Alfa RomeoDuring its history, Alfa Romeo has competed successfully in many different categories of motorsport, including Grand Prix motor racing, Formula One, sportscar racing, touring car racing and rallies. They have competed both as a constructor and an engine supplier, via works entries and private...
alongside
Tazio NuvolariTazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
. He also led every race up until 1938, only to suffer a mechanical failure, once when 12 laps in the lead. Sommer traveled to Long Island, New York to compete in the 1936
Vanderbilt CupThe Vanderbilt Cup was the first major trophy in American auto racing. An international event, it was founded by William Kissam Vanderbilt II in 1904 and first held at a course set out in Nassau County on Long Island, New York. The announcement that the race was to be held caused considerable...
where he finished 4th to the winner,
Tazio NuvolariTazio Giorgio Nuvolari was an Italian motorcycle and racecar driver, known as Il Mantovano Volante or Nivola. He was the 1932 European Champion in Grand Prix motor racing...
.
However, his tendency to run in privately entered cars did him no favours on the Grand Prix scene, winning just one major international race, the 1936
French Grand PrixThe French Grand Prix is a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
. At the time, the
GermanGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered to the north by the North Sea, Denmark, and the Baltic Sea; to the east by Poland and the Czech Republic; to the south by Austria and Switzerland; and to the west by France, Luxembourg, Belgium,...
manufacturers
Mercedes-BenzMercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of luxury automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. It is currently a division of the parent company, Daimler AG , after previously being owned by Daimler-Benz...
and
Auto UnionAuto Union was an amalgamation of four German automobile manufacturers, established in 1932 in Chemnitz, Saxony, during the Great Depression. The company has evolved into present day Audi, as a subsidiary of Volkswagen Group....
were the dominant force in GP racing, together with the French
BugattiBugatti was founded in Molsheim, France a manufacturer of high performance automobiles by Ettore Bugatti, a French man described as an eccentric genius....
team. Sommer turned to sports cars once more, winning the
Spa 24 HoursThe Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
endurance race with co-driver
Francesco SeveriFrancesco Severi was an Italian mathematician. He is famous for his contributions to algebraic geometry...
. More wins came his way including at the "Marseilles Three Hours" at
MiramasMiramas is a commune in the département of Bouches-du-Rhône in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France. It is the second-largest commune in metropolitan Ouest-Provence, and is located at the north end of the Étang de Berre lagoon, adjacent to and northeast of the city of Istres.-Circuit of...
, the Grand Prix de Tunisie and
La TurbieLa Turbie is a commune in the Alpes-Maritimes department in south-eastern France.-History:...
hill climb competition in 1938 and 1939 with Alfa Romeo 308 until the outbreak of
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, where he played an active part in the
French ResistanceThe French Resistance is the collective name used for the French resistance movements which fought against the Nazi German occupation of France and the collaborationist Vichy Regime during World War II...
movement.
Following the war, Sommer quickly returned to winning ways, claiming victory in the 1946
René Le Bègue Cup----René Le Bègue was a Parisian-born French race car driver in Rally and Grand Prix motor racing. In his first year of top level racing, his best showing came at the 1936 Spa 24 Hours endurance race when he drove a Delahaye to a 2nd place finish. In 1937 he and his co-pilot Julio Quinlin won the...
race at
Saint-CloudSaint-Cloud is a commune in the western suburbs of Paris, France. It is located 9.6 kilometres from the centre of Paris.Like other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine such as Marnes-la-Coquette, Neuilly-sur-Seine or Vaucresson, Saint-Cloud is one of the wealthiest cities in France, ranked 22nd out of...
. At the 1947
TurinTurin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
Grand Prix in Valentino Park he won the first ever Grand Prix for
Enzo FerrariEnzo Anselmo "the Commendatore" Ferrari Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI was an Italian race car driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari car manufacturer.- Life and career :Born in Modena, Enzo Ferrari grew up with...
as an independent constructor. The following season, Sommer switched from the
FerrariFerrari S.p.A. is an Italian sports car manufacturer based in Maranello, Italy. Founded by Enzo Ferrari in 1928 as Scuderia Ferrari, the company sponsored drivers and manufactured race cars before moving into production of street-legal vehicles in 1947 as Ferrari S.p.A....
team, again for a privately owned car, this time a
Talbot-LagoTalbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer at Suresnes, Seine.-The beginnings:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935...
. In 1950, the F1 World Championship began and Sommer drove in five Grand Prix races for Talbot and BRM, retiring in all but one.
In July 1950 he won the
Aix les Bains Circuit du LacAix les Bains, Savoie, France had a temporary race track, called Circuit du Lac, that hosted Formula 2, Formula Junior and Motorcycle Grand Prix races. It hosted events from 1949 to 1961.-Introduction:...
Grand-Prix with a Ferrari 166.
In September 1950, he entered the
Haute-GaronneHaute-Garonne is a department in the southwest of France named after the Garonne river. Its main city is Toulouse.-History:Haute-Garonne is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790...
Grand Prix in
CadoursThe Circuit de Cadours was a race track located in the South west of France, in the Tarn et Garonne “department”.- Historic race track of Cadours Laréole :Cadours is now part of the Toulouse city district...
,
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
where the steering failed on his 1100 cc
CooperThe Cooper Car Company was founded in 1946 by Charles Cooper and his son John Cooper. Together with John's boyhood friend, Eric Brandon, they began by building racing cars in Charles' small garage in Surbiton, Surrey, England in 1946...
and the car overturned at a corner. Sommer was instantly killed, his traditional canvas helmet proving to be no use at all.
Major career wins:
- French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix is a race held as part of Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One automobile racing championships....
1936
- Grand Prix de Marseilles 1932, 1937, 1946
- Grand Prix de Tunisa 1937
- Grand Prix de L'U.M.F. 1935
- Gran Premio del Valentino 1947
- Madrid Grand Prix 1949
- Spa 24 Hours
The Total 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event held annually in Belgium at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. Conceived by Jules de Their and Henri Langlois Van Ophem just one year after the first 24 Hours of Le Mans, the race was run under the auspices of the Royal Automobile Club Belgium...
1936
- Turin
Turin is a major city as well as a business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River surrounded by the Alpine arch...
Grand Prix 1947
- 24 hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since near the town of Le Mans, Sarthe, France...
1932, 1933
Complete Formula One World Championship results
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| 1950 The 1950 Formula One season included the inaugural FIA Formula One World Championship season, which commenced on May 13, 1950, and ended on September 3 after 7 races...
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Scuderia Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
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Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
125The 125 F1 was Ferrari's first Formula One car. It shared its engine with the 125 S sports racer which preceded it by a year, but was developed at the same time by Enzo Ferrari and famed designer, Gioacchino Colombo....
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Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
V12A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually at a 60° angle to each other, but in some cases at a wider or narrower angle, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
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GBRThe 1950 British Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 13 May 1950 at the Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone, England. It was the first round of the 1950 World Drivers Championship and the fifth race of the season. The race, contested over 58 laps, was won by Giuseppe Farina for the Alfa...
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MON The 1950 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on May 21, 1950 at Monaco. This race was the second round of 1950 World Drivers Championship.-Report:...
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500 The 1950 Indianapolis 500 was held on Tuesday, May 30, 1950 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. The event was the third round of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship...
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| Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
166Ferrari used its 2 L V12 engine in a number of models, all called 166 for the displacement of a single cylinder...
F2 |
Ferrari Scuderia Ferrari is the name for the Gestione Sportiva, the division of the Ferrari automobile company concerned with racing. The racing team has competed in numerous classes of motorsport since its formation in 1929. Currently the team races in Formula One only, under the team name "Scuderia...
V12A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually at a 60° angle to each other, but in some cases at a wider or narrower angle, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
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SUIThe 1950 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 4, 1950 at Bremgarten. It was the fourth round of the 1950 World Drivers Championship.-Report:...
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Talbot-Lago Talbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer at Suresnes, Seine.-The beginnings:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935...
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Talbot Talbot is an automobile brand, whose history is one of the industry's most complex.-Inception of the British Talbot:Talbot was originally the British brand name used to sell imported French Clément-Bayard cars. Founded in 1903, this business venture was financed by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th...
Straight-6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
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BEL The 1950 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on June 18, 1950 at Spa-Francorchamps. It was the fifth round of the 1950 World Drivers Championship.-Report:...
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ITA The 1950 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on September 3, 1950 at Monza. It was the seventh and final event of the 1950 World Drivers Championship...
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| Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SA Talbot is an automobile brand, whose history is one of the industry's most complex.-Inception of the British Talbot:Talbot was originally the British brand name used to sell imported French Clément-Bayard cars. Founded in 1903, this business venture was financed by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th...
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Talbot-Lago Talbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer at Suresnes, Seine.-The beginnings:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935...
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Talbot Talbot is an automobile brand, whose history is one of the industry's most complex.-Inception of the British Talbot:Talbot was originally the British brand name used to sell imported French Clément-Bayard cars. Founded in 1903, this business venture was financed by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th...
Straight-6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
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FRA The 1950 French Grand Prix was a Formula One race held on July 2, 1950 at Reims-Gueux. It was the sixth round of 1950 World Drivers Championship.__FORCETOC__-Report:...
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Non-Championship results
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RICThe 2nd Richmond Trophy was a non-championship Formula One race held at Goodwood Circuit, West Sussex, England. It was a short race of only 11 laps and was won by Reg Parnell in a Maserati 4CLT/48.One driver, Gordon Watson, drove a Formula Two car....
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SRMThe 1950 San Remo Grand Prix was a Non-Championship Formula One motor race held on April 16, 1950 at the Autodromo di Ospedaletti, in Sanremo, Liguria, Italy. It was the third race of the 1950 Formula One season. The race, contested over 90 laps, was won by Alfa Romeo driver Juan Manuel Fangio...
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Talbot-LagoTalbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer at Suresnes, Seine.-The beginnings:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935...
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TalbotTalbot is an automobile brand, whose history is one of the industry's most complex.-Inception of the British Talbot:Talbot was originally the British brand name used to sell imported French Clément-Bayard cars. Founded in 1903, this business venture was financed by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th...
Straight-6The straight-six engine or inline-six engine is a six cylinder internal combustion engine with all six cylinders mounted in a straight line along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft...
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PARThe 1950 Paris Grand Prix was a Non-Championship Formula One motor race held on April 30, 1950 at the Autodrome de Linas-Montlhéry, in Paris, France...
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EMPThe 1950 British Empire Trophy was a Non-Championship Formula One motor race held on June 15, 1950 at the Douglas Circuit, in Douglas, Isle of Man. It was the eighth race of the 1950 Formula One season....
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BARThe 1950 Bari Grand Prix was a non-championship Formula One motor race held on July 9, 1950 at the Lungomare Circuit, in Bari, Italy. It was the sixth race of the 1950 Formula One season....
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JERThe 1950 Jersey Road Race was a Non-Championship Formula One motor race held on July 9, 1950 at the St. Helier Circuit, in Saint Helier, Jersey. It was the twelfth race of the 1950 Formula One season....
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Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SATalbot is an automobile brand, whose history is one of the industry's most complex.-Inception of the British Talbot:Talbot was originally the British brand name used to sell imported French Clément-Bayard cars. Founded in 1903, this business venture was financed by Charles Chetwynd-Talbot, 20th...
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Talbot-LagoTalbot-Lago was a French automobile manufacturer at Suresnes, Seine.-The beginnings:The Anglo-French STD combine collapsed in 1935...
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BRM LtdBritish Racing Motors was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945, it raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grands Prix and winning 17. In 1962, BRM won the Constructors' Title. At the same time, its driver, Graham Hill became World Champion...
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BRMBritish Racing Motors was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945, it raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grands Prix and winning 17. In 1962, BRM won the Constructors' Title. At the same time, its driver, Graham Hill became World Champion...
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BRMBritish Racing Motors was a British Formula One motor racing team. Founded in 1945, it raced from 1950 to 1977, competing in 197 Grands Prix and winning 17. In 1962, BRM won the Constructors' Title. At the same time, its driver, Graham Hill became World Champion...
V16A V16 engine is a v engine with 16 cylinders. Engines of this number of cylinders are uncommon in automotive use.A V16 engine is perfectly balanced regardless of the V angle without requiring counter-rotating balancing shafts which are necessary on large Straight-4 or counterweighted crankshaft...
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INTThe 2nd BRDC International Trophy meeting - formally the Daily Express BRDC International Trophy - was held on 26 August 1950 at the Silverstone Circuit, England. The race was run to Formula One regulations, and was held over two heats of 15 laps each, followed by a final race of 35 laps...
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