Jean-Pierre Wimille

{{Infobox racing driver

| name = Jean-Pierre Wimille

| image = Jean Pierre Wimille - El Gráfico 1492.jpg

| caption = Wimille on the cover of El Gráfico magazine, 1948

| birth_name = Jean-Pierre Wimille

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1908|02|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = 16th arrondissement of Paris, France

| death_date = {{Death date and age|1949|01|28|1908|02|26|df=y}}

| death_place = Buenos Aires, Argentina

| titles = Major victories
24 Hours of Le Mans (1937, 1939)

| module1 =

{{Infobox Champ Car driver|embed=yes

| Total_Champ_Races = 1

| Years_In_Champ = 1

| Best_Champ_Pos = 8th (1936)

| First_Champ_Race = 1936 Vanderbilt Cup (Westbury)

| Champ_Wins = 0

| Champ_Podiums = 1

| Champ_Poles = 0

| module2 =

{{Infobox Le Mans driver|embed=yes

| Years = {{24hLM|1937}}, {{24hLM|1939}}

| Teams = Labric, privateer

| Best Finish = 1st ({{24hLM|1937}}, {{24hLM|1939}})

| Class Wins = 2 ({{24hLM|1937}}, {{24hLM|1939}})

}}}}}}

Jean-Pierre Wimille ({{IPA|fr|ʒɑ̃pjɛʁ vimil}}; 26 February 1908 – 28 January 1949) was a French racing driver and a member of the French Resistance during World War II.{{Cite web |title=Motorsport Memorial - |url=http://www.motorsportmemorial.org/focus.php?db=ct&n=246 |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=www.motorsportmemorial.org}} He was a two-time victor of the 24 Hours of Le Mans, winning in 1937 and 1939. He is generally regarded as one of the best French drivers of his era.

Biography

Wimille was born in Paris, France to a father who was employed as the motoring correspondent for the Petit Parisien newspaper. Jean-Pierre Wimille developed a fascination with racing cars at a young age. He was 22 years old when he made his Grand Prix debut, driving a Bugatti 37A at the 1930 French Grand Prix in Pau.

= Driving career =

File:Jean-Pierre Wimille at 1936 Grand Prix de Deauville.jpg

In 1931, Wimille finished second at the Monte Carlo Rally, driving a Lorraine-Dietrich.{{Cite web |last=Shacki |title=Final results Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo 1931 |url=https://www.ewrc-results.com/final/37312-rallye-automobile-de-monte-carlo-1931/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=eWRC-results.com |language=en}} Driving a Bugatti T51, in 1932 he won the La Turbie hill climb, the Grand Prix de Lorraine and the Grand Prix d'Oran. In 1934 he was the victor at the Algerian Grand Prix in Algiers driving a Bugatti T59 and in January 1936 he finished second in the South African Grand Prix held at the Prince George Circuit in East London, South Africa then won the French Grand Prix in his home country.

Still in France, that same year Wimille won the Deauville Grand Prix, a race held on the city's streets. He won in his Bugatti T59 in an accident-marred race that killed drivers Raymond Chambost and Marcel Lehoux in separate incidents.{{cite web|url=http://www.normandythenandnow.com/disaster-in-deauville-the-1936-grand-prix|title=Disaster in Deauville; the 1936 Grand Prix|date=5 March 2016}} Of the 16 cars that started the race, only three managed to finish.

In 1936, Wimille traveled to Long Island, New York to compete in the Vanderbilt Cup where he finished second, behind the winner, Tazio Nuvolari.{{Cite web |title=Jean-Pierre Wimille |url=http://www.champcarstats.com/drivers/WimilleJean-Pierre.htm |access-date=2024-03-24 |website=www.champcarstats.com}} He also competed in the 24 hours of Le Mans endurance race, winning in 1937 and again in 1939. In 1940, Wimille developed with Marcel Lesurque an electric car able to reach 50 km/h.{{Cite web |last=Dhers |first=Gilles |title=Jean-Pierre Wimille, mort aux portes de la Formule 1 |url=https://www.liberation.fr/sports/2019/04/27/jean-pierre-wimille-mort-aux-portes-de-la-formule-1_1723101/ |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=Libération |language=fr}}

= World War II =

When World War II came, and following the German occupation of France in 1940, Wimille and fellow Grand Prix race drivers Robert Benoist and William Grover-Williams joined the Special Operations Executive, which aided the French Resistance. Of the three, Wimille was the only one to survive.

= Post-World War II =

File:Wimille 1948.JPG

Wimille married Christiane de la Fressange with whom he had a son, François, born in 1946. At the end of the War, he became the No. 1 driver for the Alfa Romeo team between 1946 and 1948, winning several Grand Prix races including his second French Grand Prix. He had a long-standing affair with French singer Juliette Greco, whom he met in 1947 at the Tabou in Paris.{{Cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-44230634 |title=Obituary: Juliette Gréco dies aged 93 |website=bbc.com }}

From 1946 on, Wimille built and designed cars in Paris under the brand-name Wimille. Between 1946 and 1950 around eight cars were built, at first with Citroën engines, later with Ford V8 engines.

= Death =

Wimille died when he lost control of his Simca-Gordini and crashed into a tree during practice runs for the 1949 Buenos Aires Grand Prix. He is buried in the Cimetière de Passy in Paris. There is a memorial to him at the Porte Dauphine on the edge of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

Motorsports career results

Some of Jean-Pierre Wimille's race victories:

1932:

{{Interlanguage link|Hill climb Nice - La Turbie|fr|Course de côte Nice - La Turbie}} - {{Interlanguage link|Bugatti Type 54|fr}}
Grand Prix de Lorraine - Alfa Romeo 8C
Grand Prix d'Oran - Alfa Romeo 8C

1934:

Grand Prix of Algeria – Bugatti T59

1936:

French Grand Prix – Bugatti T57G
Grand Prix de la Marne – Bugatti T57G
Deauville Grand Prix – Bugatti T59
Grand Prix du Comminges – Bugatti T59/57

1937:

Pau Grand Prix – Bugatti T57G (The Tank)
Grand Prix de Böne – Bugatti T57
24 hours of Le Mans – Bugatti T57G driving with Robert Benoist
Grand Prix de la Marne – Bugatti T57

File:Jean-Pierre Wimille et Pierre Veyron vainqueurs des 24 Heures du Mans 1939 sur Bugatti Type 57C.jpg

1939:

{{Interlanguage link|Coupe de Paris 1939|fr|lt=Coupe de Paris}} - {{Interlanguage link|Bugatti Type 59|fr|Bugatti Type 59}}
Grand Prix du Centenaire Luxembourg – Bugatti T57S45
24 hours of Le Mans – Bugatti Type 57C driving with Pierre Veyron

Post War – 1945:

{{Interlanguage link|Grand Prix automobile de Paris|fr|lt=Coupe des Prisonniers}} – {{Interlanguage link|Bugatti Type 59|fr|Bugatti Type 59}}

1946:

Coupe de la Résistance – Alfa Romeo 308
Grand Prix du Roussillon – Alfa Romeo 308
Grand Prix de Bourgogne – Alfa Romeo 308
Grand Prix des Nations – Geneva (Heat 1) – Alfa Romeo 158

1947:

Swiss Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
Belgian Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
{{Interlanguage link|Grand Prix automobile de Paris|fr|lt=Coupe de Paris}} - Simca-Gordini T15

1948:

Grand Prix de Rosario – Simca-Gordini T15
French Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
Italian Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158
Autodrome Grand Prix – Alfa Romeo 158/47

= European Championship results =

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%" ! Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! 5 ! 6 ! 7 ! {{Tooltip\|EDC\|European Drivers' Championship}} ! Pts
1931 !nowrap\| J.-P. Wimille !nowrap\| Bugatti T51 !nowrap\| Bugatti 2.3 L8 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| ITA 4 \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| FRA Ret \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| BEL Ret \| \| \| \| ! 6th ! 14
1932 !nowrap\| J-P. Wimille !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo Monza !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo 2.3 L8 \| ITA \|style="background:#CFCFFF;"\| FRA Ret \| GER \| \| \| \| ! 16th ! 21
1935 !nowrap\| Automobiles E. Bugatti !nowrap\| Bugatti T59 !nowrap\| Bugatti 3.3 L8 \| MON \| FRA \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| BEL Ret \| GER \| SUI \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ITA Ret \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| ESP 4 ! 18th ! 49
rowspan=2\| 1936 !rowspan=2 nowrap\| Automobiles E. Bugatti !nowrap\| Bugatti T59 !nowrap\| Bugatti 3.3 L8 \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| MON 6 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| GER Ret \| \| \| \| \| !rowspan=2\| 14th !rowspan=2\| 26
nowrap\| Bugatti T59/50B !nowrap\| Bugatti 4.7 L8 \| \| \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| SUI Ret \| ITA \| \| \|
rowspan=2\| 1938 !nowrap\| Automobiles E. Bugatti !nowrap\| Bugatti T59/50B3 !nowrap\| Bugatti 3.0 L8 \|style="background:#FFCFCF;"\| FRA Ret \| GER \| \| \| \| \| !rowspan=2\| 11th !rowspan=2\| 25
nowrap\| Alfa Corse !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo Tipo 312 !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo 3.0 V12 \| \| \|style="background:#DFFFDF;"\| SUI 7 \|style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| ITA Ret \| \| \|
colspan=13\|{{center\|{{small\|Source:{{cite web\|url=https://www.goldenera.fi/main.htm\|title=THE GOLDEN ERA – OF GRAND PRIX RACING\|work=goldenera.fi\|access-date=April 1, 2025\|archive-date=6 June 2011\|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606091347/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/main.htm\|url-status=live}}}}}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

! Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! 5

! 6

! 7

! {{Tooltip|EDC|European Drivers' Championship}}

! Pts

1931

!nowrap| J.-P. Wimille

!nowrap| Bugatti T51

!nowrap| Bugatti 2.3 L8

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ITA
4

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| FRA
Ret

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| BEL
Ret

! 6th

! 14

1932

!nowrap| J-P. Wimille

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo Monza

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo 2.3 L8

| ITA

|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| FRA
Ret

| GER

! 16th

! 21

1935

!nowrap| Automobiles E. Bugatti

!nowrap| Bugatti T59

!nowrap| Bugatti 3.3 L8

| MON

| FRA

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| BEL
Ret

| GER

| SUI

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ITA
Ret

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| ESP
4

! 18th

! 49

rowspan=2| 1936

!rowspan=2 nowrap| Automobiles E. Bugatti

!nowrap| Bugatti T59

!nowrap| Bugatti 3.3 L8

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| MON
6

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| GER
Ret

!rowspan=2| 14th

!rowspan=2| 26

nowrap| Bugatti T59/50B

!nowrap| Bugatti 4.7 L8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| SUI
Ret

| ITA

rowspan=2| 1938

!nowrap| Automobiles E. Bugatti

!nowrap| Bugatti T59/50B3

!nowrap| Bugatti 3.0 L8

|style="background:#FFCFCF;"| FRA
Ret

| GER

!rowspan=2| 11th

!rowspan=2| 25

nowrap| Alfa Corse

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo Tipo 312

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo 3.0 V12

|style="background:#DFFFDF;"| SUI
7

|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| ITA
Ret

colspan=13|{{center|{{small|Source:{{cite web|url=https://www.goldenera.fi/main.htm|title=THE GOLDEN ERA – OF GRAND PRIX RACING|work=goldenera.fi|access-date=April 1, 2025|archive-date=6 June 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606091347/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/main.htm|url-status=live}}}}}}

= Post-WWII Grandes Épreuves results =

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"
Year ! Entrant ! Chassis ! Engine ! 1 ! 2 ! 3 ! 4 ! Ref
1947 !nowrap\| Alfa Corse !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo 158 !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *SUI* 1 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *BEL* 1 \| ITA \| FRA ! {{cite web\|title=1947 Grands Prix\|url=https://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/nc/1947/1947.html\|work=GEL Motorsport Information\|access-date=28 May 2025}}
rowspan=2\| 1948 !nowrap\| Equipe Gordini !nowrap\| Simca-Gordini T11 !nowrap\| Simca-Gordini 1.4 L4 \| style="background:#EFCFFF;"\| MON Ret \| \| \| ! rowspan=2\| {{cite web\|title=1948 Grands Prix\|url=https://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/nc/1948/1948.html\|work=GEL Motorsport Information\|access-date=28 May 2025}}
nowrap\| Alfa Corse !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo 158 !nowrap\| Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s \| \| style="background:#DFDFDF;"\| *SUI* 2 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *FRA* 1 \| style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| *ITA* 1

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:85%"

Year

! Entrant

! Chassis

! Engine

! 1

! 2

! 3

! 4

! Ref

1947

!nowrap| Alfa Corse

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo 158

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s

| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| SUI
1

| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| BEL
1

| ITA

| FRA

! {{cite web|title=1947 Grands Prix|url=https://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/nc/1947/1947.html|work=GEL Motorsport Information|access-date=28 May 2025}}

rowspan=2| 1948

!nowrap| Equipe Gordini

!nowrap| Simca-Gordini T11

!nowrap| Simca-Gordini 1.4 L4

| style="background:#EFCFFF;"| MON
Ret

! rowspan=2| {{cite web|title=1948 Grands Prix|url=https://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/nc/1948/1948.html|work=GEL Motorsport Information|access-date=28 May 2025}}

nowrap| Alfa Corse

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo 158

!nowrap| Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s

| style="background:#DFDFDF;"| SUI
2

| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| FRA
1

| style="background:#FFFFBF;"| ITA
1

= 24 Hours of Le Mans results =

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
Year ! Team ! Co-Drivers ! Car ! Class ! Laps ! {{Tooltip\|Pos.\|Overall Position}} ! {{Tooltip\|Class Pos.\|Class Position}}
1937 \|align="left"\| {{flagicon\|FRA}} Roger Labric \|align="left"\| {{flagicon\|FRA}} Robert Benoist \|align="left"\| Bugatti Type 57 \| 5.0 \| 243 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st
1939 \|align="left"\| {{flagicon\|FRA}} Jean-Pierre Wimille \|align="left"\| {{flagicon\|FRA}} Pierre Veyron \|align="left"\| Bugatti Type 57 \| 8.0 \| 248 \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st \|style="background:#FFFFBF;"\| 1st
colspan="8"\|{{center\|{{small\|Source:{{cite web\|url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Jean_Pierre-Wimille-F.html\|title=All Results of Jean-Pierre Wimille\|access-date=October 20, 2017}}}}}}

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"

Year

! Team

! Co-Drivers

! Car

! Class

! Laps

! {{Tooltip|Pos.|Overall Position}}

! {{Tooltip|Class
Pos.|Class Position}}

1937

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Roger Labric

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Robert Benoist

|align="left"| Bugatti Type 57

| 5.0

| 243

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st

1939

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Jean-Pierre Wimille

|align="left"| {{flagicon|FRA}} Pierre Veyron

|align="left"| Bugatti Type 57

| 8.0

| 248

|style="background:#FFFFBF;"| 1st

colspan="8"|{{center|{{small|Source:{{cite web|url=http://www.racingsportscars.com/driver/results/Jean_Pierre-Wimille-F.html|title=All Results of Jean-Pierre Wimille|access-date=October 20, 2017}}}}}}

References

= Bibliography =

Paris, Jean-Michel and Mearns, William D: "Jean-Pierre Wimille: à bientôt la revanche", Editions Drivers, Toulouse, 2002, {{ISBN|2-9516357-5-3}}
Saward, Joe: "The Grand Prix Saboteurs", Morienval Press, London, 2006, {{ISBN|978-0-9554868-0-7}}

External links

[http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/wimille_bio.htm Grand Prix History – Hall of Fame] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121022204121/http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/wimille_bio.htm |date=22 October 2012 }}, Jean-Pierre Wimille
Jean-Pierre Wimille grave photos at Cimetière de Passy [https://web.archive.org/web/20060826132840/http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wimille26dr.jpg] [https://web.archive.org/web/20060826132732/http://img530.imageshack.us/my.php?image=wimille18cu.jpg]

{{Succession box|title=Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans |before= Johnny Hindmarsh
Luis Fontés|after= Eugène Chaboud
Jean Trémoulet|years= 1937 with:
Robert Benoist}}

{{Succession box|title=Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans |before= Eugène Chaboud
Jean Trémoulet|after= Luigi Chinetti
Peter Mitchell-Thomson|years= 1939 with:
Pierre Veyron}}

Category:1908 births

Category:1949 deaths

Category:French Resistance members

Category:Recipients of the Legion of Honour

Category:French racing drivers

Category:Grand Prix drivers

Category:Bugatti people

Category:Racing drivers who died while racing

Category:24 Hours of Le Mans drivers

Category:24 Hours of Le Mans winning drivers

Category:Sport deaths in Argentina

Category:Burials at Passy Cemetery

Category:French Special Operations Executive personnel

Category:European Championship drivers

Category:Racing drivers from Paris