Alain de Changy

Alain de Changy (November 5, 1922 - June 12, 1994) was a Belgian racing driver who participated in a single Formula One World Championship race, the 1959 Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps. Born in Brussels to an aristocratic family, de Changy represented the tradition of gentleman racers who competed in motorsport during the 1950s and 1960s, pursuing racing as a passion rather than a profession.

His sole World Championship appearance came at the May 31, 1959 Belgian Grand Prix at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit. Spa was and remains one of motorsport's most challenging circuits, winding through Belgian countryside with high-speed corners, dramatic elevation changes, and unpredictable weather. In 1959, the circuit stretched over 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) per lap, making it one of Formula One's longest circuits.

De Changy drove a Cooper T45-Climax entered under his own name. The Cooper T45 was a front-engined car representing the older generation of Formula One design, soon to be superseded by revolutionary rear-engined Coopers. By 1959, front-engined cars were becoming obsolete, though they remained competitive in some circumstances.

The race proved extremely challenging for de Changy. He failed to complete sufficient distance to be classified as a finisher. In an era when mechanical reliability was precarious and Spa's length and difficulty tested both cars and drivers to their limits, retirements were common.

De Changy's single Formula One appearance represents a brief intersection with the World Championship during a fascinating transitional period. The 1959 season saw the rear-engined revolution beginning, with Jack Brabham winning the championship in a rear-engined Cooper T51, fundamentally shifting car design.

Following his 1959 Belgian Grand Prix appearance, de Changy did not return to Formula One. Like many gentleman racers of his era, his motorsport participation was selective, driven by personal interest rather than professional ambition. The increasing professionalization of Formula One during the 1960s gradually reduced opportunities for such occasional participants.

De Changy lived until June 12, 1994, dying at age 71. His long life after his brief Formula One career meant he witnessed motorsport's extraordinary transformation from the relatively intimate 1950s world to the global commercial phenomenon it became by the 1990s.

Alain de Changy's Formula One career consists of a single statistic: one race entry at the 1959 Belgian Grand Prix, not classified. This minimal record represents a moment when a Belgian aristocrat competed at Spa-Francorchamps, one of motorsport's most legendary circuits, in the World Championship alongside dedicated professionals and fellow enthusiasts, emblematic of an era when Formula One accommodated drivers pursuing racing for its own sake.