André Simon

André Constant Simon (January 5, 1920 - July 11, 2012): A French racing driver from Paris whose long motorsport career spanned Formula One, sports car racing, and touring cars across nearly two decades, achieving his greatest success away from Grand Prix racing despite competing for prestigious teams including Gordini, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz. Born in Paris on January 5, 1920, Simon's early life was marked by tragedy when his father died when he was only nine years old. He was subsequently raised by his uncle and eventually began working in the family's garage business, where he developed the mechanical knowledge that would later serve him well in motorsport. Simon's racing career began after World War II ended, liberating France and allowing normal life to resume.

In 1948, he purchased a Talbot-Lago and entered his first race at the Montlhéry circuit near Paris. Remarkably, he won his debut race, immediately establishing himself as a driver worth watching. This early success demonstrated natural talent and attracted attention from French racing teams. Simon's performances caught the eye of Amédée Gordini, the legendary French team owner and engine tuner whose small but ambitious operation competed against much larger and better-funded manufacturers.

Gordini entered Simon in his Simca-Gordini Formula Two car in 1950 and 1951, providing the young Frenchman with opportunities to compete against Europe's top drivers. After gaining experience in the Gordini Formula Two cars, Simon received his first taste of Formula One in 1951 driving the Gordini T15. His talent impressed Italian teams, and Ferrari hired him as a guest driver for their Formula One team during the 1952 season, a significant honor that demonstrated Simon's abilities had earned international recognition. From 1951 to 1957, Simon participated in 12 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix but failed to score any championship points, a disappointing return given the quality of teams he drove for.

His Formula One career was interrupted by illness that forced a lengthy break from racing. When he recovered, Simon returned to drive several races for Gordini again in 1954. His most prestigious Formula One opportunity came when Mercedes-Benz, motorsport's most dominant and technologically advanced team of the era, hired him as a replacement driver. Racing for Mercedes represented the pinnacle of 1950s motorsport, though Simon's time with the legendary Silver Arrows team was brief.

While his Formula One results were unremarkable, Simon achieved notable success in non-championship Formula One races. He took an important victory at Albi in 1955, demonstrating that given the right circumstances, he possessed race-winning ability even if World Championship points eluded him. Simon's sports car racing career proved far more successful than his Formula One efforts. He competed at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and other major endurance events throughout the 1950s and into the 1960s.

His most significant victory came in 1962 when he won the Tour de France, a prestigious long-distance rally-style event, sharing the car with co-driver Maurice Dupeyron. This victory represented arguably the most important achievement of Simon's entire career and validated his considerable skills as a complete racing driver. In 1962, Simon also contested the Targa Florio and Le Mans, demonstrating his continued competitiveness in endurance racing even as he approached his mid-forties. His longevity as a competitive driver reflected both his natural talent and his dedication to maintaining peak physical condition despite the demands of long-distance racing.

In 1966, Simon's life took a dramatic turn when he was involved in a serious road accident that left him in a coma for 14 days. Doctors feared he might not survive, and even after regaining consciousness, his recovery was uncertain. However, Simon demonstrated remarkable resilience, eventually recovering sufficiently to resume normal life, though his racing career had effectively ended. Following his recovery, Simon returned to running the family garage business, which he continued to operate successfully until his retirement in 1984 at age 64.

The automotive knowledge he had gained working in the garage as a young man, combined with his racing experience and technical understanding, made him a respected figure in Paris's automotive business community. André Simon passed away on July 11, 2012, at the impressive age of 92, having lived long enough to witness the complete transformation of motorsport from the amateur era of his youth to the modern professional age. While his Formula One statistics show 12 race starts with no points scored, his broader motorsport legacy includes his Tour de France victory, his time with prestigious teams like Mercedes-Benz and Ferrari, his non-championship F1 victory at Albi, and his remarkable recovery from a life-threatening accident that demonstrated the same determination he had shown throughout his racing career.