Bernard Collomb

Bernard Marie François Alexandre Collomb-Clerc (7 October 1930 - 19 September 2011) was a French Formula One driver who competed as an independent privateer during the early 1960s. He participated in six World Championship Grands Prix between 1961 and 1964, debuting on 2 July 1961. Collomb almost exclusively drove self-prepared cars throughout his racing career, demonstrating the determination and mechanical skill required of privateer racers during this era. He initially raced Coopers before switching to Lotuses in 1963, seeking better competitiveness against the works teams.

Of his six World Championship entries, Collomb made four actual starts, achieving a best finish of tenth place at the 1963 German Grand Prix, though this was insufficient to score championship points. In non-championship Formula One races, his most notable result came in 1961 when he finished fourth at Vienna driving a Cooper-Climax, demonstrating that his equipment and talent were capable of respectable results against lesser competition. For the 1963 season, Collomb purchased a Lotus 24 with a Climax V8 engine directly from the factory team, hoping this more modern machinery would improve his results. However, he found himself ill-equipped to extract the car's full potential, and his limited success continued.

Recognizing the increasing competitiveness and costs of Formula One, Collomb made the pragmatic decision to abandon F1 at the end of 1963, switching back to Formula 2 with the purchase of a Lotus 35 F2 car. This move allowed him to continue competing in single-seater racing at a more accessible level, where privateers could still hope to compete effectively.