Élie Bayol

Élie Marcel Bayol (28 February 1914 - 25 May 1995): French racing driver from Marseille who competed in Formula One from 1952 to 1956, participating in 7 World Championship Grands Prix without scoring points. Made his Formula One debut at the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix, competing during the early years of the World Championship when races were contested with Formula 2 regulations due to a lack of Formula 1 entries. His best result came with sixth place at the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix in Buenos Aires, finishing the race but outside the points-paying positions which extended only to fifth place at the time. Competed primarily with OSCA (Officine Specializzate Costruzione Automobili), an Italian racing car manufacturer founded by the Maserati brothers, driving their small-displacement but sophisticated racing cars.

Also drove for Gordini, the patriotic French racing team that competed with limited resources against better-funded rivals. Bayol represented the generation of French gentleman racers who competed in the early years of Formula One, often driving French or Italian machinery in support of national racing efforts. His racing career coincided with Formula One's formative period, when privateers and small manufacturers could still compete in World Championship events. After retiring from Formula One, Bayol returned to business in Marseille.

Lived to age 81, passing away in 1995. Though his Formula One results were modest, Bayol was part of the pioneering generation that established grand prix racing in the modern era.