Ernst 'Ernie' de Vos (17 September 1941 - Present): South African racing driver from Pretoria who participated in one Formula One World Championship Grand Prix. Made his sole Formula One appearance at the 1982 South African Grand Prix at Kyalami on 23 January 1982, driving a privately-entered March 811-Ford entered by the Boxer Racing Team. Failed to qualify for the race, unable to make the 26-car grid cutoff, ending his Formula One championship involvement without a race start. Before his F1 attempt, de Vos competed in South African national motorsport throughout the 1970s and early 1980s, racing in various domestic championships including sports car racing and single-seater competitions.
His Formula One entry at the 1982 South African Grand Prix represented his opportunity to compete at the highest level of motorsport at his home circuit, though the year-old March chassis proved uncompetitive against the purpose-built 1982 machinery. After his failed qualification attempt, returned to South African national motorsport where he continued racing in domestic series. Remained active in South African motorsport circles throughout the 1980s. His brief Formula One involvement exemplifies the challenges faced by South African drivers attempting to break into the world championship during the early 1980s, when the performance gap between competitive teams and privateer entries had widened significantly.
