Jean-Claude Rudaz

Jean-Claude Rudaz (23 July 1942 - Present): Swiss racing driver from Sion who started racing in Formula Junior in the early 1960s, finishing 6th driving a Lotus Ford in the Formula Junior Coppa BP at Monza in 1963. He made one attempt at a World Championship Formula One Grand Prix at the 1964 Italian Grand Prix with a non-works Cooper T60 run by Fabre Urbain. He blew his engine in practice and was unable to start the race despite qualifying 20th out of 25 entrants. In July 1964 he joined Bonnet's Formula 2 Team, replacing Gérard Laureau for the Trophée d'Auvergne at Clermont-Ferrand, finishing 14th before running out of money towards year's end.

In 1965 he replaced the Climax engine in the Cooper T60 with a Maserati and won at least one hillclimb before the throttle stuck open at the Lure hillclimb on 16 May. He hit a stone wall which punctured the fuel tank and in the ensuing fire Rudaz escaped with minor burns, but the car was totally destroyed. After leaving motorsport he moved to the Congo where he worked as a scuba diver, learned to fly and became an airline pilot, but had to leave in 1967 due to the political climate. He returned to Switzerland and in 1973 founded Transvalair to operate as a passenger airline flying tourists between the UK and the Sion and Valais regions of Switzerland.

He was President of FC Sion, his local football club, between 1978 and 1981.