Jo
Bonnier

Joakim "Jo" Bonnier was born in Stockholm on 31 January 1930. He started racing in Sweden at the age of 17 on a motorcycle and later took part in several rallies. He made his Formula One debut in 1956 with Maserati. In September of that year he survived a serious accident in a race at Imola that nearly brought his career to an end.

In 1958 Bonnier drove for BRM and Maserati, and after that for BRM until 1960. In 1959 he won the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, becoming the first Swedish winner of a Formula One Grand Prix. It remained his only victory and his only podium in the World Championship, and he finished that season eighth in the standings. He drove for Porsche in 1961 and 1962. When the manufacturer withdrew from Grand Prix racing, he joined Rob Walker's team in 1963, driving Coopers and Brabhams. In 1966 he reformed his own team, which ran as the Anglo-Suisse Racing Team and was later renamed Ecurie Bonnier. His last full season came in 1968, when he drove Cooper, Honda and McLaren cars, and after that he raced only occasionally until 1971. In all, he made 104 starts between 1956 and 1971.

Alongside Formula One, Bonnier took part in many sports car races. He won the Targa Florio in 1960 and 1963, both times in a works Porsche 718, first with Hans Herrmann and then with Carlo Mario Abate. In 1962 he won the 12 Hours of Sebring in a Ferrari with Lucien Bianchi. In 1964 he finished second at the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Graham Hill in a Ferrari 330P, and in 1966 he won the 1000 km Nürburgring in a Chaparral with Phil Hill. In 1970 he took the European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship in a Lola. He entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans 13 times.

Bonnier was one of the driving forces behind the Grand Prix Drivers' Association and was its chairman until his death. He also campaigned for better safety at race tracks. On 11 June 1972 he was killed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans when his Lola T280 collided with another car on the straight between Mulsanne Corner and Indianapolis. He was 42.

Source: Wikipedia, “Jo Bonnier”. Text licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.