Wimille, Jean-Pierre

Jean-Pierre was born in Paris , France, into a family where his father was fond of automobile sports and was a professional correspondent for racing competitions in the newspaper Petit Parisien. Therefore, the passion of Jean-Pierre Wimill motorsport went from early childhood. At the age of 22, he made his debut in the Grand Prix series driving the Bugatti 37A at the French Grand Prix in Pau .

Career

In his racing career driving a Bugatti T51 in 1932, he won the highclimb tournament La Turbie, Lorraine Grand Prix and Oran Grand Prix. In 1934, he won the Algerian Grand Prix in Algeria at the wheel of a Bugatti T59. And in January 1936 he came second at the Grand Prix of South Africa , held on the Prince George circuit in East London , South Africa . After that, he won the French Grand Prix at home.

In France, for several years, he won the Grand Prix of Deauville, a race held in the streets of the city. Vimille won here on his Bugatti T59. The race was overshadowed by the death of two riders Raymond Chambost and Marcel Leu . Of the 16 cars, only three arrived at the finish line.

In 1936, Wimill went to Long Island to participate in the Vanderbilt Cup . He was second, and the winner was Tazio Nuvolari . He also participated in the 24 hours of Le Mans , where he won twice in 1937 and 1939.

World War II

When the war broke out and the Nazis occupied France, Wimille and his racer friends Robert Benoit and William Grover-Williams joined the Special Operations Directorate , which is part of the Resistance Movement in France. Of the three, only Wimill survived.

After the war

Jean-Pierre Wimill married Christine Fressange. From this marriage he had one son: Francois born in 1946. At the end of the War, Wimille became the first pilot in the Alfa Romeo team in 1946-1948, winning several Grand Prix races and his second French Grand Prix . Jean-Pierre Wimill died under the wheels of a Simca-Gordini during a test race at the 1949 Buenos Aires Grand Prix . ^{[1] The} racer was buried at Passy Cemetery in Paris . The largest memorial dedicated to him is in Port Dauphin at the end of the Bois de Boulogne in Paris.

1932:

• Grand Prix of Lorraine
• Grand Prix of Oran

1934:

• Algerian Grand Prix - Bugatti T59

1936:

• Grand Prix of France - Bugatti T57G
• Grand Prix of Marne - Bugatti T57G
• Grand Prix of Deauville - Bugatti T59
• Grand Prix of Comminge - Bugatti T59 / 57

1937:

• Grand Prix Poe - Bugatti T57G (The Tank)
• Grand Prix de Böne - Bugatti T57
• 24 hours of Le Mans - Bugatti T57G (piloted alternately with Robert Benoit )
• Grand Prix of Marne - Bugatti T57

1939:

• Paris Cup
• Grand Prix du Centenaire Luxembourg - Bugatti T57S45
• 24 hours of Le Mans - Bugatti T57C (piloted alternately with Pierre Veyron )

After the War - 1945:

• Prisoners Cup - Bugatti Racing Car

1946:

• Resistance Movement Cup - Alfa Romeo 308
• Roussillon Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 308
• Grand Prix of Burgundy - Alfa Romeo 308
• Circle of Nations, Geneva (First Stage) - Alfa Romeo 158

1947:

• Swiss Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 158
• Belgian Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 158
• Paris Cup

1948:

• Grand Prix Rosario - Simca - Gordini 15
• French Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 158
• Italian Grand Prix - Alfa Romeo 158
• Grand Prix of the Autodrom - Alfa Romeo 158/47
• Grand Prix of São Paulo - Alfa Romeo 308

European Championship Summary

( legend ) (Pole races are marked in bold)

• Paris, Jean-Michel and Mearns, William D: “Jean-Pierre Wimille: à bientôt la revanche”, Editions Drivers, Toulouse, 2002, ISBN 2-9516357-5-3
• Saward, Joe: “The Grand Prix Saboteurs”, Morienval Press, London, 2006, ISBN 978-0-9554868-0-7

•   Media files related to Jean-Pierre Wimill - Wikimedia Commons archive on Wikimedia Commons
• Grand Prix History - Hall of Fame , Jean-Pierre Wimile
• Jean-Pierre Wimille grave photos at Cimetière de Passy [1] [2]