Flinterman, Jan

[Faster]

Hello to everyone.

I'm doing a research at the career of brazilian Chico Landi, who raced from the 30's until the 70's. At the 1952 Dutch GP, Landi rented a Maserati to the local Jan Flinterman. This gentleman had a problem after seven laps and had to retire, just to take over Landi's car in what was called "shared drive". It was the first time a Dutch driver entered a F1 event. I'll be very glad if someone could help me with the following:

1) Some comments on what he said, details about that race, the rental, the price, why Landi gave his car to Flinterman, anything!

2) If someone knows how can I contact Mr. Flinterman (if he's alive) or someone close to him who could help me providing details, it would be very helpful.

Thank you very much!

[Vitesse]

Jan Flinterman is one of those drivers who have flitted across F1 and disappeared almost without trace. Even Steve Small's book has no biography or photograph, only dates of birth and, I am sorry to say, death:
born 2nd October 1919, died 26th December 1992, Leiden.

This paragraph from Sheldon vol 5, page 209 may shed some light on your questions though:

"The hard work of the organisers of the Dutch GP over the past two or three years bore fruit when their race was admitted to the World Championship series. Over the next few years the organisers gained a reputation for being somewhat idiosyncratic in the way they issued invitations to drivers or teams to compete but this year, everyone who mattered, with the exception of Maserati were present. One particular form of blackmail that was practiced on occasions was the granting to an entrant of a multi-car team being dependant on one of the seats being made available to a local driver. This art seems to have been at work in 1952. The third Baneirantes [sic] Maserati went to Jan Flinterman who was well known as a jet pilot but not at all as a racing driver. The same could be said for Dries van der Lof who was placed in an HWM instead of the better-qualified top rally driver, Maurice Gatsonides....

Flinterman broke his differential and the Bandeirantes team went overboard in cow-towing to the locals by calling in Landi and making him hand his car over to the Dutchman. Perhaps Landi was not too worried because the car did not seem to be going particularly well and finished a long way back."

I have seen a reference somewhere else to Flinterman being a pilot in the Dutch Air Force, which would fit with Sheldon's comment that he was a jet pilot.

Hope this is helpful!!

[Roger Clark]

Most references I have seen to Jan Flinterman mention that he was a jet pilot. One refers to him as Maj J Flintermann. Could this refer to his rank in the air force? He raced occasionally in 1950, 51 and 52 in F3, driving a Cooper fitted, unusually with a BSA engine. In a supporting race to the 1952 Dutch GP his Cooper was driven by P Groenhart. He seems to have driven quite well in the Maserati, Autosport said he rejoined the race with much zest. After taking over Landi's car his lap times (Autocourse) were initially well down but later improved significantly. His best lap was 5 secs faster than he managed in practice.

I'm not sure what Paul Sheldon is accusing the organisers of in favouring van der Lof over Gatsonides, who was also Dutch.

On a minor point of pedantry, Flinterman wasn't, of course, the first Dutch driver entered in an F1 event as this was an F2 race.

[SHerbert]

If he was a pilot could this be him?



This picture is from http://www.xs4all.nl/~fbonne/eafdenhaag.html

The caption reads
The spitfire was capable of taking some damage, as mr. Jan Flinterman points out on this picture. You can see that parts of the surface have been shot off. Judging from the damage you can bet he's a very lucky, or skilled, or both pilot to bring back a plane damaged like that. Once the tail would be inoperable, it would be hard to stay at altitude.

[Ray Bell]

Isn't it wonderful how fora such as this unearth the gems?

While books with many drivers in them have no picture, within a day or so on a thread like this, the question is answered, the picture produced. Roger and Vitesse are both past masters of finding such information, of course, while SHerbert will, we trust, continue on from these beginnings to help many others with answers.

The Spitfire picture, by the way, gives cause to show that Gatsonides may have had another opportunity to get into the race...

[Roger Clark]

I tried it and it works!



This picture shows Flintermanmaking a pit stop to replace a collapsing rear wheel, after he had taken over from Landi.

[Faster]

Hey, hey, hey Jungs!!! Thank you so much for the information! I was really surprised when I open the historic forum page and there were already ten answers to my topic, with such useful information.

I must recognise that all my needs are fulfilled. But, as Roger Clark seems to own some magazines with information about that race, I would like to ask if he knows how many laps Landi drove and how many Flinterman drove in that race.

Once again, Thank you very much Jaillet, Vitesse, Clark, SHerbert!

[Roger Clark]

Flinterman completed 7 laps in his own car, and took over Landi's at the end of lap 10. He then completed 83 laps stopping twice on the way.