Beltoise, Jean Pierre

autoavia · 23 Aug 2007, 16:32 (Ref:1995211)

Not sure if this is the sort of thing you wanted for this section but hope it is of interest.
Back in the 1980's I worked in a specialist model car retailers in Essex and a fairly regular visitor was a frenchman named Alain Grandsard who had a small shop selling diecast model cars in Paris.
One day he turned up with another diminutive frenchman who stood quietly in the corner and it was only as they were about to leave that I was introduced to the friend who was Jean Pierre Beltoise.
I think I met Jean Pierre a couple more times but he rarely said much possibly because my boss spoke absolutely no French and Jean Pierre showed little sign of any ability to speak English (wonder how he got on in his BRM days).
In 85 I visited Paris and Alain took me to the new shop he was about to open called the Grenier de Grandmere. The co owner was JP Beltoise who collected and was selling collectable model trains. I don't know if the shop still exists as I lost contact but I did think it a pretty unlikely business venture for such a talented driver.

**John Turner** · 26 Aug 2007, 08:03 (Ref:1996655)

Any anecdote regarding drivers is good!

Born on 26 April, 1937. European F2 champion in 1968, Beltoise participated in 86 GPs. His only GP win was a very impressive one; at Monaco in the wet in 1972 (thank you, skycafe, below! - JT) in a BRM.

MONDELLO MAN · 26 Aug 2007, 09:46 (Ref:1996679)

Autoavia, you obviously worked for Lamberts of Ley ST, is Brian still alive, last I believe living in Spain.

**skycafe** · 28 Aug 2007, 01:08 (Ref:1998046)

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Turner

. His only GP win was a very impressive one; at Monaco in the wet in 1968 in a BRM.

Monaco 1972 I do believe.

**John Turner** · 28 Aug 2007, 08:03 (Ref:1998181)

Yes, you are right; I was stuck in 1968 mode!

ensign14 · 28 Aug 2007, 09:49 (Ref:1998255)

He wrote an autobiography in about 1969 in French, which is an excellent read.

His first wife died in a car crash in about 1966. Very sad - she was going back home to collect their pet dog to bring with them on a weekend away, they'd left it behind and she changed her mind. Later married Francois Cevert's sister.

**skycafe** · 31 Aug 2007, 00:50 (Ref:2000533)

One of his arms was badly injured early in his career and was much weaker then the other. That weakness made drivng in the dry a challenge, but the wet was another matter and he took the not really competitive BRM to the victory at Monaco.

I know that he also has the Giunti crash in Argentina in '71 as a blot on his record. I have read some about the situation there, but it was never fully clear to me. Was it really all down to Beltois' bad judgement?

ensign14 · 31 Aug 2007, 08:42 (Ref:2000678)

No. There's some stuff on atlasf1 about it - Giunti was seemingly speeding up under yellow flags and had passed Beltoise a number of times. There's info there about whether Beltoise should have been pushing back to the pits and whether the marshals should have stopped him...

Beltoise was of course a bike champ in France before turning to 4 wheels permanently.

autoavia · 8 Sep 2007, 16:50 (Ref:2006949)

Quote:

Originally Posted by MONDELLO MAN

Autoavia, you obviously worked for Lamberts of Ley ST, is Brian still alive, last I believe living in Spain.

Sorry I didn't answer before I haven't been able to find time to post for a few days.
Yes I did work at Lamberts for around 6 years. Sorry no idea what happened to Brian. I have sent you a PM to explain.

Steve Wilkinson · 19 Feb 2008, 13:58 (Ref:2132534)

Taken at Brands Hatch during practice for the 1972 British Grand Prix.

schanche · 5 Apr 2008, 22:17 (Ref:2170721)

I was Discussing the very same person over on the Rallycross Forum,well actually the Circuit named after him which I visited in 1990 for a European rallycross event

p261brm · 12 May 2008, 07:15 (Ref:2199779)

Amazing man, drove a Chevron for works/Red Rose, had to change the gear linkage from right hand to the centre because of his disability. 1st October 1972 at Nogaro

Les Dalton · 12 Jul 2011, 11:18 (Ref:2925505)

Bon Jour Everyone,
Sorry for being FOUR years late in replying to the last post, however, continuity is the spice of life.
I met JP last year at our local motor race (The Tour Des Remparts) in Angouleme, which is held every September and is like a mini Monaco, superb racing with everything from 1912 vintage up to Renault Alpines and 911 and very quick Ford Escorts of the 1970s.
JP and his son Julian have just built a super race track about 15 miles from where I live here in the Charente region of France, and they were promoting it last year for the first time.
Details of his circuit are here: http://www.circuitdehautesaintonge.com and I believe he has built at least two more in France.
I think in the accident referred to in Argentina, JP was actually pushing his car and had apparently been overtaken by the guy who had the accident a few times previously!!!
And although it was not a GP, I think he won that awful F2 race in Hockenheim in 1968 when Jimmy Clark was tragically killed.
Was it not one of his sons that was driving the Ferrari at the recent Le Mans, that came together with Alan MacNish in the Audi?
By the way, Jean Pierre is still a lovely and charming man.
Regards from France.
Les Dalton.

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