These pilots who participated in the Olympic Games

The Paris 2024 Olympic Games have entered their second week while the Formula 1 is now in the middle of the summer break before returning to action on August 25 at Zandvoort for the Dutch Grand Prix.

However, there was a time when motor sports were integrated into the Olympic festivities. Introduced in… Paris, in 1900, motorsport was then divided into two parts: endurance events, contested in the French capital and its suburbs for courses of around 800 kilometers with different categories (heavyweight, light weight, cars tourism…), and the speed race, organized in three stages (Paris-Toulouse-Paris). The discipline unfortunately disappeared after the ban on motorized sports by the IOC (International Olympic Committee) in 1912, apart from a fleeting appearance as " demonstration sport » in 1936 on the occasion of the Berlin Olympic Games.

What was the last automobile event of the Olympics like?

A category winner at the 24 Hours of Le Mans at the 1972 Olympics

The world's best pilots have therefore no longer had the opportunity to demonstrate the full extent of their talent during the Olympics since the last century. Some therefore followed other paths to materialize their Olympic dreams.

This was particularly the case of Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, better known as Prince Bira. First Thai to drive in Formula 1, 69 years ago Alexander albon, he took part in 19 world championship races between 1950 and 1954. The following years, he participated in four editions of the Olympic Games: Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Munich 1972. Each time in sailing, a discipline in where he met another former F1 driver in Rome in the person of Roberto Mieres. The Argentinian, who participated in 17 races in the F1 world championship from 1953 to 1955, dominated the Thai with a 17th place, against the 19th position for his opponent.

Much better known for his six participations in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with Porsche, where he won two category victories (S 1.6 in 1961 with Herbert Linge and S 2.0 in 1967 with Vic Elford), Bernardus Marinus "Ben" Pon had a very short experience in Formula 1. Fielded in a Porsche 787 of the Stable Maarsbergen for the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, the first meeting of this year, the Dutchman suffered a violent accident on the third lap when his car overturned.

Unharmed despite being thrown from his vehicle, the Batavian swore never to drive a car again. car. After his racing career, Ben Pon participated in the 1972 Munich Olympics in shooting, forming the Dutch skeet (trap ball) team with Eric Swinkels, silver medalist four years later in Montreal in 1976. Germany, the Dutch team was disappointing, with Pon finishing 31st and Swinkels 35th.

Medals for Nasser Al-Attiyah and Alex Zanardi

Away from Formula 1, another driver competed in the Olympic skeet events, with more success. Five-time Dakar winner (2011, 2015, 2019, 2022, 2023), Nasser Al-Attiyah was also seen at the Olympic Games in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016. 4th in 2004, he was bronze medalist in London in 2012. and flag bearer of the Qatari delegation in Beijing in 2008.

Nasser Al-Attiyah, the triggerman of the rally-raid

He too was a medalist at the Games: Alex Zanardi. The Italian made his Formula 1 debut with Jordan in 1991, competing in 41 Grands Prix until 1999 with Minardi, Lotus and Williams. Double CART champion in the United States, he suffered a serious accident in this championship in 2001 which led to the amputation of both his legs.

The Transalpine rider then practiced handbiking and took part in the London Paralympic Games in 2012. He won gold in the H4 time trial and the road race, as well as silver in the H1 mixed team relay. 4. At his second Games in Rio de Janeiro four years later, Zanardi added to his tally a silver medal in the H5 road race, as well as two more gold medals in the H5 time trial and the relay mixed H2-5.

Formula 1 and the Winter Olympics

Other drivers from Formula 1 have appeared at the Winter Olympics. Becoming the third of five women to participate in a Grand Prix in 1976, Divina Galica took part in four editions of the Winter Games, taking part in the downhill in alpine skiing. She was thus present at Innsbruck 1964, Grenoble 1968, Sapporo 1972 and even Albertville 1992 where the Briton was 47 years old.

Three other athletes have doubled F1 and the Winter Olympics in their careers: Bod Saïd (participation in the 1959 United States Grand Prix and the 1968 Grenoble and 1972 Sapporo Games in four-man bobsleigh), Robin Widdows (Grand Prix de Grande -Brittany 1968; Games of Innsbruck 1964 and Grenoble 1968 in four-man bobsleigh) and Alfonso de Portago (five Grand Prix in 1956 and 1957; Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 in four-man bobsleigh).

Lewis Hamilton soon at the Olympic Games?

Could some current Formula 1 drivers imitate some of their elders and take up an Olympic sport at the end of their career? Lewis Hamilton in any case opened the door to such a possibility a few weeks ago during an interview given to CNN. While motorsport could return to Los Angeles in 2028, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion said he would like to win an Olympic medal in another discipline. Surf ? “ No, I'm not good enough at surfing to become an Olympian, replied the Briton. But maybe I'll do an Olympic sport one day, if I'm not too old. »

"maybe ill do an olympic sport one day" 😭😭😭 i LOVE him your honor 😭

pic.twitter.com/K16PST2AxT

— sim (@sim3744) July 5, 2024

The recent winner of the Grand Prix of Great Britain and Belgium was also present in the audience at the Grand Palais on Sunday evening in Paris to attend the match for the bronze medal in team foil between France and the United States in order to to encourage his close friend Miles Chamley-Watson. His encouragement was not enough, since the Americans lost (32-45) against the Blues.

Lewis Hamilton cheering on his close friend Miles Chamley-Watson in Paris, as the US Men's fencing team took on France in the bronze-medal foil match 🤺#F1 #Olympics @LewisHamilton pic.twitter.com/JpU3xrmcWj

- Formula 1 (@ F1) August 5, 2024