Charles de Tornaco[]
Charles de Tornaco (7 June 1927 – 18 September 1953) was a Belgian racing driver who competed in Formula One during the early 1950s. A co-founder of the Ecurie Francorchamps racing team, de Tornaco participated in several World Championship Grands Prix and non-championship events. His promising career was tragically cut short by a fatal accident during practice for the 1953 Italian Grand Prix at Monza.
Early life[]
Charles de Tornaco was born in Brussels, Belgium, into a prominent aristocratic family. From an early age, he developed an interest in automobiles and motorsport, which was becoming increasingly popular in post-war Europe. His passion for racing led him to pursue a career as a professional driver.
Racing career[]
De Tornaco was instrumental in the creation of Ecurie Francorchamps, a privateer team founded in 1952 with his compatriot Jacques Swaters. The team campaigned Ferrari machinery in both sports car racing and Formula One, representing Belgium on the international stage.
He made his Formula One World Championship debut at the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix, driving a Ferrari 500 entered by Ecurie Francorchamps. Over the course of 1952 and 1953, he started four World Championship Grands Prix but did not score any championship points. Like many drivers of the period, de Tornaco also competed in numerous non-championship races, achieving modest success.
Death at Monza[]
On 18 September 1953, while practicing for the Italian Grand Prix at Monza, de Tornaco lost control of his Ferrari 500 and overturned. He sustained fatal head and neck injuries. In an era with limited medical facilities at racetracks, no ambulance or proper medical assistance was immediately available. De Tornaco was transported to hospital in a private car but succumbed to his injuries before arrival. He was 26 years old.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Records[]
| Year | Entreat | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Ecurie Francorchamps | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 0 | NC | Report |
| Ferrari | |||||
| HW Motors | HWM-Alta | ||||
| 1953 | Ecurie Francorchamps | Ferrari | 0 | NC | Report |
- Italics donate non-championship teams.
Career Statistics[]
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Pts | Pos | ||||||||||||||
| 1952 | 
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0 | NC | |||||||||||||||
| 7th | Ret | DNQ | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1953 | 
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0 | NC | ||||||||||||||
| DNS | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Key | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Symbol | Meaning | Symbol | Meaning | ||
| 1st | Winner | Ret | Retired | ||
| 2nd | Podium finish | DSQ | Disqualified | ||
| 3rd | DNQ | Did not qualify | |||
| 5th | Points finish | DNPQ | Did not pre-qualify | ||
| 14th | Non-points finish | TD | Test driver | ||
| Italics | Fastest Lap | DNS | Did not start | ||
| 18th† | Classified finish (retired with >90% race distance) | NC | Non-classified finish (<90% race distance) | ||
| 4thP | Qualified for pole position | [+] More Symbols | |||