Gunnar Nilsson (November 20, 1948 - October 20, 1978) was a Swedish Formula One driver who competed between 1976 and 1977 before being diagnosed with testicular cancer which soon became terminal.
His best achievement was winning the 1977 Belgian Grand Prix. Nilsson spent his whole career at Lotus after the cancer affected his driving so cut short a possible Arrows seat.
In the last months of his life Nilsson created the Gunnar Nilsson Cancer Foundation named after himself to spread cancer awareness in Sweden. He died just one month short of his 30th birthday, on October 20, 1978.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1976 | John Player Team Lotus | Lotus-Cosworth | 11 | 10th | Report |
| 1977 | John Player Team Lotus | Lotus-Cosworth | 20 | 8th | Report |
Career Statistics[]
| Entries | 32 |
| Starts | 31 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Sprint Poles | 0 |
| Front Row Starts | 0 |
| Race Wins | 1 |
| Sprint Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 4 |
| Sprint Podiums | 0 |
| Fastest Laps | 1 |
| Sprint Fastest Laps | 0 |
| Points | 31 |
| Laps Raced | 1316 |
| Distance Raced | 6,024 km (3,743 mi) |
| Races Led | 1 |
| Laps Led | 21 |
| Distance Led | 90 km (56 mi) |
Race Wins[]
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1977 Belgian Grand Prix |
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Pts | Pos | ||||||
| 1976 | 
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11 | 10th | |||||||
| Ret | Ret | 3rd | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | 5th | 3rd | Ret | 13th | 12th | Ret | 6th | |||||||||||
| 1977 | 
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20 | 8th | ||||||
| DNS | 5th | 12th | 8th | 5th | Ret | 1st | 19th | 4th | 3rd | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | |||||||||
| 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 | Scored point(s) for 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 | |||