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Louis Rosier (ROSE-ee-ay; born November 5, 1905 in Chapdes-Beaufort, Puy-de-Dôme, Auvergne, France – died October 29, 1956 in Neuilly-sur-Seine, Hauts-de-Seine, Île-de-France, France) was a French driver who competed in Formula One at the sport's inception.

Racing Career[]

Before Formula One World Championship[]

Louis was from the Auvergne region of central France and was the son of a wine merchant where he started driving the company's truck becoming an apprentice in the garage. Louis started competing in Hill climbs on a Harley Davidson in 1927 and opened his own transport company in Clermont-Ferrard. In 1938 he tried racing cars and entered the Le Mans 24 Hour.

During the war Louis worked with the French Resistance. Whilst France was occupied his wife and daughter were taken hostage and sent to Germany. After the war, Louis traveled to Germany to find them.

In 1946 Louis entered the Monte Carlos rally in a Talbot and started racing a Talbot-Lago in French national championships and took his first victories in Albi 1947 and Forez 1948.

In 1949 Louis took his highest profile race win in the Belgian GP and won the French national championship.

1949 Rosier

Rosier racing a Talbot-Lago in 1949

Formula One Career[]

1950[]

During 1950 Louis drove for a Talbot-Lago, sometimes as a privateer and sometimes for the factory team and was the manufacturers most successful driver that season.

At Silverstone, the first race of the season, driving a privately entered Talbot, Rosier came 4th behind the dominant Alfa Romeo's and another Talbot-Lago of Yves Giraud Cabantous securing 2 early championship points.

The championship moved onto Monaco where on the first lap, second placed Nino Farina spun his Alfa Romeo on the Tabac corner which had been flooded by a tidal wave. Rosier was one of the many retirements in the multi-car accident.

1950 2 Farina Rosier Fangio

Rosier's Talbot at the centre of the Tabac Carnage

In Bremgarten Rosier proved the fastet Talbot-Lago's when the Ferrari's and Juan Manuel Fangio retired promoting him to a  podium & another 4 points.

Onto Belgium and Rosier had been promoted to the factory team after Eugène Martin had suffered horrendous injuries during a crash in Switzerland. In Belgium Rosier proved a match for the Ferrari's, battling with them from the outset but it was Raymond Sommer in another Talbot-Lago who was stealing the show, briefly leading until he blew his engine. When Farina hot trouble and slowed, Rosier, who had now gapped the Ferrari's was able to pass the Alfa and secure another third-place finish and now 4th in the Championship.

In his home Grand Prix, Rosier was just outside the points in 6th and in the final race of the season, although being out driven by Raymond Sommer in the sister Talbot-Lago, he again was the highest placed Talbot finisher in 4th, securing his 4th-place finish in the Championship.

1950 rosier le mans

Rosier took an impressive Le Mans victory

Rosier had a strong year, although he was never the fastest Talbot-Lago, he seemed to have a better understanding of the cars limits and impressively beat the factory drivers of Ferrari and Maserati. His only retirement coming in the multi-car pile-up at Monaco.

Rosiers skill for knowing the cars limits was never more apparent than during is 1950 Le Mans 24 Hour success at the wheel of a privately entered Talbot with his son Jean-Louis Rosier. Rosier senior driving for 23 hours and 15 minutes of the enduro.

1951[]

Formula One Statistical Overview[]

Formula One Record[]

Year Entrant Team WDC Pts. WDC Pos. Report
1950 France Ecurie Rosier Talbot-Lago-Talbot 13 4th Report
France Automobiles Talbot-Darracq
France Charles Pozzi
1951 France Ecurie Rosier Talbot-Lago-Talbot 3 13th Report
1952 France Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 0 NC Report
1953 France Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 0 NC Report
1954 France Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 0 NC Report
Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati
France Ecurie Rosier
1955 France Ecurie Rosier Maserati 0 NC Report
1956 France Ecurie Rosier Maserati 2 19th Report

Career Statistics[]

Entries 40
Starts 38
Pole Positions 0
Sprint Poles 0
Front Row Starts 0
Race Wins 0
Sprint Wins 0
Podiums 2
Sprint Podiums 0
Fastest Laps 0
Sprint Fastest Laps 0
Points 18
Laps Raced 1586
Distance Raced 12,033 km (7,477 mi)

Career Results[]

Complete Formula One Results
Year 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 Pts Pos
1950 Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Monaco 48-star U S flag Flag of Switzerland Flag of Belgium Flag of France Flag of Italy 13 4th
5th Ret 3rd 3rd Ret
6th[1]
4th
1951 Flag of Switzerland 48-star U S flag Flag of Belgium Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Italy Flag of Spain 1945 1977 3 13th
9th 4th Ret 10th 8th 7th 7th
1952 Flag of Switzerland 48-star U S flag Flag of Belgium Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of the Netherlands Flag of Italy 0 NC
Ret Ret Ret DNA 10th
1953 Flag of Argentina 48-star U S flag Flag of the Netherlands Flag of Belgium Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Switzerland Flag of Italy 0 NC
7th 8th 8th 10th 10th Ret 16th
1954 Flag of Argentina 48-star U S flag Flag of Belgium Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Switzerland Flag of Italy Flag of Spain 1945 1977 0 NC
Ret Ret Ret 8th 8th 7th
1955 Flag of Argentina Flag of Monaco 48-star U S flag Flag of Belgium Flag of the Netherlands Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Switzerland Flag of Italy Flag of Spain 1945 1977 0 NC
Ret 9th 9th C C C C
1956 Flag of Argentina Flag of Monaco 48-star U S flag Flag of Belgium Flag of France Flag of the United Kingdom Flag of Germany Flag of Italy 2 19th
Ret 8th 6th Ret 5th
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

Notes[]

  1. Shared drive with Charles Pozzi
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