Comte George Raphaël Béthenod de Montbressieux, known under the pseudonym "Raph" (born 8 February 1910 in Buenos Aires, Buenos Aries Province, Argentina – died 16 June 1994 in Neuilly-sur-Marne, Seine-Saint-Denis, Île-de-France, France) was an Argentine-born French racing driver who raced pre-Formula One. He is sometimes listed under the name "de la Casas", his mother's name.
"Raph" got his first taste of Grand Prix racing in 1935, after entering a partnership with Raymond Sommer to buy an Alfa Romeo Tipo B. However, a misunderstanding caused two Alfas to be shipped and "Raph" purchased the other one. He had a successful first season, with second-place finishes at the Orleans Grand Prix, the U. M. F. Grand Prix (Union Motocycliste Française) and the Comminges Grand Prix.
The remainder of the pre-World War II years were not as successful, especially after a crash paralysed him for six months in 1937, with him not managing any Grand Prix podiums that season.
Upon the return to racing following the war, "Raph" saw some success, including victory at the 1946 24 Hours of Le Mans and joint-fastest lap at the 1947 French Grand Prix. However, in 1948, he fractured his skull in an accident from which he never fully recovered. Thus, affected by the onset of amnesia, he retired in early 1950, before the Formula One World Championship began.
He eventually died in Neuilly-sur-Marne in 1994, aged 84.
Formula One Career[]
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | "Raph" "B. de los Casos" |
Alfa Romeo | N/A | Report | |
| 1936 | "Raph" "B. de la Casas" "B. de los Casos" |
Alfa Romeo Maserati |
N/A | Report | |
| 1937 | Did not compete | ||||
| 1938 | Ecurie Bleue Delahaye | Delahaye | 28 | 11th | Report |
| Scuderia Torino | Maserati | ||||
| 1939 | Ecurie Lucy O'Reilly Schell | Delahaye Maserati |
24* | 11th* | Report |
| 1940–1945: No races run (World War II) | |||||
| 1946 | Ecurie Naphtra Course | Maserati Alfa Romeo |
N/A | Report | |
| 1947 | Ecurie Naphtra Course | Maserati | N/A | Report | |
| 1948 | Ecurie Mundia-Course | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | N/A | Report | |
| 1949 | Ecurie Mundia-Course | Delahaye | N/A | Report | |
Notes:
- Italics denotes entries not entered for Championship events.
- * The 1939 season did not have any officially declared results due to the outbreak of World War II, which also forced the cancellation of the Italian Grand Prix. "Raph"'s points and position are calculated using the points system previously used by the European Championship.[1]
Race Wins[]
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Non-Championship | |
| 1 | 1946 24 Hours of Le Mans Grand Prix |
Notes[]
- ↑ Leif Snellman; Don Capps. "AIACR EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP 1939". The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing. Leif Snellman. http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/cha9.htm. Retrieved 7 February 2015.