Robert O'Brien (born 11 April 1908 and died 10 February 1987) was an American racecar driver who primarily raced in sports car races in the United States. However, he also participated in the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix using a privately entered Simca-Gordini.
After finishing fourth in the 1952 12 Hours of Sebring, O'Brien made a surprise move to Europe thanks to his contacts in Belgium. He raced in the Belgian Grand Prix, although he was the slowest qualifier and finished in 14th. He also raced the same car in a race at the Grenzlandring in Germany. Shortly after, he returned to the United States.
Obscure rumours emerged that O'Brien was involved with the CIA and was working as a spy. However, those claims are unsubstantiated.
After retiring from the motorsport, he owned an aeroplane supply company, having previously worked as an aircraft mechanic.
Formula One Statistical Overview[]
Formula One Record[]
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 |  Robert O'Brien
|
Simca-Gordini-Gordini | 0 | NC |
Career Statistics[]
| Entries | 1 |
| Starts | 1 |
| Pole Positions | 0 |
| Race Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Fastest Laps | 0 |
| Points | 0 |
| Laps Raced | 30 |
| Distance Raced | 424 km (263 mi) |
Career Results[]
| Complete Formula One Results | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Pts | Pos | |||||||||||||||
| 1952 | 
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0 | NC | |||||||||||||||
| 14th | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 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 | |||
Notes[]
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