Jose Gonzalez made his Formula 1 debut at the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix. Over nine seasons (1950-1957 and 1960), he participated in 26 Grands Prix, securing 2 wins, 7 second places, 4 third places, 3 pole positions, and 6 fastest laps. He also won the 1951 Coppa Acerbo and the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans alongside Maurice Trintignant.
| Nationality | Argentine |
|---|---|
| Born | José Froilán González 5 October 1922 Arrecifes, Argentina |
| Died | 15 June 2013 (aged 90) Buenos Aires, Argentina |
Jose Froilan Gonzalez, affectionately known as “Pepe” by his friends, was the son of a Chevrolet dealer in a provincial town about three hours from Buenos Aires. Despite his chubby appearance, Gonzalez was a surprisingly keen athlete from an early age, excelling as a swimmer, shooter, cyclist, soccer player, and production car road racer, much like his contemporary, Juan Manuel Fangio.
Nicknamed ‘the Bull of the Pampas’ by the press, this nickname captured his imposing physique and fierce presence on the track. Enzo Ferrari once remarked with amazement at Gonzalez’s ability to drive racing cars so effectively despite the intense physical exertion it caused him. His compatriots affectionately called him ‘El Cabezon’ (‘Fat Head’).
Gonzalez’s father set him up in the trucking business, and by 1949, he joined Fangio on a European tour with a Maserati. Although his initial results were modest, he finished second in the 1949 Albi Grand Prix.
His breakthrough came in 1951 when he defeated a trio of pre-war Mercedes W163 cars in Argentina, driving a Ferrari 166. This success led to his Grand Prix debut as a works driver for Ferrari. Known for his aggressive driving style, Gonzalez’s crowning achievement came in 1951 when he defeated the Alfa Romeos at the 1951 British Grand Prix, securing the first World Championship Grand Prix win for Scuderia Ferrari.
In 1952, Gonzalez signed with Maserati, racing in only one Grand Prix but winning the Goodwood Trophy in a BRM V16 and the Richmond Trophy in Vandervell‘s Thinwall Ferrari. In 1953, as Fangio’s teammate at Maserati, he struggled to step out of Fangio’s shadow until a crash sidelined him for three months.
Rejoining Ferrari in 1954, Gonzalez had his best season, winning the 1954 British Grand Prix in a Ferrari 625 and securing victories in the non-title International Trophy, Bari, and Bordeaux GPs. He also won four sports car races, including Le Mans with Trintignant. However, a crash in the Tourist Trophy injured his arm, leading him to focus on racing mainly in Argentina.
Gonzalez’s last notable appearance was at Silverstone in 1956, driving a Vanwall before a driveshaft failure. Although he continued to race in Argentina, including guest appearances in his home Grands Prix, he gradually shifted his attention to his motor business. His passion for racing remained evident as he battled for the lead in the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix before finishing second, and after his final race in 1957, he focused on his automotive ventures. His last appearance was the 1960 Argentine Grand Prix.
He died on 15 June 2013 at the age of 90 in Buenos Aires of respiratory failure.
Jose Froilan Gonzalez Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1950–1957, 1960 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Maserati, Talbot-Lago, Ferrari, Vanwall |
| Entries | 26 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 2 |
| Podiums | 15 |
| Career points | 72 1⁄7 (77 9⁄14)1 |
| Pole positions | 3 |
| Fastest laps | 6 |
| First entry | 1950 Monaco Grand Prix |
| First win | 1951 British Grand Prix |
| Last win | 1954 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1960 Argentine Grand Prix |
Jose Froilan Gonzalez Teammates
| 33 Teammates | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfredo Pian | 1 | 1950 | |
| Nello Pagani | 1 | 1950 | |
| Franco Comotti | 1 | 1950 | |
| Piero Taruffi | 6 | 1951 | 1954 |
| Alberto Ascari | 6 | 1951 | 1954 |
| Luigi Villoresi | 5 | 1951 | |
| Gianni Marzotto | 1 | 1951 | |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 7 | 1952 | 1953 |
| Franco Rol | 1 | 1952 | |
| Felice Bonetto | 6 | 1952 | 1953 |
| Oscar Galvez | 1 | 1953 | |
| Onofre Marimon | 4 | 1953 | |
| Johnny Claes | 1 | 1953 | |
| Giuseppe Farina | 4 | 1954 | 1955 |
| Mike Hawthorn | 8 | 1954 | 1957 |
| Umberto Maglioli | 4 | 1954 | 1955 |
| Maurice Trintignant | 8 | 1954 | 1956 |
| Robert Manzon | 1 | 1954 | |
| Stirling Moss | 1 | 1956 | |
| Gerino Gerini | 1 | 1956 | |
| Chico Landi | 1 | 1956 | |
| Carlos Menditeguy | 1 | 1956 | |
| Jean Behra | 1 | 1956 | |
| Harry Schell | 1 | 1956 | |
| Alfonso de Portago | 1 | 1957 | |
| Eugenio Castellotti | 1 | 1957 | |
| Wolfgang von Trips | 2 | 1957 | 1960 |
| Peter Collins | 1 | 1957 | |
| Cesare Perdisa | 1 | 1957 | |
| Luigi Musso | 1 | 1957 | |
| Cliff Allison | 1 | 1960 | |
| Olivier Gendebien | 1 | 1960 | |
| Phil Hill | 1 | 1960 |
Formula One Record
| Year | Entrant | Team | WDC Points | WDC Pos. | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Scuderia Achille Varzi | Maserati | 0 | NC | Report |
| 1951 | José Froilán González | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 24 (27) | 3rd | Report |
| Enrico Platé | Maserati | ||||
| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | ||||
| 1952 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati | 6.5 | 9th | Report |
| 1953 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati | 13.5 (14.5) | 6th | Report |
| 1954 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | 25.143 (26.643) | 2nd | Report |
| 1955 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | 2 | 17th | Report |
| 1956 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati | 0 | NC | Report |
| Vandervell Products Ltd. | Vanwall | ||||
| 1957 | Scuderia Ferrari | Lancia–Ferrari | 1 | 21st | Report |
| 1958 | José Froilán González | Maserati | 0 | NC | Report |
| 1959: Did not compete | |||||
| 1960 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | 0 | NC | Report |
Race Wins
| Win Number | Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| 1 | 1951 British Grand Prix |
| 2 | 1954 British Grand Prix |
Complete Formula One Results
Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | WDC | Pts1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Scuderia Achille Varzi | Maserati 4CLT/48 | Maserati L4C | GBR | MON Ret | 500 | SUI | BEL | FRA Ret | ITA | NC | 0 | |||
| 1951 | José Froilán González | Talbot-Lago T26C-GS | Talbot L6 | SUI Ret | 500 | 3rd | 24 (27) | ||||||||
| Enrico Platé | Maserati 4CLT/48 | Maserati L4 | BEL DNA | ||||||||||||
| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 375 | Ferrari V12 | FRA 2* | GBR 1 | GER 3 | ITA 2 | ESP 2 | ||||||||
| 1952 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati L6 | SUI | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | NED | ITA 2** | 9th | 6 1⁄2 | ||
| 1953 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati L6 | ARG 3 | 500 | NED 3* | BEL Ret | FRA 3 | GBR 4** | GER | SUI | ITA | 6th | 13 1⁄2 (14 1⁄2) | |
| 1954 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 625 | Ferrari L4 | ARG 3 | 500 | BEL 4*† | GBR 1 | GER 2* | SUI 2 | ITA 3*† | ESP | 2nd | 25 1⁄7 (26 9⁄14) | ||
| Ferrari 553 | Ferrari L4 | FRA Ret | |||||||||||||
| 1955 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 625 | Ferrari L4 | ARG 2* | MON | 500 | BEL | NED | GBR | ITA | 17th | 2 | |||
| 1956 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 250F | Maserati L6 | ARG Ret | MON | 500 | BEL | FRA | NC | 0 | |||||
| Vandervell Products Ltd. | Vanwall VW 2 | Vanwall L4 | GBR Ret | GER | ITA | ||||||||||
| 1957 | Scuderia Ferrari | Lancia–Ferrari D50 | Ferrari V8 | ARG 5* | MON | 500 | FRA | GBR | GER | PES | ITA | 21st | 1 | ||
| 1960 | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari Dino 246 | Ferrari V6 | ARG 10 | MON | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 |
* Shared drive.
** Joint fastest lap.
† González started the race in a Ferrari 553 Squalo, but took over one of his teammates’ 625 during the race.
Sources: Wikipedia.com, fandom.com, historicracing.com and statsf1.com
