Ivor Léon John Bueb (6 June 1923 – 1 August 1959) was a British professional sports car racing and Formula One driver from England.[1]

Ivor Bueb
Born(1923-06-06)6 June 1923
East Ham, Essex, England, UK
Died1 August 1959(1959-08-01) (aged 36)
Near Clermont-Ferrand, France
Formula One World Championship career
NationalityUnited Kingdom British
Active years19571959
TeamsConnaught,
non-works Maserati, Lotus and Cooper
Entries6 (5 starts)
Championships0
Wins0
Podiums0
Career points0
Pole positions0
Fastest laps0
First entry1957 Monaco Grand Prix
Last entry1959 British Grand Prix

Career

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Born in East Ham, Essex east of London, Bueb started racing seriously in a Formula Three 500cc Cooper in 1953, graduating to the Cooper works team in 1955 when he finished second in the British championship. He made occasional starts in Grands Prix in 1957 with a Connaught and a Maserati run by Gilby Engineering. The following year he raced Bernie Ecclestone's Connaught at Monaco, and drove a Formula Two Lotus at the German Grand Prix.

In 1959 he had two outings for BRP, firstly a non-qualification at Monaco, then another Formula Two entry at the British Grand Prix. He participated in six Formula One World Championship Grands Prix in all, but scored no championship points. He also participated in numerous non-Championship Formula One races. With the death of Archie Scott Brown at Spa in May 1958, Brian Lister hired Bueb to fill the now-vacant Lister-Jaguar driver's seat. Bueb did an admirable job, scoring several first places at tracks such as Crystal Palace and Goodwood during the 1958 and 1959 sports car campaigns.

Bueb is perhaps best known for sharing the winning works Jaguar D-type with Mike Hawthorn in the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans which was marred by an accident in which 82 spectators were killed; a success he repeated with Ron Flockhart in the ex-works Ecurie Ecosse car in 1957.[2][3][4]

He suffered serious injuries in 1959 when he crashed his BRP Cooper-Borgward Formula Two car at the Charade Circuit near Clermont-Ferrand, France.[1] He crashed at Gravenoire, a multiple apex-section at the very far end of the circuit, and was thrown out of his Cooper.[1] After being carried off the circuit by Gendarmes in a way that probably worsened his injuries, Bueb died six days later at a hospital near the circuit.[1]

It was Ivor Bueb's death, in conjunction with Archie Scott Brown's demise, that finally led Brian Lister to shut down his very successful sports car racing effort.

Racing record

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Complete Formula One World Championship results

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(key)

Year Entrant Chassis Engine 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 WDC Points
1957 Connaught Engineering Connaught
Type B
Alta Straight-4 ARG MON
Ret
500 FRA NC 0
Gilby Engineering Ltd. Maserati 250F Maserati Straight-6 GBR
NC
GER PES ITA
1958 BC Ecclestone Connaught
Type B
Alta Straight-4 ARG MON NED 500 BEL FRA GBR
Ret
NC 0
Ecurie Demi Litre Lotus 12 Climax Straight-4 GER
11 *
POR ITA MOR
1959 British Racing Partnership Cooper T51 Climax Straight-4 MON
DNQ
500 NED FRA NC 0
Borgward Straight-4 GBR
13
GER POR ITA USA
Source:[5]

* Formula 2 entry.

Complete British Saloon Car Championship results

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(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap.)

Year Team Car Class 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 DC Pts Class
1959 Equipe Endeavour Jaguar 3.4-Litre D GOO
1
AIN
1
SIL
1
GOO SNE BRH BRH NC 0 NC
Source:[6]

Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1955   Jaguar Cars Ltd.   Mike Hawthorn Jaguar D-Type S5.0 307 1st 1st
1956   Jaguar Cars Ltd.   Mike Hawthorn Jaguar D-Type FI S5.0 280 6th 3rd
1957   Ecurie Ecosse   Ron Flockhart Jaguar D-Type S5.0 327 1st 1st
1958   J. D. Hamilton
(private entrant)
  Duncan Hamilton Jaguar D-Type S3.0 251 DNF
(Accident)
1959   Brian Lister Engineering   Bruce Halford Lister Sport S3.0 121 DNF
(Engine)

Complete 12 Hours of Sebring results

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Year Team Co-Drivers Car Class Laps Pos. Class
Pos.
1956   Jaguar of New York Distributors Inc.   Duncan Hamilton Jaguar D-Type S5.0 63 DNF
(Brakes)
1957   Jaguar Cars North America   Mike Hawthorn Jaguar D-Type S5.0 193 3rd 2nd
1958   Ecurie Ecosse   Ninian Sanderson Jaguar D-Type S3.0 22 DNF
(Valve springs)
1959   The Lister Corp.   Stirling Moss Lister-Jaguar S3.0 98 DSQ
(Illegal refuelling)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Ivor Bueb at Motorsport Memorial". motorsportmemorial.org. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  2. ^ "Scots win at Le Mans. Jaguars in First Four Places". The Glasgow Herald. 24 June 1957. p. 7. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
  3. ^ "1955 24 Hours of Le Mans results". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  4. ^ "1957 24 Hours of Le Mans results". racingsportscars.com. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  5. ^ Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 87. ISBN 0851127029.
  6. ^ de Jong, Frank. "British Saloon Car Championship". History of Touring Car Racing 1952-1993. Retrieved 22 September 2022.
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Preceded by Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1955
With: Mike Hawthorn
Succeeded by
Preceded by Winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans
1957
With: Ron Flockhart
Succeeded by