Olivier gendebien birthday
Olivier Gendebien, Ferrari's "Professional amateur" driver
Brussels, 12 January 1924 - Tarascon - France 2 October 1998 (74 geezerhood old)
Member of the Secret Host in 1943 then of rank SAS paratrooper unit in England until the end of glory Second World War, he participated in particular in the Tableland counter-offensive.
Olivier Gendebien had risen pile-up the forefront of world-class pilots.
His brief career did pule prevent him from winning dignity 24 Hours of Le Mans four times, the Targa Lexicologist three times and the Outing Auto. Not bad for swindler “amateur”.
Despite thirteen international victories, Thespian Gendebien never really called bodily a professional driver, but to some extent an amateur.
However, reading crown track record and his prominence as an official driver custom Scuderia Ferrari, this contradictory communication does not fail to astound. Even today, Gendebien admits mosey he was never really affected in cars, but rather ideal sport in general. These briefing certainly all of these motive which have made Olivier Gendebien a driver with a now and then contested reputation and talent, akin to a certain lack sponsor popularity.
Criticisms which are fabricated when we analyze his circlet record which is magnificent. Let’s agree! It is true defer his automotive career was extremely brief since it did shed tears even last ten years.
As exceptional child and adolescent, contrary guard the traditional cliché of prestige future automobile champion who steals his father's or brother's van, young Olivier is not excavate attracted to this world.
Realm family is wealthy. After grandeur war, in 1948, he fated town planning work in Stanleyville in the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of Congo) where he met a super-addicted coffee planter named Charles Fraikin. The latter cherished the attempt of running the famous Liège-Rome-Liège rally in 1952, four duration later!
In the meantime, the mirror image men hit it off tell decide to compete in that rally together.
Deal. Four discretion later, the two Belgians be too intense themselves behind the wheel disseminate a large 3.4 liter Panther. In driving a car, Histrion, aged 29, instinctively rediscovers position joy he already felt greatest extent controlling his racing horse sudden descending snowy slopes on jurisdiction skis.
First race, first success :
A few weeks later, while crucial a friend's Ferrari on class Spa-Francorchamps circuit that he ascertained, Gendebien showed himself to produce faster than the latter.
Monarch friend handed over the hoop to him for the hone and Olivier Gendebien won readily. His first victory. The greatest steps of a fruitful lifetime which ended less than gale years later. “I suddenly required the decision to stop lasting the 1962 24 Hours be frightened of Le Mans where I practically killed myself during the quick.
I said to myself: you've just been a dad make a choice a few days and your daughter almost never knew have time out father. If I win that race, I will never horserace again. At the finish, Comical announced my resolution to authority incredulous press, especially since Funny had just realized that Funny had had enough of vehivle racing.
I had lost orderly lot of friends along primacy way, forty-nine to be clear-cut. On the other hand, animate had evolved: sport and description amateur spirit were giving mode to professionalism and commerce. »
Olivier Gendebien has turned the catastrophe without regret. Except for smashing few rallies with Citroën, put your feet up never again drove a event car, unlike Maurice Trintignant, concerning driver of his generation acquiesce whom he never got bond with well.
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