Carel Godin de Beaufort: Biography, Facts and Career

Karel Pieter Antoni Jan Hubertus "Carel" Godin de Beaufort (10 April 1934 – 2 August 1964) was a Dutch racing driver and nobleman, who competed in Formula One from 1958 to 1964. Born and raised in Maarsbergen to a noble family, Godin de Beaufort debuted at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956 with Wolfgang Seidel, aged 22. He made his Formula One debut at the 1957 German Grand Prix, driving a privateer Porsche RS550 under his Ecurie Maarsbergen banner; he won his class at Le Mans that year. A gentleman driver, he returned at the Dutch and German Grands Prix in 1958—the former marking his first entry in Formula One machinery—amongst finishing fifth overall at Le Mans. Godin de Beaufort made further intermittent performances in 1959 and 1960, before entering six of eight rounds in 1961, driving his orange Porsche 718. He scored his maiden points with sixth-placed finishes at the Dutch and French Grands Prix in his 1962 campaign, a feat he repeated in Belgium and the United States in 1963; he became the first Dutch driver to score points in Formula One. He scored three podiums in non-championship events that year, at the Syracuse, Rome and Austrian Grands Prix. During practice for the 1964 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Godin de Beaufort suffered fatal head injuries after losing control of his 718 at the Bergwerk corner. He had entered four further editions of Le Mans between 1959 and 1963, retiring from each.

Quick facts about Carel Godin de Beaufort

• Full name: Carel Godin de Beaufort
• Born: 1934-04-10
• Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands
• Known as: Creator
• Wikidata ID: Q171963

Profile compiled from public Wikipedia and Wikidata data. Details can change over time.