# Robert Brunet

Robert Brunet (8 Mar 1903–1986) was a French racing driver between 1931 and 1951. Most of his 44 entries were Grands Prix, but he also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He achieved a class victory and was fifth overall in the 1949 edition.

## Personal life and work

In 1926, Brunet married the Countess of Choiseul, a rich noblewoman, with whom he invested in his racing career by buying a Bugatti. However, he did not become successful until 1933, when he purchased the Bugatti T51 previously owned by Jean-Pierre Wimille. In 1934, Brunet replaced Louis Braillard as head of Ecurie Braillard and raced with Benoît Falchetto for the following two years without achieving major results. Besides racing, Brunet lead a factory which produced capacitors for cars. With the help of contracts with the French army, it had 400 employees by 1947. After the war, the firm folded rapidly and declared bankruptcy in 1950. This meant Brunet could not afford his ordered Talbot-Lago T26C and he stopped racing soon after the Porsche 356SL he was supposed to co-drive at the 1951 Le Mans race was crashed in practice.

## Racing results

| No. | Year | Date | Race | Entrant | Car | Teammate(s) | Result |
| 1 | 1931 | July 26 | Dieppe Grand Prix | R. Brunet | de Coucy | none | DNA |
| 2 | 1933 | February 19 | Pau Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNF |
| 3 | 1933 | March 26 | Tunis Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNF |
| 4 | 1933 | May 21 | Picardy Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNF |
| 5 | 1933 | June 4 | Nîmes Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNA |
| 6 | 1933 | August 15 | Coppa Acerbo | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNF |
| 7 | 1933 | September 10 | Italian Grand Prix | | Bugatti T51 | | 10th |
| 8 | 1934 | May 20 | Moroccan Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | 9th |
| 9 | 1934 | May 27 | Picardy Grand Prix | | Bugatti T51 | | 3rd |
| 10 | 1934 | June 17 | Penya Rhin Grand Prix | | Bugatti T51 | | 6th |
| 11 | 1934 | July 8 | Marne Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNF |
| 12 | 1934 | July 15 | Vichy Grand Prix (Heat 2) | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | DNF |
| 13 | 1934 | July 22 | Albi Grand Prix | | Bugatti T51 | | 6th |
| 14 | 1934 | August 19 | Nice Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | 9th |
| 15 | 1934 | August 26 | Comminges Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Bugatti T51 | none | 7th |
| 16 | 1934 | September 9 | French motorcycle Grand Prix (Car class) | | Alfa Romeo | | 2nd |
| 17 | 1934 | September 23 | Spanish Grand Prix | | Maserati | | DNF |
| 18 | 1935 | February 24 | Pau Grand Prix | | Maserati 8CM | | 5th |
| 19 | 1935 | May 5 | Tunis Grand Prix | | Maserati 8CM | | DNF |
| 20 | 1935 | May 26 | Picardy Grand Prix | Ecurie Braillard | Maserati 8CM | Benoît Falchetto | DNF |
| 21 | 1935 | June 2 | French motorcycle Grand Prix (Car class) | | Maserati 8CM | | 5th |
| 22 | 1935 | June 30 | Lorraine Grand Prix | Ecurie Braillard | Maserati 8CM | none | DNA |
| 23 | 1935 | July 21 | Dieppe Grand Prix | Ecurie Braillard | Maserati 8CM | Benoît Falchetto | 7th |
| 24 | 1935 | August 4 | Comminges Grand Prix | Ecurie Braillard | Maserati 8CM | Benoît Falchetto | DNA |
| 25 | 1935 | August 18 | Nice Grand Prix | Scuderia Subalpina | Maserati 8CM | Philippe Etancelin | DNF |
| 26 | 1936 | March 1 | Pau Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Maserati 8CM | none | DNF |
| 27 | 1936 | May 24 | 3 Hours of Marseille | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | none | 3rd |
| 28 | 1936 | June 28 | French Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | Goffredo Zehender | 3rd |
| 29 | 1936 | July 5 | Marne Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | none | 7th |
| 30 | 1936 | July 12 | 24 Hours of Spa | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | Goffredo Zehender | DNF |
| 31 | 1936 | August 9 | Comminges Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | none | 6th |
| 32 | 1936 | September 5 | RAC Tourist Trophy | R. Brunet/Selborne | Delahaye 135 | Charlie Martin | 8th |
| 33 | 1937 | February 21 | Pau Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | none | DNF |
| 34 | 1937 | June 19–20 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | André Parguel | Delahaye 135 | André Parguel | 25th |
| 35 | 1937 | July 18 | Marne Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Delahaye 135 | Daniel Porthault | DNF |
| 36 | 1938 | April 3 | Mille Miglia | | Bugatti | Gino Rovere | DNS |
| 37 | 1939 | June 17–18 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Ecuria Francia | Delahaye 135 | Marcel Contet | DNF (22nd) |
| 38 | 1946 | April 24 | Coupe du Palais de la Méditerranée | | Riley 1500/4 | | 2nd |
| 39 | 1946 | May 19 | Coupe de la Ville de St Etienne | | Riley 1500/4 | | 7th |
| 40 | 1946 | June 9 | Coupe de Conseil Municipal | | Riley 1500/4 | | DNF |
| 41 | 1948 | September 12 | 12 Hours of Paris | Henri Louveau | Delage D6 | Henri Louveau | 2nd |
| 42 | 1949 | April 24 | Paris Grand Prix | R. Brunet | Ferrari 166C | none | DNA |
| 43 | 1949 | June 25–26 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Pierre Meyrat | Delahaye 135 | Georges Grignard Pierre Meyrat | 5th (1st in class) |
| 44 | 1951 | June 23 | 24 Hours of Le Mans | Porsche AG | Porsche 356 SL | Rudolph Sauerwein | DNS |
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