# Jo Bonnier

Karl Jockum Jonas "Joakim" Bonnier (31 January 1930 – 11 June 1972), commonly known as Jo Bonnier, was a Swedish racing driver and motorsport executive, who competed in Formula One from 1956 to 1971. Bonnier won the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix with BRM.
Born and raised in Stockholm, Bonnier was the son of geneticist Gert Bonnier and born into the wealthy Bonnier family, the controlling family of the eponymous Bonnier Group. Bonnier competed in Formula One for Maserati, Scuderia Centro Sud, BRM, Porsche, Rob Walker Racing and Ecurie Bonnier, winning the Dutch Grand Prix with BRM to become the first Swedish Formula One Grand Prix winner and finishing eighth in the World Drivers' Championship that year.
Outside of Formula One, Bonnier entered 13 editions of the 24 Hours of Le Mans from 1957 to 1972, finishing runner-up in 1964 alongside Graham Hill, driving the Ferrari 330P. During the latter, Bonnier died when his Lola T280 collided with traffic and left him critically injured. Until his death, Bonnier had been the chairman of the Grand Prix Drivers' Association.

## Early life

Karl Jockum Jonas Bonnier was born in Stockholm, to the wealthy Bonnier family. His father, Gert, was a professor of genetics at the University of Stockholm, while many members of his extensive family were in the publishing business. He spoke six languages and, although his parents hoped that he would become a doctor, for a while it was his aspiration to enter the family publishing business. He attended Oxford University for a year, studying languages, then went to Paris, France, planning to learn about publishing.

## First competition

Bonnier began competitive racing in Sweden at age 17, on an old Harley-Davidson motorcycle. He returned home to Sweden in 1951 after his Paris trip, and later took part in several rallies as the proud owner of a Simca.

## Formula One

Bonnier entered Formula One in 1956, driving a Maserati. His racing career almost ended in September 1958 in a race at Imola. He debuted a 1500cc Maserati and moved up through the field following a bad start, passing Luigi Musso, and was gaining on leader Eugenio Castellotti at around two seconds per lap when he lost control after another car pulled directly into his path as they negotiated a fast corner. His Maserati struck a large rock at the edge of the road and catapulted. The other driver went underneath him as he turned over and over in the air and, while he was upside down, the crash helmet of his competitor made contact with his. Bonnier's Maserati landed on its side before skidding 75 feet and heading into a ditch, where it came to a stop against a pole. Bonnier was thrown out of the car and suffered concussion, several cracked ribs, and a broken vertebra. His car was completely written off.
His greatest achievement in Formula One was taking victory for BRM in the 1959 Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort, when the notoriously unreliable car worked well for once (Dan Gurney and Hans Herrmann had bad crashes after brake failures). He also won the 1960 German Grand Prix with a Porsche 718, a race held for Formula Two in preparation for the rule change of 1961. Bonnier was one of the driving forces behind the Grand Prix Drivers' Association. Despite his win for BRM, Bonnier did not drive for many works teams throughout his career, with only one-offs as a replacement driver for Lotus, Brabham and Honda. After his debut in a works Maserati, he then drove for his own Joakim Bonnier Racing Team and for Mimmo Dei's Scuderia Centro Sud in the late 50s, before finding a spot in the BRM and Porsche teams.
After Porsche quit Grand Prix racing at the end of the 1962 season, Bonnier switched to Rob Walker Racing Team, the only privateer to have scored wins in World Championship events, where he drove Coopers and Brabhams, scoring few points.
In 1966, he reformed his own team as Anglo-Suisse Racing Team (later to be renamed Ecurie Bonnier), but his interest in Formula One gradually diminished. His last full season was 1968, in which he traded his old Cooper T86 for an old McLaren. He raced occasionally in Formula One until 1971. In 1966, along with American racing drivers Phil Hill, Richie Ginther and Carroll Shelby, he was racing advisor to the 1966 motor racing epic Grand Prix starring James Garner. All the aforementioned (including Garner, who did all his own driving) were employed as drivers for the racing scenes. While filming the 1966 Belgian Grand Prix at the notorious and extremely fast Spa-Francorchamps circuit, Bonnier, along with more than half the field including Jackie Stewart, Bob Bondurant, Graham Hill and Denny Hulme, crashed out on the first lap of the race. According to Phil Hill, Bonnier went through an upstairs window at a house next to the track and could not take part in the later filming on the circuit.

## Sports car racer

Alongside Formula One, Bonnier also took part in many sports car races. He won the 1960 Targa Florio, co-driving a works Porsche 718 with Hans Herrmann, and in 1962 took a Ferrari 250 TRI entered by Count Giovanni Volpi to top honours in the 12 Hours of Sebring, sharing the car with Lucien Bianchi. In 1963 he was once again winner at the Targa Florio, with Carlo Mario Abate in another works Porsche 718.
1964 was his best year in sports car racing, where he co-drove a Ferrari P entered by Maranello Concessionaires with Graham Hill, taking a 330P to second place in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and to a win at Montlhéry, while a 12-hour race in Reims also gave him a first place in a 250LM. He then won the 1000km Nürburgring in a Chaparral in 1966 (with Phil Hill), his last win in a major sports car event, but still managed to snatch victories in the minor 1000 km of Barcelona at Montjuïc in 1971 (with Ronnie Peterson), and the 4 Hours of Le Mans in 1972 (with Hughes de Fierlant).
Bonnier purchased a McLaren M6B to campaign in the 1968 Can-Am series. In the first outing at the Karlskoga Sweden GP, Bonnier had the pole but an off course excursion on the first lap caused him to finish second to David Piper in a Ferrari 330P3/4. He then ran his McLaren in five of the six Can-Am races with his best finish an eighth at Las Vegas. He was plagued with mechanical problems most of the season. However, he finished 3rd in the M6B at the Mt Fuji 200-mile race.
In 1970, he drove a Lola T210 to victory in the European 2-Litre Sports Car Championship, securing the drivers title at the end of the season with 48 points.

## Other ventures
### Team managements

By the early seventies, he had taken to managing his team, entering several cars in World Sportscar Championship events, and taking a backseat to driving.

### Safety advocacy

Bonnier had also taken a lead in the fight for track safety, which had started around that time.

## Death

Bonnier was killed in a crash during the 1972 24 Hours of Le Mans. On the straight between Mulsanne Corner and Indianapolis, his open-top Lola T280-Cosworth collided with a Ferrari Daytona driven by a Swiss amateur driver Florian Vetsch. His car was catapulted over the Armco barriers and into the trees next to the track and he was killed instantly. According to Vic Elford, who was driving a factory-entered Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 and who had stopped to assist Vetsch escape from his burning Ferrari, the last he had seen of Bonnier's Lola was that it was "spinning into the trees like a helicopter".

## Racing record
### Complete Formula One World Championship results

(key) (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 | 11 | 12 | 13 | WDC | Pts |
| 1956 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | ARG | MON | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA Ret | | | | | | NC | 0 |
| 1957 | Scuderia Centro Sud | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | ARG 7 | | | | | | PES Ret | ITA Ret | | | | | | NC | 0 |
| 1957 | Jo Bonnier | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | | MON DNA | 500 | FRA | GBR Ret | GER | | | | | | | | NC | 0 |
| 1958 | Scuderia Centro Sud | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | ARG DNA | | | | | | | GER Ret | | | | | | 20th | 3 |
| 1958 | Jo Bonnier | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | | MON Ret | NED 10 | 500 | BEL 9 | | GBR Ret | | POR Ret | | | | | 20th | 3 |
| 1958 | Giorgio Scarlatti | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | | | | | | FRA 8 | | | | | | | | 20th | 3 |
| 1958 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P25 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | | | | | | | | | | ITA Ret | MOR 4 | | | 20th | 3 |
| 1959 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P25 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | MON Ret | 500 | NED 1 | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | GER 5 | POR Ret | ITA 8 | USA | | | | | 8th | 10 |
| 1960 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P25 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | ARG 7 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 18th | 4 |
| 1960 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P48 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | | MON 5 | 500 | NED Ret | BEL Ret | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | POR Ret | ITA | USA 5 | | | | 18th | 4 |
| 1961 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 787 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | MON 12 | NED 11 | | | | | | | | | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1961 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | | | BEL 7 | FRA 7 | GBR 5 | GER Ret | ITA Ret | USA 6 | | | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1962 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 804 | Porsche 753 1.5 F8 | NED 7 | | BEL WD | FRA 10 | GBR Ret | GER 7 | ITA 6 | USA 13 | RSA | | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1962 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | | MON 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1963 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T60 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | MON 7 | BEL 5 | NED 11 | FRA NC | | | | | | | | | | 11th | 6 |
| 1963 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T66 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | | GBR Ret | GER 6 | ITA 7 | USA 8 | MEX 5 | RSA 6 | | | | 11th | 6 |
| 1964 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T66 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | MON 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1964 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Brabham BT11 | BRM P56 1.5 V8 | | NED 9 | BEL Ret | FRA | GBR Ret | GER Ret | | | | | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1964 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Brabham BT7 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | | | | AUT 6 | ITA 12 | USA Ret | MEX Ret | | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1965 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Brabham BT7 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | RSA Ret | MON 7 | BEL Ret | FRA Ret | GBR 7 | NED Ret | GER 7 | ITA 7 | USA 8 | MEX Ret | | | | NC | 0 |
| 1966 | Anglo-Suisse Racing Team | Cooper T81 | Maserati 9/F1 3.0 V12 | MON NC | BEL Ret | | | NED 7 | GER Ret | ITA Ret | USA NC | MEX 6 | | | | | 17th | 1 |
| 1966 | Anglo-Suisse Racing Team | Brabham BT22 | Climax FPF 2.8 L4 | | | FRA NC | | | | | | | | | | | 17th | 1 |
| 1966 | Anglo-Suisse Racing Team | Brabham BT7 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | GBR Ret | | | | | | | | | | 17th | 1 |
| 1967 | Joakim Bonnier Racing Team | Cooper T81 | Maserati 9/F1 3.0 V12 | RSA Ret | MON | NED | BEL Ret | FRA | GBR Ret | GER 6 | CAN 8 | ITA Ret | USA 6 | MEX 10 | | | 15th | 3 |
| 1968 | Joakim Bonnier Racing Team | Cooper T81 | Maserati 9/F1 3.0 V12 | RSA Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | 22nd | 3 |
| 1968 | Joakim Bonnier Racing Team | McLaren M5A | BRM P101 3.0 V12 | | ESP DNA | MON DNQ | BEL Ret | NED 8 | FRA | GBR Ret | GER DNA | ITA 6 | CAN Ret | USA NC | | | 22nd | 3 |
| 1968 | Joakim Bonnier Racing Team | Honda RA301 | Honda RA301E 3.0 V12 | | | | | | | | | | | | MEX 5 | | 22nd | 3 |
| 1969 | Ecurie Bonnier | Lotus 63 | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | RSA | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR Ret | | | | | | | | NC | 0 |
| 1969 | Ecurie Bonnier | Lotus 49B | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | | | | | | | GER Ret | ITA | CAN | USA | MEX | | | NC | 0 |
| 1970 | Ecurie Bonnier | McLaren M7C | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | RSA | ESP | MON | BEL | NED | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | ITA DNQ | CAN | USA Ret | MEX | NC | 0 |
| 1971 | Ecurie Bonnier | McLaren M7C | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | RSA Ret | ESP | MON | NED | FRA | GBR | GER DNQ | AUT DNS | ITA 10 | CAN | USA 16 | | | NC | 0 |
| Source: |||||||||||||||||||

#### Notes

* ^1 – Bonnier was 6th at 1967 German Grand Prix but he was given points for the 5th place because F2-drivers who competed in the same race were ineligible to score points.

### Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

(key) (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 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| 1957 | Jo Bonnier | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | SYR | PAU | GLV | NAP | RMS Ret | CAE 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1957 | Scuderia Centro Sud | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | | | | | | | INT 4 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1957 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P25 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | | | | | | | | MOD Ret | MOR | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1958 | Jo Bonnier | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | GLV | SYR 2 | AIN | INT Ret | CAE 2 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1959 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P25 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | GLV 4 | AIN Ret | INT | OUL DNA | SIL | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P25 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | GLV 6 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1960 | Owen Racing Organisation | BRM P48 | BRM P25 2.5 L4 | | INT Ret | SIL | LOM 3 | OUL 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1961 | Scuderia Colonia | Lotus 18 | Climax FPF 1.5 L4 | LOM | GLV | PAU 2 | | VIE WD | AIN | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1961 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | | | | BRX Ret | | | SYR 3 | NAP | LON | | SOL 2 | KAN 2 | DAN | MOD 2 | FLG 3 | OUL WD | LEW | VAL | RAN 3 | NAT 3 | RSA 3 |
| 1961 | UDT-Laystall Racing | Lotus 18/21 | Climax FPF 1.5 L4 | | | | | | | | | | SIL 11 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1962 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | CAP 3 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1962 | Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | | BRX 2 | LOM 3 | LAV | GLV | PAU 12 | AIN | INT 12 | NAP | MAL 6 | CLP | RMS 8 | | | | | | | | | |
| 1962 | Porsche System Engineering | Porsche 804 | Porsche 753 1.5 F8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | SOL 2 | KAN 3 | MED | DAN | | MEX DNA | RAN | NAT | |
| 1962 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Lotus 24 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | OUL Ret | | | | |
| 1963 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T60 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | LOM | GLV | PAU Ret | IMO Ret | | | INT 5 | ROM | SOL 9 | | MED 4 | AUT Ret | | | | | | | | | |
| 1963 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Lotus 24 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | | SYR 5 | AIN | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1963 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T66 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | | | | | | | KAN 5 | | | OUL Ret | RAN | | | | | | | |
| 1964 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Cooper T66 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | DMT 2 | NWT Ret | SYR 4 | AIN 4 | INT 16 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1964 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Brabham BT11 | BRM P56 1.5 V8 | | | | | | SOL 5 | MED | RAN | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1965 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Brabham BT7 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | ROC 3 | SYR 4 | SMT 5 | INT 5 | MED Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1965 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Lotus 25 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | | | | | | RAN Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1966 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Lotus 25 | Climax FWMV 1.5 V8 | RSA Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1966 | R.R.C. Walker Racing Team | Brabham BT11 | BRM P60 2.0 V8 | | SYR 5 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1966 | Anglo-Suisse Racing Team | Cooper T81 | Maserati 9/F1 3.0 V12 | | | INT 3 | OUL | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1967 | Joakim Bonnier Racing Team | Cooper T81 | Maserati 9/F1 3.0 V12 | ROC | SPR | INT Ret | SYR 5 | OUL | ESP | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1968 | Joakim Bonnier Racing Team | McLaren M5A | BRM P101 3.0 V12 | ROC Ret | INT Ret | OUL Ret | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1969 | Ecurie Bonnier | Lotus 49B | Ford Cosworth DFV 3.0 V8 | ROC | INT | MAD | OUL DNS | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| 1971 | Ecurie Bonnier | Lola T190 (F5000) | Chevrolet 5.0 V8 | ARG NC | ROC | QUE | SPR | INT | RIN | OUL | VIC | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Source: |||||||||||||||||||||||||

### Complete 24 Hours of Le Mans results

| Year | Team | Co-Drivers | Car | Class | Laps | Pos. | Class Pos. |
| 1957 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Giorgio Scarlatti | Maserati 300S | S 3.0 | 73 | DNF | DNF |
| 1958 | Francisco Godia | Francisco Godia-Sales | Maserati 300S | S 3.0 | 142 | DNF | DNF |
| 1959 | Porsche KG | Wolfgang von Trips | Porsche 718 RSK | S 2.0 | 182 | DNF | DNF |
| 1960 | Porsche KG | Graham Hill | Porsche 718/4 RS | S 2.0 | 191 | DNF | DNF |
| 1961 | Porsche System Engineering | Dan Gurney | Porsche 718/4 RS Coupe | S 2.0 | 262 | DNF | DNF |
| 1962 | Scuderia SSS Republica di Venezia | Dan Gurney | Ferrari 250 TRI/61 | E 3.0 | 30 | DNF | DNF |
| 1963 | Porsche System Engineering | Tony Maggs | Porsche 718/8 GTR Coupe | P 3.0 | 109 | DNF | DNF |
| 1964 | Maranello Concessionaires | Graham Hill | Ferrari 330P | P 5.0 | 344 | 2nd | 2nd |
| 1965 | Maranello Concessionaires Ltd. | David Piper | Ferrari 365 P2 | P 5.0 | 101 | DNF | DNF |
| 1966 | Chaparral Cars Inc. | Phil Hill | Chaparral 2D-Chevrolet | P+5.0 | 111 | DNF | DNF |
| 1969 | Scuderia Filipinetti | Masten Gregory | Lola T70 Mk.IIIB-Chevrolet | S 5.0 | 134 | DNF | DNF |
| 1970 | Scuderia Filipinetti | Reine Wisell | Ferrari 512S | S 5.0 | 36 | DNF | DNF |
| 1972 | Ecurie Bonnier Switzerland | Gérard Larrousse Gijs van Lennep | Lola T280-Ford Cosworth | S 3.0 | 213 | DNF | DNF |
| Source: ||||||||

### Complete Canadian-American Challenge Cup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)
| Year | Team | Car | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | Pos | Pts |
| 1968 | Ecurie Suisse | McLaren M6B | Chevrolet | ROA 18 | BRI Ret | EDM Ret | LAG | RIV Ret | LVG 8 | | | | | | NC | 0 |
| 1969 | Scuderia Filipinetti | Lola T70 Mk.3B | Chevrolet | MOS | MTR | WGL 7 | EDM | MDO | ROA | BRI | MCH | LAG | RIV | TWS | 27th | 4 |
| 1970 | Ecurie Bonnier | Lola T70 Mk.3B | Chevrolet | MOS | MTR | WGL 11 | EDM | MDO | ROA | ATL | BRA | LAG | RIV | | NC | 0 |
| Source: |||||||||||||||||