Maurice Trintignant

Maurice Bienvenu Jean Paul Trintignant (; born October 30, 1917 in Sainte-Cécile-les-Vignes, Vaucluse, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur – died February 13, 2005 in Nîmes, Gard, Languedoc-Roussillon, France), nicknamed "les Petoulet", was a French racing driver who competed for 15 seasons from the second ever F1 race in 1950 to the 1964 Italian Grand Prix, a total of 84 races. During this time, Trintignant achieved two race victories, both at Monaco, and 10 podium finishes.
Son of a wealthy vineyard owner, Maurice was the youngest of five boys and was lured into Motor Racing despite the death of his brother Louis at Peronne in 1933.
He was chosen in 1939 to join the Bugatti team, the same team his brother drove for when he was killed. After being pronounced dead himself in 1948 after a serious accident, Maurice went on to score World Championship points in the little Simca-Gordini before factory drives at Ferrari and Vanwall followed.
Trintignant's greatest successes are the two F1 World Championship wins he achieved win the Ferrari at Monaco, 1955 and in 1958 with the Rob Walker Cooper at the same circuit.
He is also a Le Mans 24 Hour winner, sharing the winning Ferrari in 1954.
== Before Formula 1 World Championship ==
Maurice started racing in 1939, taking 5th place at the Pau Grand Prix and winning the GP des Frontieres before the out-brake of the war.
In the first race after the war, Maurice took his trusty Bugatti but it retired with Fuel Starvation, the diagnosis of his car revealed this had been caused by "les petoules" left in hos tank during its time of inaction during the war. From then on, Maurice was given the nickname "les Petoulet" which he accepted in fine spirit, the translation of this is "rats dropping".
1947 was a transitional year for "les Petoulet", replacing his Bugatti with an Amilcar and winning at Avignon, he also spent half the year driving for the Gersac team in their Delage before moving to the Simca-Gordini team.
In 1948 he won races early on for his new team but at the 1948 Swiss Grand Prix, a tragic race that saw the death of three drivers, Maurice also suffered a serious accident where he spun his car and was thrown out onto the track where he lay unconscious with Nino Farina, Prince Bira and Robert Manzon swerved to avoid his body causing their retirements.
For 8 days Maurice lay in a coma and was pronounced dead but his pulse slowly returned. Suffering no ill effects of the accident, "les Petoulet" returned to racing at the start on 1949 with Simca-Gordini winning in Anglouleme.
==Formula One Career==
===1950===
In 1950, "les Petoulet" remained at the team and took the little blue car to victory at the non-championship Geneva race but would only enter two World Championship events, at Monaco, where he would be involved in a multi-car pile-up and Monza where he would suffer car problems.
In contrast his teammate Robert Manzon would race additionally at Reims in the French Grand Prix and secure 3 World Championship points.
==Formula One Statistical Overview==
===Formula One Record===
Year	Entrant 	Team	WDC Points	WDC Pos.	Report
 	Equipe Gordini 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Equipe Gordini 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Ecurie Rosier 	 	2 	21st 	Report
 	Equipe Gordini 	 	2 	21st 	Report
 	Equipe Gordini 	 	4 	11th 	Report
 	Ecurie Rosier Scuderia Ferrari	 	17 	4th 	Report
 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	11.333 	4th 	Report
 	Vandervell Products Ltd. 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Automobiles Bugatti 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Scuderia Ferrari 	 	5 	13th 	Report
 	Rob Walker Racing Team 	 	12 	7th 	Report
 	Scuderia Centro Sud 	 	12 	7th 	Report
 	Owen Racing Organisation 	 	12 	7th 	Report
 	Rob Walker Racing Team 	 	19 	5th 	Report
 	Rob Walker Racing Team 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Scuderia Centro Sud 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	David Brown Corporation 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Scuderia Serenissima 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Rob Walker Racing Team 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Reg Parnell Racing 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Reg Parnell Racing 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Scuderia Centro Sud 	 	0 	NC 	Report
 	Maurice Trintignant 	 	2 	17th 	Report
===Career Statistics===
===Race Wins===
Win Number	Grand Prix
1 	1955 Monaco Grand Prix
2 	1958 Monaco Grand Prix
===Career Results===
Category:French Drivers
Category:1917 births
Category:2005 deaths
Category:1950 Début Drivers
Category:Gordini Drivers
Category:Ecurie Rosier Drivers
Category:Ferrari Drivers
Category:Vanwall Drivers
Category:Bugatti Drivers
Category:Cooper Drivers
Category:Maserati Drivers
Category:BRM Drivers
Category:Aston Martin Drivers
Category:Team Lotus Drivers
Category:Lola Drivers
Category:Rob Walker Racing Team Drivers
Category:Scuderia Centro Sud Drivers
Category:Scuderia Serenissima Drivers
Category:Reg Parnell Racing Drivers
 
Category:Deceased Drivers