Bob Bondurant

Robert Lewis 'Bob' Bondurant (27 April 1933 - 12 November 2021) was an American racing driver who competed in Formula One from 1965 to 1966, achieving a podium finish, but is best remembered for his sports car racing success and for founding the legendary Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, which trained hundreds of thousands of students over five decades. Born on 27 April 1933 in Evanston, Illinois, Bondurant's fascination with speed manifested remarkably early—at age three on his first tricycle, according to family legend. When he was eight years old, his father took him to Thursday night midget races, igniting a passion for motorsport that would define his life. Bondurant's competitive racing career began at age 23 when he purchased a Morgan Plus 4 and entered his first race, demonstrating natural talent that would soon flourish.

His racing career began to soar in 1959 when he drove a Corvette in the Southern California Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) region, winning the West Coast 'B' Production Championship with an astonishing 18 victories out of 20 races. This dominant performance immediately established Bondurant as one of America's most promising racing talents. Between 1961 and 1963, Bondurant continued his Corvette success, winning an incredible 30 out of 32 races—a winning percentage that remains among the highest in American sports car racing history. In 1964, Bondurant's career reached new heights when he was paired with the legendary Dan Gurney to drive a Ford Cobra Daytona Coupe at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.

The duo won their GT category and finished an impressive fourth overall, demonstrating that American cars and drivers could compete against Europe's finest at motorsport's most prestigious event. This success led to Bondurant's greatest achievement in 1965: winning the FIA Manufacturers' World Championship for Shelby American and Ford, claiming victory in seven out of ten races. Bondurant became—and remains—the first and only American driver in history to win the FIA Manufacturers' World Championship, a distinction that highlights his exceptional skill and consistency at the highest level of sports car racing. This championship success brought Bondurant to the attention of Formula One teams, and in 1965 he made his Grand Prix debut.

He drove a works Ferrari Formula One car during the United States Grand Prix at Watkins Glen, followed by a Lotus 33 for Reg Parnell Racing at the Mexican Grand Prix. These debut performances demonstrated his ability to adapt to Grand Prix machinery despite having no previous single-seater experience. For 1966, Bondurant secured more regular Formula One opportunities, driving a privately-owned BRM and also competing for Dan Gurney's Anglo-American Racers team, giving him the chance to race for his friend and mentor. His best Formula One result came at the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix, where he finished fourth driving the BRM, narrowly missing a podium at the sport's most prestigious race.

Over his Formula One career, Bondurant competed in nine World Championship Grands Prix, demonstrating competitiveness despite his limited single-seater experience. However, Bondurant's racing career came to a devastating end in 1967. While driving a McLaren at Watkins Glen, the steering arm broke at 150 mph, causing his car to flip eight times in a horrific accident. Bondurant sustained serious injuries to his ribs, legs, feet, and back.

Doctors told him he would likely never walk again, delivering a prognosis that would have ended most people's hopes. Through extraordinary courage, determination, and grueling rehabilitation, Bondurant overcame his injuries and proved the doctors wrong, walking again though his competitive racing career was over. Rather than leaving motorsport, Bondurant transformed his racing knowledge and experience into a new venture. On 14 February 1968, he founded The Bob Bondurant School of High Performance Driving, initially at Orange County International Raceway in California before eventually relocating to Arizona.

The school revolutionized driver training, offering programs for both racing drivers and everyday motorists seeking to improve their skills. Bondurant's teaching emphasized car control, accident avoidance, and high-performance driving techniques developed from his years of racing at the highest levels. The Bondurant School became internationally famous and graduated well over 500,000 students over more than five decades. Celebrity clients included Christian Bale, Paul Newman, Clint Eastwood, Nicolas Cage, and Tom Cruise, along with countless professional racing drivers who honed their skills under Bondurant's instruction.

The school also trained actors for racing scenes in films, with Bondurant himself serving as technical consultant for John Frankenheimer's 1966 film 'Grand Prix,' where he trained lead actor James Garner to drive Formula One cars convincingly for the movie's racing sequences. Bondurant's contributions to motorsport were recognized with induction into the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 2003, honoring both his racing achievements and his five-decade commitment to driver education and safety. Bob Bondurant passed away on 12 November 2021 in Paradise Valley, Arizona, at the age of 88, leaving behind an extraordinary legacy that extends far beyond his racing statistics. While his Formula One career was brief and his competitive racing ended prematurely due to injury, Bondurant's impact on motorsport through his driving school influenced generations of drivers and enthusiasts, making him one of the most influential figures in American motorsport history.