Ignoring the spate of inclusions of the Indy 500 on the F1 calendar in the early days of the championship, there have been just 25 winners of a solitary Grand Prix. Here are some of the more surprising one-hit wonders from that list, winners who could never match the enormity of their own success again. An average but experienced motorcycle racer through the 1960S, Beltoise moved into car racing in the mid-1960s.
Fortunate to survive a massive crash in an endurance race at Reims in which he suffered an arm injury which would restrict movement for the rest of his life, he returned to Formula 3 race at the same venue the following year and moved up to Formula 2 for 1967. Driving for Matra, Beltoise proved adept – finishing third overall in his first year before winning the championship the following season. Having also had his chance to step up to F1 with an increasing number of appearances for Matra in the late 1960s and became a full works driver for the team in 1970.
While decent, scoring two podiums in 1970, his form paled in comparison to his teammate – the notoriously unlucky Chris Amon – in 1971. While racing for Matra’s sportscar team, he was also involved in the accident in which Ignazio Giunti died during the 1000 km Buenos Aires, and his international racing license was suspended, although he was allowed to compete while on appeal. Moving to Marlboro-BRM for 1972, he headed to Monaco off the back of two retirements in South Africa and Spain.
The Monte Carlo c.