Karel Pieter Antoni Jan Hubertus “Carel” Godin de Beaufort (10 April 1934 – 2 August 1964) was a Dutch racing driver, nobleman and gentleman racer who competed in Formula One between 1958 and 1964. Best known for running his own Ecurie Maarsbergen team and campaigning distinctive orange Porsches, he became the first Dutch driver to score Formula One World Championship points. His colourful personality, fierce loyalty to Porsche and determination to compete against factory teams made him one of the sport’s most popular figures during the early 1960s.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | Dutch |
| Birthplace | Maarsbergen, Netherlands |
| Born | 10 April 1934 |
| Died | 2 August 1964 |
| First Grand Prix | 1958 Dutch Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1964 Dutch Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1958–1964 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche |
Early life
Born in Maarsbergen, Netherlands, into a noble family, Godin de Beaufort developed a passion for motorsport from an early age. He made his international racing debut at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1956 alongside Wolfgang Seidel before beginning a career that would see him become one of the best-known privateer drivers of his generation.
Career
Godin de Beaufort first appeared in Formula One at the 1957 German Grand Prix, driving a privately entered Porsche RS550 under the Ecurie Maarsbergen banner. The same year, he celebrated his first major endurance success by winning his class at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
His first appearance in Formula One machinery came at the 1958 Dutch Grand Prix, and he also returned to the Nürburgring later that season. Away from Grand Prix racing, he enjoyed another excellent run at Le Mans, finishing fifth overall.
Over the following two seasons, Godin de Beaufort made occasional Formula One appearances while continuing to establish Ecurie Maarsbergen as one of the leading independent teams. By 1961 he was contesting most of the World Championship calendar in his trademark orange Porsche 718.
His perseverance paid off in 1962 when sixth-place finishes at both the Dutch and French Grands Prix earned his first Formula One World Championship points. In doing so, he became the first Dutch driver ever to score points in the Formula One World Championship.
He repeated the achievement in 1963 with further sixth-place finishes at the Belgian and United States Grands Prix. Away from the championship, he also enjoyed an excellent season in non-championship Formula One racing, finishing on the podium at the Syracuse, Rome and Austrian Grands Prix.
Alongside Formula One, Godin de Beaufort remained a regular competitor at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, returning four more times between 1959 and 1963, although he was unable to add to his earlier success after retiring from each of those races.
A true Formula One character
One of the last successful amateur drivers in Formula One, Godin de Beaufort personally ran his own team and remained fiercely loyal to Porsche throughout almost his entire Grand Prix career. His distinctive orange Porsche 718, purchased from Rob Walker Racing, became one of the most recognisable cars on the grid.
Although the ageing Porsche was increasingly uncompetitive, he continued to race it because it was one of the few cars spacious enough to accommodate his large frame. The combination earned the machine the affectionate nickname “Fatty Porsche”.
Godin de Beaufort was also renowned for his eccentric personality. He frequently raced barefoot and approached the sport with a self-deprecating sense of humour. At the 1964 German Grand Prix weekend, he was even spotted completing practice laps wearing a Beatles-style wig instead of his crash helmet while travelling slowly around the circuit, further cementing his reputation as one of Formula One’s great characters.
Initially regarded by some rivals as an unpredictable amateur, he steadily developed into a respected and capable competitor whose enthusiasm and sportsmanship made him hugely popular throughout the paddock.
Death
During practice for the 1964 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Godin de Beaufort lost control of his Porsche 718 at the fearsome Bergwerk corner. Although the car itself sustained relatively little damage, the absence of seat belts meant he was thrown from the cockpit, suffering catastrophic head, chest and leg injuries.
He was first taken to hospital in Koblenz before being transferred to a specialist neurological centre in Cologne. Despite the efforts of doctors, Godin de Beaufort died from his injuries on 2 August 1964.
His death was the loss of one of Formula One’s most distinctive personalities. As the first Dutch driver to score World Championship points and one of the last great privateer entrants, Carel Godin de Beaufort remains an important figure in Dutch motorsport history and a symbol of Formula One’s gentleman-driver era.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 29 |
| Race Starts | 27 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 8th |
| Best Race Finish | 6th |
| Retirements | 5 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 3 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 29 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 3 |
Points
| Points Scored | 4 |
| Points Finishes | 4 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 2 |
| Seasons with Points | 2 |
Complete Formula One World Championship results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | WDC | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche RS550 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | ARG | MON | 500 | FRA | GBR | GER 141 | PES | ITA | NC | 0 | |||
| 1958 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche RSK | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | ARG | MON | NED 11 | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | NC | 0 | ||||
| Porsche RS550 | GER Ret1 | POR | ITA | MOR | ||||||||||||
| 1959 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche RSK | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | MON | 500 | NED 10 | NC | 0 | ||||||||
| Scuderia Ugolini | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | FRA 9 | GBR | GER | POR | ITA | USA | ||||||||
| 1960 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Cooper T51 | Climax FPF 1.5 L4 | ARG | MON | 500 | NED 8 | BEL | FRA | GBR | POR | ITA | USA | NC | 0 | |
| 1961 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | MON | NED 14 | BEL 11 | FRA Ret | GBR 16 | GER 14 | ITA 7 | USA | NC | 0 | |||
| 1962 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | NED 6 | MON DNQ | BEL 7 | FRA 6 | GBR 14 | GER 13 | ITA 10 | USA Ret | RSA 11 | 16th | 2 | ||
| 1963 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | MON | BEL 6 | NED 9 | FRA | GBR 10 | GER Ret | ITA DNQ | USA 6 | MEX 10 | RSA 10 | 14th | 2 | |
| 1964 | Ecurie Maarsbergen | Porsche 718 | Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 | MON | NED Ret | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER DNS | AUT | ITA | USA | MEX | NC | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Giorgio Scarlatti | 1959 | 1 | – |
| Hans Herrmann | 1961 | 1 | – |
| Ben Pon | 1962 | 1 | – |
| Wolfgang Seidel | 1962 | 1 | – |
| Gerhard Mitter | 1963 | 2 | – |
