Francisco “Paco” Godia Sales (21 March 1921 – 28 November 1990) was a Spanish racing driver and a pioneer of his country’s Grand Prix story. In 1951, he became the first Spaniard to compete in a Formula One Grand Prix.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | Spanish |
| Birthplace | Barcelona, Spain |
| Born | 21 March 1921 |
| Died | 28 November 1990 |
| First Grand Prix | 1951 Spanish Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1958 French Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1951, 1954, 1956–1958 |
| Current/Last Team | Privateer: Francesco Godia Sales Maserati |
Godia’s appearances at the highest level were spread across eight seasons rather than forming one continuous campaign. Between 1951 and 1958, he entered 14 World Championship Grands Prix while also competing extensively in non-Championship Formula One races.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 14 |
| Race Starts | 13 |
| Did Not Start | 1 |
| Best Race Start | 9th |
| Best Race Finish | 4th |
| Retirements | 5 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 1 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 14 |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Points
| Points Scored | 6 |
| Points Finishes | 2 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 6 (1956) |
| Seasons with Points | 1 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1951 | Scuderia Milano: Maserati | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 10 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1954 | Maserati | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1956 | Maserati | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 9th |
| 1957 | Privateer: Francesco Godia Sales Maserati | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 12 | 9 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1958 | Privateer: Francesco Godia Sales Maserati | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 0 | 0 | NC |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Juan Jover | 1951 | 1 | – |
| Roberto Mieres | 1954 | 1 | – |
| Luigi Musso | 1954 | 1 | – |
| Sergio Mantovani | 1954 | 1 | – |
| Stirling Moss | 1954, 1956 | 6 | – |
| Cesare Perdisa | 1956 | 4 | – |
| Jean Behra | 1956, 1957 | 8 | – |
| Piero Taruffi | 1956 | 1 | – |
| Umberto Maglioli | 1956 | 2 | – |
| Jo Bonnier | 1956 | 1 | – |
| Luigi Villoresi | 1956 | 1 | – |
| Harry Schell | 1957 | 1 | – |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 1957 | 1 | – |
| Giorgio Scarlatti | 1957 | 3 | – |
