François Marie Edouard Migault (4 December 1944 – 29 January 2012) was a French racing driver whose career was closely entwined with his hometown of Le Mans. He entered 16 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 13 August 1972, but endurance racing provided his longest and most successful chapter.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | French |
| Birthplace | Le Mans, France |
| Born | 4 December 1944 |
| Died | 29 January 2012 |
| First Grand Prix | 1972 British Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1975 French Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1972, 1974–1975 |
| Current/Last Team | Frank Williams Racing Cars |
Career
Few drivers could claim a deeper personal connection with the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Born in the city that gave the race its name, Migault contested the event 25 times between 1972 and 2002—a remarkable span of three decades.
His first Formula One opportunity also arrived in 1972 with Connew, a tiny British team operating on scarce resources and large ambitions. The project managed to start only one Grand Prix, giving Migault a difficult introduction to the sport.
A more substantial campaign followed in 1974. Migault drove for BRM after its previous pairing of Niki Lauda and Clay Regazzoni departed together for Ferrari. He completed almost the entire season with the once-dominant British team.
His final Formula One appearances came in 1975 through short spells with Embassy Hill and Frank Williams Racing Cars. Neither operation offered an easy route to success, and Migault ended his World Championship career without scoring a point. He also raced an Osella FA2 in Formula Two that year and collected a single championship point.
Le Mans remained the constant. Migault continued contesting the great endurance race into his mid-fifties and reached the podium three times. His finest result came in 1976, when he finished second overall.
Migault died on 29 January 2012 following a long battle with cancer. He was 67.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 16 |
| Race Starts | 13 |
| Did Not Start | 2 |
| Best Race Start | 14th |
| Best Race Finish | 14th |
| Retirements | 7 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 2 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 16 |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | 1 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1972 | Connew | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1974 | BRM | 11 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1975 | Hill /Frank Williams Racing Cars | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22 | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Connew | 1972 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 25 | – | 0 | 0 |
| BRM | 1974 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| Hill | 1975 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 22 | – | 0 | 0 |
| Frank Williams Racing Cars | 1975 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henri Pescarolo | 1974 | 11 | – |
| Jean-Pierre Beltoise | 1974 | 11 | – |
| Rolf Stommelen | 1975 | 1 | – |
| Tony Brise | 1975 | 1 | – |
| Jacques Laffite | 1975 | 1 | – |
