Onofre Agustín Marimón (19 December 1923 – 31 July 1954) was an Argentine racing driver who made 11 starts in the Formula One World Championship between 1951 and 1954. A talented member of Maserati’s works team and one of Argentina’s brightest young prospects, Marimón scored two World Championship podium finishes and won the prestigious non-championship Rome Grand Prix in 1954. His promising career was tragically cut short when he became the first driver to lose his life during a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix weekend.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Birthplace | Zarate, Argentina |
| Born | 19 December 1923 |
| Died | 31 July 1954 |
| First Grand Prix | 1951 French Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1954 British Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1951, 1953–1954 |
| Current/Last Team | Maserati |
Early life
Born in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province, Marimón came from a motorsport family. His father, Domingo Marimón, was a successful racing driver who won the 1948 South American Grand Prix for Turismo Carretera. Domingo was also a close friend and teammate of Juan Manuel Fangio, who became a mentor to the younger Marimón after he moved to Europe to pursue an international racing career.
Under Fangio’s guidance, Marimón quickly developed into one of Argentina’s most promising drivers, earning a place alongside some of the sport’s leading competitors during Formula One’s early years.
Career
Marimón made his Formula One World Championship debut in 1951 and went on to enter 12 Grands Prix, starting 11, driving mostly for Maserati. Despite his relatively brief career, he established himself as a fast and determined competitor capable of challenging the sport’s established stars.
His breakthrough season came in 1953 when he secured his first Formula One podium by finishing third at the 1953 Belgian Grand Prix. He followed that performance with another podium at the 1954 British Grand Prix, once again demonstrating his pace against the strongest field in world motorsport.
Across his World Championship career, Marimón scored a total of 8⅐ championship points, an impressive return in an era when only the leading finishers were rewarded.
Away from the World Championship, he also enjoyed success in Formula One’s thriving non-championship scene. One of the highlights came in 1954 when he claimed victory in the Rome Grand Prix at the wheel of the new Maserati 250F.
Death
Marimón’s career ended in tragedy during practice for the 1954 German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring on 31 July 1954.
While attempting to improve his qualifying time, he lost control of his Maserati 250F at the daunting Breidscheid section of the circuit near the Adenauer Bridge. The car left the track on a steep downhill section, struck a ditch, clipped a tree and rolled several times before coming to rest upside down with Marimón trapped beneath the wreckage.
Rescue workers eventually freed him from the car, receiving the last rites from a Catholic priest at the scene. He died shortly afterwards. Brake failure was later considered a possible cause of the accident, although this was never conclusively established.
Marimón’s death marked a sombre milestone in Formula One history, as he became the first driver to suffer fatal injuries during a Formula One World Championship Grand Prix weekend outside of the Indianapolis 500. His loss was deeply felt throughout the paddock, particularly within the Maserati team and by his mentor, Juan Manuel Fangio, who had believed Marimón had the talent to become one of Argentina’s next great champions.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 12 |
| Race Starts | 11 |
| Did Not Start | 1 |
| Best Race Start | 4th |
| Best Race Finish | 3rd |
| Retirements | 8 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Podiums
| Podiums | 2 |
| First Podium | 1953 Belgian Grand Prix |
| Last Podium | 1954 British Grand Prix |
| 1st Place | 0 |
| 2nd Place | 0 |
| 3rd Place | 2 |
| Most Consecutive Podiums | 0 |
| Most Podiums in a Single Season | 1 (1953, 1954) |
| Seasons with Podiums | 2 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 11 |
| Reached Q3 | – |
| Q2 Eliminations | – |
| Q1 Eliminations | – |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Fastest Laps
| Fastest Laps | 1 |
| First Fastest Lap | 1954 British Grand Prix |
| Last Fastest Lap | 1954 British Grand Prix |
| Win + Fastest Lap | 0 |
| Most Consecutive Fastest Laps | 0 |
| Most Fastest Laps in a Season | 1 |
| Seasons with Fastest Laps | 1 |
Points
| Points Scored | 8.14 |
| Points Finishes | 2 |
| Most Points in a Single Season | 4.14 (1954) |
| Seasons with Points | 2 |
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 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | – | 0 | 0 | NC |
| 1953 | Maserati | 6 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4 | 11th |
| 1954 | Maserati | 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 4.14 | 13th |
Stats by Constructor
| Constructor | Years | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scuderia Milano | 1951 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 15 | – | 0 | 0 |
| Maserati | 1953–1954 | 11 | 10 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 8.14 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Froilan Gonzalez | 1953 | 3 | Not specified |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 1953, 1954 | 8 | Not specified |
| Johnny Claes | 1953 | 1 | Not specified |
| Felice Bonetto | 1953 | 5 | Not specified |
| Hermann Lang | 1953 | 1 | Not specified |
| Luigi Musso | 1953, 1954 | 2 | Not specified |
| Sergio Mantovani | 1953, 1954 | 4 | Not specified |
| Birabongse Bhanudej | 1954 | 0 | Not specified |
| Luigi Villoresi | 1954 | 0 | Not specified |
| Alberto Ascari | 1954 | 0 | Not specified |
