With six given names and 14 Formula One starts, Patrick Marie Ghislain Pierre Simon Stanislas Nève de Mévergnies (13 October 1949 – 12 March 2017) was not easily overlooked. The Belgian made his Grand Prix debut on 16 May 1976 and became the first driver to drive for the team now known as Williams. He never troubled the championship scorers, finishing his F1 career without a point, but still secured his place in Williams history. His younger brother, Guy, also caught the racing bug and pursued a career behind the wheel.
Nève earned his chance at the top through promising campaigns in Formula Ford and Formula 3. His Formula One adventure began with RAM Racing, where he raced a Brabham BT44B, before a solitary appearance for Ensign added another team to his résumé.
In 1977, he joined the newly created Williams Grand Prix Engineering operation and tackled the season in a March 761. The partnership produced few rewards, though it marked the beginning of a team destined for much bigger things.
Nève returned in 1978 with ambitions of entering his own March for the Belgian Grand Prix, but officials refused to permit the car’s entry, ending his home-race bid before it could get moving.
