Philippe Pierre Streiff was one of French motorsport’s most determined and resilient figures — a Formula One driver whose career spanned the high-risk, high-drama era of the 1980s, before he reinvented himself as a respected force behind the scenes of international motorsport.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | French |
| Birthplace | La Tronche, France |
| Born | 26 June 1955 |
| Died | 23 December 2022 |
| First Grand Prix | 1984 Portuguese Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1988 Australian Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1984–1988 |
| Current/Last Team | AGS |
Born in La Tronche, Isère, France, on 26 June 1955, Streiff carved out a racing career through sheer persistence and raw speed, eventually earning his place on the Formula One grid. He made his Grand Prix debut on 21 October 1984 and went on to compete in 55 Formula One Grands Prix between 1984 and 1989. During that time, he scored 11 World Championship points and secured a memorable podium finish, establishing himself as a fearless and uncompromising competitor in one of the sport’s toughest eras.
Streiff’s Formula One career came to a devastating halt during pre-season testing for AGS at the Jacarepaguá Circuit in Rio de Janeiro in 1989. A violent crash left him quadriplegic and permanently reliant on a wheelchair. The severity of the accident was underlined by the fact that the car’s roll-bar failed on impact, while questions were later raised about the quality of the medical care he received in the aftermath.
Where many would have stepped away from the sport entirely, Streiff instead reinvented himself and remained deeply involved in motorsport. From 1993 to 2001, he organised the Masters of Paris-Bercy alongside the FFSA — a hugely popular karting spectacle that brought together some of the biggest names in racing for unforgettable indoor battles in front of packed crowds.
Never short of ambition, Streiff also explored the business side of Formula One. In early 1994, he partnered with Hughes de Chaunac in an attempt to purchase the Ligier Formula One team. The project had the backing of Williams F1, which envisioned Ligier becoming a junior operation aligned with its Renault-powered programme. Although the acquisition ultimately did not succeed, the move demonstrated Streiff’s continuing influence and vision within the paddock.
Beyond racing and team politics, Streiff became a symbol of resilience within the motorsport world. His impact reached far beyond Formula One itself — so much so that Belgian driver Luc Costermans dedicated his 2008 World Blind Road Speed Record to him in recognition of his inspiration and determination.
Philippe Streiff died on 23 December 2022 in Puteaux, Hauts-de-Seine, just outside Paris, at the age of 67. He is remembered not only for his bravery behind the wheel, but for the extraordinary strength and passion he showed long after his racing career ended.
Complete Formula One results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1984 | Equipe Renault Elf | Renault RE50 | Renault V6 | BRA | RSA | BEL | SMR | FRA | MON | CAN | DET | DAL | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA | EUR | POR Ret | NC | 0 |
| 1985 | Équipe Ligier Gitanes | Ligier JS25 | Renault V6 | BRA | POR | SMR | MON | CAN | DET | FRA | GBR | GER | AUT | NED | ITA 10 | BEL 9 | EUR 8 | AUS 3 | 15th | 4 | |
| Tyrrell Racing Organisation | Tyrrell 014 | RSA Ret | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1986 | Data General Team Tyrrell | Tyrrell 014 | Renault V6 | BRA 7 | ESP Ret | SMR Ret | CAN 11 | 14th | 3 | ||||||||||||
| Tyrrell 015 | MON 11 | BEL 12 | DET 9 | FRA Ret | GBR 6 | GER Ret | HUN 8 | AUT Ret | ITA 9 | POR Ret | MEX Ret | AUS 5 | |||||||||
| 1987 | Data General Team Tyrrell | Tyrrell DG016 | Cosworth V8 | BRA 11 | SMR 8 | BEL 9 | MON Ret | DET 14 | FRA 6 | GBR Ret | GER 4 | HUN 9 | AUT Ret | ITA 12 | POR 12 | ESP 7 | MEX 8 | JPN 12 | AUS Ret | 15th | 4 |
| 1988 | Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives | AGS JH23 | Cosworth V8 | BRA Ret | SMR 10 | MON Ret | MEX 12 | CAN Ret | DET Ret | FRA Ret | GBR Ret | GER Ret | HUN Ret | BEL 10 | ITA Ret | POR 9 | ESP Ret | JPN 8 | AUS 11 | NC | 0 |
| 1989 | Automobiles Gonfaronnaises Sportives | AGS JH23B | Cosworth V8 | BRA DNA | SMR | MON | MEX | USA | CAN | FRA | GBR | GER | HUN | BEL | ITA | POR | ESP | JPN | AUS | NC | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Derek Warwick | 1984 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Patrick Tambay | 1984 | 1 | 0-1 |
| Jacques Laffite | 1985 | 4 | 3-1 |
| Martin Brundle | 1985, 1986 | 17 | 2-15 |
| Jonathan Palmer | 1987 | 16 | 8-8 |
