Long before Formula One became a global spectacle, it already had a touch of royalty—quite literally. Enter Prince Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh, better known to the racing world as Prince Bira of Siam. Born on 15 July 1914, Bira was no ordinary driver; he was a Thai royal, a trailblazing racer, a four-time Olympic sailor, and even a pilot. And yes—he also flew his own plane solo from London to Bangkok. As you do.
| Nationality | Thai |
|---|---|
| Born | Mom Chao Birabongse Bhanudej Bhanubandh 15 July 1914 Grand Palace, Bangkok, Siam |
| Died | 23 December 1985 (aged 71) London, England |
Educated at Eton College, Bira was more familiar with Latin declensions than with apexes when he first arrived in Britain. But by the mid-1930s, he had swapped scholarly robes for racing overalls. He made his Grand Prix debut in 1935, quickly earning admiration for his smooth driving style and eye for car preparation—skills honed in pre-war races across Europe.
When Formula One was formally established in 1950, Bira was ready. Racing a supercharged Maserati 4CLT/48, he became a key figure in the first-ever F1 World Championship season. He started the very first race at Silverstone, though he retired with a fuel issue. But he bounced back to finish fifth at Monaco and fourth in Switzerland (Bremgarten)—earning five points and finishing eighth overall in the championship standings. Not bad for F1’s debut season—and still Bira’s best.
Across five F1 seasons (1950–1954), Bira made 19 World Championship starts, scoring points just one more time: a fourth-place finish at Reims in the 1954 French Grand Prix, this time behind the wheel of his own Maserati 250F. He also won several non-championship races, including the Grand Prix des Frontières at Chimay in ’54 and the prestigious New Zealand Grand Prix at Ardmore in 1955.
After that final win, he quietly retired from racing—though true to his eclectic nature, he made a one-off comeback at the 1978 Macau Grand Prix, finishing 13th in the “Race of Giants.” Because why not?
F1’s Southeast Asian Pioneer
Prince Bira wasn’t just F1’s first Thai driver—he was the only Southeast Asian to race in Formula One until Alex Yoong arrived in 2001. And Thailand would wait nearly 70 years for another driver: Alexander Albon, who made his F1 debut in 2019. In that context, Bira’s pioneering role becomes even more impressive.
A Quiet Farewell
On 23 December 1985, Bira passed away suddenly at Barons Court tube station in London. With no identification on him, it took some detective work and a note written in Thai to confirm who he was. Once identified, he was honoured with a Thai Buddhist funeral at Wat Buddhapadipa in Wimbledon.
To commemorate his contribution to motorsport, the Bira Circuit was later built in Thailand—the first track in the country to meet FIA standards.
Prince Bira Formula One World Championship career
| F1 Career | 1950–1954 |
|---|---|
| Teams | Platé, privateer Maserati, Gordini, Connaught, Milano, Maserati |
| Entries | 19 |
| Championships | 0 |
| Wins | 0 |
| Podiums | 0 |
| Career points | 8 |
| Pole positions | 0 |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
| Last entry | 1954 Spanish Grand Prix |
Prince Bira Teammates
| 14 drivers | Involvement | First Year | Last Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| Emmanuel de Graffenried | 4 | 1950 | |
| Franco Bordoni | 1 | 1950 | |
| Luigi Plate | 1 | 1950 | |
| Jean Behra | 3 | 1952 | |
| Robert Manzon | 4 | 1952 | |
| Johnny Claes | 1 | 1952 | |
| Maurice Trintignant | 2 | 1952 | |
| Roy Salvadori | 3 | 1953 | |
| Ken McAlpine | 2 | 1953 | |
| Chico Landi | 1 | 1953 | |
| Luigi Musso | 1 | 1954 | |
| Onofre Marimon | 1 | 1954 | |
| Juan Manuel Fangio | 1 | 1954 | |
| Ron Flockhart | 1 | 1954 |
Prince Bira Complete Formula One Results
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | WDC | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Enrico Platé | Maserati 4CLT/48 | Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s | GBR Ret | MON 5 | 500 | SUI 4 | BEL | FRA | ITA Ret | 8th | 5 | ||
| 1951 | Ecurie Siam | Maserati 4CLT/48 | Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s | SUI | 500 | BEL | FRA DNA | GBR | GER DNA | ITA | NC | 0 | ||
| Maserati 4CLT/48 | OSCA 4500 4.5 V12 | ESP Ret | ||||||||||||
| 1952 | Equipe Gordini | Gordini T15 | Gordini 1500 1.5 L4 | SUI Ret | 500 | BEL 10 | NC | 0 | ||||||
| Gordini T16 | Gordini 20 2.0 L6 | FRA Ret | GBR 11 | GER | NED | ITA | ||||||||
| 1953 | Connaught Engineering | Connaught Type A | Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 | ARG | 500 | NED | BEL | FRA Ret | GBR 7 | GER Ret | SUI | NC | 0 | |
| Scuderia Milano | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | ITA 11 | |||||||||||
| 1954 | Officine Alfieri Maserati | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | ARG 7 | 500 | 17th | 3 | |||||||
| Prince Bira | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | BEL 6 | FRA 4 | GBR Ret | GER Ret | SUI | ITA | ESP 9 | |||||
| 1955 | Prince Bira | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | ARG | MON | 500 | BEL DNA | NED | GBR | ITA | NC | 0 |
