Roger Auguste Loyer (5 August 1907 – 24 March 1988) was a French motorcycle road racer and racing driver who successfully competed in both two- and four-wheeled motorsport. Before turning to car racing, he enjoyed notable success in Grand Prix motorcycle competition, winning the French 250cc Grand Prix in 1937 and the French 350cc Grand Prix in 1938. He later made a single appearance in the Formula One World Championship with Gordini.
Driver Bio
| Nationality | French |
| Birthplace | Paris, France |
| Born | 5 August 1907 |
| Died | 24 March 1988 |
| First Grand Prix | 1954 Argentine Grand Prix |
| Last Grand Prix | 1954 Argentine Grand Prix |
| Years Active | 1954 |
| Current/Last Team | Gordini |
Motorcycle racing career
Loyer first established his reputation on motorcycles during the 1930s, becoming one of France’s leading riders of the period.
His breakthrough came in 1937 when he won the prestigious 250cc French Motorcycle Grand Prix. He followed that success a year later by adding victory in the 350cc French Motorcycle Grand Prix, confirming his status as one of the country’s foremost Grand Prix competitors before the outbreak of the Second World War.
Formula One career
After moving into motor racing, Loyer was given the opportunity to compete in Formula One with the Gordini team.
His only World Championship appearance came at the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix, held on 17 January. Driving a Gordini Type 16, Loyer’s race ended prematurely when the car suffered an oil-related mechanical failure. As a result, he failed to finish and did not score any World Championship points.
Soon afterwards, Loyer also contested the non-championship Buenos Aires Grand Prix. Once again his Gordini developed mechanical problems, but he was able to continue by taking over teammate Élie Bayol’s car, eventually finishing tenth.
Legacy
Although Roger Loyer’s Formula One career lasted only a single World Championship start, he had already enjoyed a distinguished career in motorcycle racing, highlighted by two French Grand Prix victories in different classes.
Loyer died on 24 March 1988 at the age of 80.
Grand Prix Stats
| Race Entries | 1 |
| Race Starts | 1 |
| Did Not Start | 0 |
| Best Race Start | 16th |
| Best Race Finish | – |
| Retirements | 1 |
| First-Lap Retirements | 0 |
| Not Classified | 0 |
| Disqualified | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Qualifying
| Qualifying Sessions | 1 |
| Reached Q3 | 0 |
| Q2 Eliminations | 0 |
| Q1 Eliminations | 0 |
| Did Not Qualify | 0 |
Stats by Season
| Year | Constructor | Entries | Starts | Wins | Podiums | Poles | Fastest Laps | Front Rows | DNF | Best Start | Best Result | Pts Finishes | Points | Championship |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1954 | Gordini | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | n/a | 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gordini | 1954 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 16 | n/a | 0 | 0 |
Teammates & Qualifying Head-to-Head
| Teammate | Years | Races | Qualifying H2H |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elie Bayol | 1954 | 1 | – |
| Jean Behra | 1954 | 1 | – |
