Before Alex Albon, Prince Bira represented Thailand in the F1 world
In the present day, F1 fans are cognizant of Alex Albon hailing from the country of Thailand. However, much may not be informed that Alex Albon is the second driver from the Asian country to take part in Formula One. The first one was Prince BirabongseBhanudejBhanubandh, who was also acknowledged as Prince Bira of Siam. The late prince took part in the first edition of Formula One and spent four years on the Formula One grid.
Born in 1914, the Thai prince moved to England at 13 to pursue his academic career. The Thai prince graduated from Eton and later went to Cambridge but dropped out because the prince was more enthusiastic about sculptor-making. For a brief period, the prince learnt a thing or two from the famous artist Charles Wheeler. However, life had alternative ideas for the Thai Prince.
In England, Prince Bira also attracted to cars and driving. However, he was not into racing until one fine day, his cousin Prince Chula Chakrabongse invited him to drive a Riply at the infamous Brooklands Speedway. On that day, Prince Bira’s passion was fuelled, and the man ventured into the world of motor racing.
In 1935, the late Prince at 21 made his official debut in the world of motorsports. To everybody’s surprise, Prince Bira secured the second position at the Grand Prix de Dieppe and Berne. The succeeding year, Prince Bira wooed the region by winning the Coupe Prince Rainier. That’s not all, as the man also picked up the JCC International Trophy, Albie Grand Prix and Grand Prix de Picardie.
His heroics and records in several racing events earned him a place in the inaugural edition of Formula One. In the qualifying round, Prince Bira was simply magnificent and in his four years of F1 career, Prince Bira produced several impressive runs. In 1954, the Thai Prince finally hung his racing boots and ventured into Olympic Games. A four-time Olympic participant, Prince Bira took part in sailing competitions in Melbourne 1956, Rome 1960, Tokyo 1964 and Munich 1972.
Moving on to other aspects of Prince Bira’s life, his multi-sport exploits were not the sole thing that made him unique. A charismatic glider, Prince Bira trained glider pilots of Britain’s Royal Air Force during World War II.
The multi-talented Prince passed away at 71 in London in 1985. However, his legacy will live on eternally. After all, Prince Bira was not only Thailand’s first F1 racer but was also the first Asian to hit the F1 grids.
