Christine Beckers
Christine Beckers is a Belgian former racing driver who had success in multiple disciplines: circuit, rallying, rally raid, hillclimbing, autoslalom, and NASCAR.
Career
Beckers made her debut in 1966 in rallying at the wheel of an NSU and drove for the German brand for two years. In 1967, she participated in 29 events including the 24 Hours of Spa with Marie-Claude Beaumont, and won her first title as Belgian Drivers' Champion.In 1968, after several successes in an NSU Prinz and a few races in single-seater Formula Vee, Beckers was contracted by Alfa Romeo Benelux as a works driver. In 37 events, both on circuits and rallying, she regularly won her class in an Alfa Romeo GTV. The highlight of her season was winning the overall ranking at the Houyet hillclimb race driving the Alfa Romeo GTA SA of Team Lucien Bianchi.
Beckers competed in the 24 Hours of Spa eleven times, contesting her last official race on a circuit in July 1980. She also entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans four times between 1973 [24 Hours of Le Mans|1973] and 1977, and particularly distinguished herself in 1974, supported by the French Marie Laurent and Belgian Yvette Fontaine, winning the 2-liter class in a Chevron. In 1976, she joined the prestigious Inaltéra team, with Henri Pescarolo and Jean-Pierre Beltoise, in a team with Jean-Pierre Jaussaud and Jean Rondeau. In the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans, together with Lella Lombardi, she obtained the best female ranking in the competition to date, despite a series of spins following an electrical failure at more than on the Mulsanne Straight. In the middle of the night, she repaired the Inaltéra alone, costing her more than two hours of downtime, both on the track and in the pits.
In addition, Beckers participated in three editions of the Paris–Dakar Rally, in 1979, 1980 and 1982, and was the first woman to do so.
In 1977, Beckers and Lombardi were invited by NASCAR to drive in the Firecracker 400 at the Daytona International Speedway. She also took part in two editions of the 24 Hours of Daytona at the same circuit, driving an Inaltera and a BMW M3.
In 2024, the 80-year-old Beckers is planning to set a Guinness World Record by becoming the oldest person to drive a Formula One car. On 21 July, she intends to drive a 1980s-era Arrows A8 around Belgium's Circuit Zolder.
Personal life
Beckers was engaged to French driver Roger Dubos, but he died during the 1973 edition of the 24 Hours of Spa in a crash with the German Hans-Peter Joisten.Trained as a journalist, Backers returned to this profession after her retirement from competition, notably in automobile magazines. She also rides motorcycles, flies, paraglides, and drives ATVs. She made several desert crossings with her second husband, Louis Schmitz. Together, they sponsored Thierry Boutsen in Formula 1, before adopting, with the help of Boutsen and Ayrton Senna, two children from Brazil.
In 2014, Beckers published an autobiography, La course ou la vie: Itinéraire d'une femme rapide.
Record
Titles
- Five times Belgian Women's Drivers' Champion, in 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1972 and 1974;
Notable victories and rankings
- Winner of the 1974 Rallye Paris – Saint-Raphaël Féminin, in a Lancia Stratos HF ;
- Winner of the 1974 24 Hours of Le Mans 2-litre class, in a Chevron B23 with Yvette Fontaine ;
- Winner of the 1979 Paris–Dakar Rally Ladies' Cup in a Toyota Land Cruiser with Dominique Fougerouse ;
- Winner of the 1980 Paris–Dakar Rally Ladies' Cup in a Range Rover Bastos with Thierry Gérin and Marc Stinghlamber ;
- 2nd in the 1974 Giro d'Italia automobilistico, in a Fiat Abarth 030 with Giorgio Pianta;
- 2nd in the 1970 AGACI 300 of Montlhéry, in an Alfa Romeo T33/2, behind Bob Wollek
- 3rd in the 1970 6 Hours of Nürburgring, in an Alfa Romeo 2000 GTAm;
- 4th in the 1969 12 Hours of Huy, in an Alfa Romeo Spider;
- 7th in the 1973 24 Hours of Spa, in an Opel Commodore with Patrick Nève and Huub Vermeulen;
- 7th in the 1971 24 Hours of Le Mans, in a Chevron B21 with Roger Dubos;
- 7th in the 1969 3 Hours of Cape Town, in an Alfa Romeo GTV with Basil van Rooyen;
- 8th in the 1971 Tour de France Automobile, in a Porsche 911 S with Ennio Bonomelli;
- 8th in the 1968 12 Hours of Ypres, in an Alfa Romeo Giulia GT Veloce with Étienne Stapaert;
- 9th in the 1970 European Touring Car Championship in an Alfa Romeo GTV and GTAm 2 litres for Alfa Romeo Benelux and Autodelta ;
- 9th in the 1973 1000 km of Spa-Francorchamps, in a Chevron B21 with Roger Dubos;
- 10th in the 1970 Tulip Rally, in an Alfa Romeo 1750 SV with Gaby Arend;
- 11th in the 1977 24 Hours of Le Mans, in an Inaltera LM77 with Lella Lombardi.