Oldest Living F1 Driver Hermano da Silva Ramos Dies at 100

Hermano da Silva Ramos, the oldest living former Formula 1 driver, has passed away at the age of 100 in France. Born in Paris on December 7, 1925, Ramos competed in seven Grands Prix for the French Gordini team across the 1955 and 1956 seasons, scoring two championship points with a fifth-place finish at the 1956 Monaco Grand Prix.

Why it matters:

Ramos was one of only three Formula 1 drivers ever to reach 100 years of age, alongside Kenneth McAlpine and Paul Pietsch. His death severs another of the sport's few remaining ties to the 1950s, a decade when F1 was still finding its footing as a world championship. The loss marks the end of an era for the oldest living driver lineage.

The details:

• Ramos made his debut at the 1955 Dutch Grand Prix and his final appearance at the 1956 Italian Grand Prix, where he retired with an engine failure after just three laps.
• His best career result came at Monaco in 1956, where he drove the Gordini Type 16 to fifth place, earning the only two points of his F1 career.
• Beyond the Formula 1 world championship, Ramos was a versatile racer who competed in the Le Mans 24 Hours and the grueling Mille Miglia road race.
• He became the oldest living F1 driver on April 8, 2023, following the death of Kenneth McAlpine at 102. McAlpine held the distinction of being the oldest-lived driver ever to compete in the championship.
• With Ramos's passing, John Rhodes of Great Britain now becomes the oldest living F1 driver. Rhodes, born August 18, 1927, in Wolverhampton, is 98 years old and competed in a single Grand Prix—the 1965 British GP.
• Sir Jackie Stewart, at 86 years old, remains the oldest living Grand Prix winner and world champion, the last surviving champion from the 1960s.

What's next:

The baton of the "oldest living" title now passes to a generation of drivers who raced in the 1960s. As time marches on, the list of centenarian drivers will likely remain exclusive. For now, the F1 community remembers Ramos as a pioneer who raced in the sport's formative years and carried its history into the 21st century.