Xavier Perrot


Xavier Roger Perrot was a Swiss racing driver and garage owner, who won the European Hill Climb Championship in 1972. He had previously competed in Formula Two and drove his Brabham in the Formula Two class of the 1969 German Grand Prix.

Career

After participating in national-level motorsport as a driver and rallying co-driver, Perrot began racing in hillclimbing in the early 1960s, campaigning cars such as a Lotus 23 and an Abarth-Simca. In 1968 he switched to Formula Two, driving a Brabham BT23C, and after a difficult first season, improved in 1969. He finished fourth in a non-championship race at Hockenheim and sixth in the Formula Two class of the German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, and was classified tenth overall.
In 1970 Perrot campaigned a March 702, the first customer car sold by the company. With this car, he won the Preis von Deutschland Formula Two event at the Nürburgring. He continued in Formula Two in 1971 with a March 712M, finishing third at Imola, while also making a successful return to hillclimbing. He won the European Hill Climb Championship in 1972 using a March 722 F2 car, winning six events. He also raced this car occasionally in Formula Two, scoring points in three races, including fourth and fifth places in events at Hockenheim, and was classified 13th in the championship.
Although Perrot raced in the Formula Two class of a World Championship Formula One event, he never raced in a full Formula One World Championship race. He did however drive Jo Siffert's ex-works March 701 in the non-Championship 1971 Jochen Rindt Memorial Trophy race at Hockenheim, where he finished 11th.
Perrot retired in 1973 to concentrate on his garage business in his hometown of Zurich, where he died after a long illness in 2008, aged 76.

Racing record

Complete Formula One World Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011WDCPoints
1969Squadra TartarugaBrabham BT23C Cosworth Straight-4RSA
ESP
MON
NED
FRA
GBR
GER
10
ITA
CAN
USA
MEX
-0

Complete Formula One Non-Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine12345678
1971Jo Siffert AutomobilesMarch 701Cosworth DFV V8ARGROCQUESPRINTRIN
11
OULVIC

Complete European Formula Two Championship results

YearEntrantChassisEngine1234567891011121314Points
1968Squadra TartarugaBrabham BT23Cosworth FVAHOC
10
THR
NC
JARPAL
TULZAN
12
PERHOC
Ret
VALNC0
1969Squadra TartarugaBrabham BT23Cosworth FVATHR
13
HOCNÜR
Ret
JAR13th3
1969Squadra TartarugaBrabham BT23CCosworth FVATUL
PERVAL
Ret
13th3
1970Squadra TartarugaMarch 702Cosworth FVATHR
11
HOC
9
BAR
Ret
ROUPERTUL
9
IMOHOC
Ret
NC0
1971Squadra TartarugaMarch 712MCosworth FVAHOC
8
THR
NC
NÜR
19
JARPALROUMANTULALBVALVALNC0
1972Squadra TartarugaMarch 722Cosworth BDEMAL
6
THRHOC
4
PAUPALHOC
ROUÖSTIMOMANPERSALALBHOC
Ret
13th8