Belso, Tom
Shellsport, Luxembourgh Formula 5000 Driver. - Shell 3/73.
Name/Title
Belso, TomEntry/Object ID
2025.1.51Description
Tom Belso was born on August 27, 1942, in Gladsaxe, Denmark, and became the first Danish driver ever to compete in a Formula One World Championship race. He began his career in touring cars, winning his debut race and later taking the 1969 Scandinavian Touring Car Championship. Belso moved into Formula Two in 1972, earning a strong fourth place at the Albi Grand Prix, and then advanced to Formula 5000 in 1973. His F5000 career included a win at Snetterton and an eighth‑place finish in the 1974 Rothmans F5000 European Championship. He entered five Formula One Grands Prix with Frank Williams Racing Cars between 1973 and 1974, starting two of them and finishing a best of eighth in the 1974 Swedish Grand Prix. Belso’s career has been marked by mixed promise with setbacks. Sponsorship issues prevented him from starting his first attempted Grand Prix in 1973, and mechanical failures limited his results in 1974. He continued racing in Formula 5000 and the Shellsport 5000/Libre series through the late 1970s before retiring from top‑level competition. After racing, he founded Belso Cereals in 1977 and later lived in the United Kingdom. Tom Belso died on January 12, 2020, in Rushden at the age of 77.Collection
Dr. Frederick A. Simeone Founder CollectionCategory
Race Car Drivers