🇧🇪 Patrick Nève

Patrick Nève was an established professional racing driver who competed in Formula 1 during the sport's most competitive era. He drove for March during the 1976 and 1977 seasons, accumulating ten starts across two years. His rating of 5,974 places him among established professionals, the level of driver who competed regularly in the sport's premier series and held their own against the field.[1]

Nève made his Formula 1 debut on 16 May 1976, becoming the first driver to race for Williams Grand Prix Engineering. He completed two seasons with March, finishing 17th in the championship standings in 1977, the calendar year when he recorded most of his starts. He scored no championship points across his ten appearances. His most significant results came against established drivers of his era; he finished ahead of Carlos Reutemann, an elite professional with 146 Formula 1 starts to his credit, and Ronnie Peterson, an accomplished driver with 123 starts in the series.[2]

Nève raced regularly against both Reutemann and Jody Scheckter, who would become 1979 Formula 1 world champion. Against these drivers he was closely matched, indicating he competed at a genuine level within a grid that ranged from semi-professionals to world-class competitors. March, the team that fielded him for all his starts, counted Jackie Stewart among its drivers; Stewart was an elite professional and multiple world champion. Nève's career remains notable as that of the first driver to represent Williams in Formula 1.