Robert O'Brien is a racing driver from United States who last raced in Formula 1 for Simca. O'Brien has recorded 0 wins and 0 podiums from 1 start.[1]
A Racer Rating of 3,174 ranks O'Brien 7376th of 40,105 indexed drivers, on an Elo scale where the strongest reach the high 8,000s. It is built from every indexed race in the driver's file, decayed for time since their last race.
| 1952-06-22 | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps | P14 | −30 |
| Season | Series | Team | Races | Wins | Podiums | DNFs | Poles | Points | Pos | Gain/Loss | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | ▸Formula 1 | Simca | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | P13 | +1,824 | 3,174 |
| Rival | Rating | Raced | Ahead | Behind | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 Stirling MossHigher-rated | 6,330 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| 🇮🇹 Piero TaruffiHigher-rated | 6,184 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| 🇬🇧 Peter CollinsHigher-rated | 6,124 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 100% |
| # | Driver | Series | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7,366 | 🇦🇷 Esteban Gini | Turismo Carretera | 3,175 |
| 7,367 | 🇩🇪 Holger Harmsen | Lamborghini Super Trofeo Europe | 3,175 |
| 7,368 | 🇳🇿 John Nicholson | Formula 1 | 3,175 |
| 7,369 | 🇺🇸 Matt Novak | Whelen Mazda MX-5 Cup presented by Michelin | 3,175 |
| 7,370 | 🏳️ Bas Lammers | SKUSA SuperNationals | 3,174 |
| 7,371 | 🇺🇸 Dan Swanbeck | Pro Mazda Championship | 3,174 |
| 7,372 | 🏳️ Larry Jackson | NASCAR Canada Series | 3,174 |
| 7,373 | 🇵🇾 Oscar BITTAR | Le Mans Cup | 3,174 |
| 7,374 | 🇩🇪 Oswald Karch | Formula 1 | 3,174 |
| 7,375 | 🇫🇷 Paul Cauhaupe | Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup | 3,174 |
| 7,376 | 🇺🇸 Robert O'Brien | Formula 1 | 3,174 |
| 7,377 | 🇦🇪 Salem Alketbi | 24H Series | 3,174 |
| 7,378 | 🇮🇹 Clemente Biondetti | Formula 1 | 3,173 |
| 7,379 | 🇦🇺 Costa Toparis | Formula Regional European | 3,173 |
| 7,380 | 🇦🇺 Flynn Jackes | GB3 | 3,173 |
| 7,381 | 🇬🇧 Michael Crees | BTCC | 3,173 |
| 7,382 | 🇫🇷 Aldo Gordini | Formula 1 | 3,172 |
| 7,383 | 🇪🇸 Antonio Sainero | 24H Series | 3,172 |
| 7,384 | 🇬🇧 Dave Morgan | Formula 1 | 3,172 |
| 7,385 | 🇦🇷 Emanuel Moriatis | Turismo Carretera | 3,172 |
| 7,386 | 🇨🇭 Gino-Generoso Forgione | Road to Le Mans | 3,172 |
Robert O'Brien was a semi-professional racing driver from the United States, rated 3,404 on the Elo scale; this level describes the front of club racing and entry-level professional fields, where drivers win in regional and pro-am racing but do not sustain careers at the top level. His career consists of a single Formula 1 start, the 1952 Belgian Grand Prix, driving for Simca. He finished the race in 23rd place, not classified.[1]
In that single outing, O'Brien shared the grid with much stronger competitors. He finished ahead of Tony Gaze, a professional driver rated 5,156; this was an isolated result against a more established competitor rather than a sustained pattern. The Simca team for which he raced never won a Grand Prix and fielded a field of eleven drivers, its strongest being Prince Bira, a semi-professional of considerably higher standing at 7,153. O'Brien's brief appearance in top-level racing represents a typical outcome for a driver from the American racing scene of the period who did not go on to establish himself in Formula 1 or return to racing at that level.[2]