Robert Sénéchal

Sénéchal was born at Rocquencourt, in the Oise department in north-eastern France, to a family of grain merchants. After attending school in Amiens and in the Rue des Postes in Paris, he intended to study engineering at L'École Centrale, but contracted typhoid fever and was unable to take up his place. Instead, aged 19, he became associate director of a large garage near the Porte Champerret. in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, where he remained until called up for military service with the 5th Regiment of Dragoons, in 1912

Early career

Source

Sénéchal took part in his first competitive motor sport event in October 1921, driving a Sénéchal cyclecar in the annual Gaillon hill-climb, coming second overall and winning the 750cc class at over 85kmh. Over the following years, he competed in a wide variety of events, including hillclimbs, rallies, driving tests, circuit racing and endurance events with great success, and set a number of speed records. Among his notable successes were his three consecutive victories (1924–1926) in the Bol d’Or, a 24-hour endurance race for solo drivers, setting a distance record in 1926 that would last for 10 years. At the end of 1923, a year in which he had won the French Motorcycle Club's Cyclecar Grand Prix less than 48 hours after suffering a serious accident, Sénéchal was recognised as "Champion of France" and awarded the "Brassard d’Honneur".

Grand Prix career

Sénéchal's career as a grand prix driver began unexpectedly at the 1926 San Sebastián Grand Prix, when design flaws in the brand new Delage 15-S-8, making its first-ever race appearance, caused its drivers to suffer burnt hands and feet from its overheated cockpit and poisoning from its exhaust fumes. Only one reserve driver, Louis Wagner, was available for the three-car team, so Sénéchal – in San Sebastián for the touring car grand prix later in the week – stepped forward and offered to drive one of the cars, eventually being classified second with Edmond Bourlier on appeal after initially being disqualified as an unregistered driver.

Two weeks later, Sénéchal was rewarded with one of Delage's three entries in the first-ever British Grand Prix, held at Brooklands on 7 August 1926. However, it had been impossible for the team to solve the extreme overheating problems experienced at San Sebastián, but Sénéchal nevertheless managed to complete 83 of the 110 laps and was holding second place behind Robert Benoist's sister car when he was forced to stop and hand over to Wagner, who had retired his own car early on. Benoist was delayed by a lengthy pitstop a few laps later, and so Wagner brought Sénéchal's car to the chequered flag and the £1,000 winner's cheque.