The Greatest Formula One Drivers from Sweden

The Best Swedish Grand Prix Drivers

Perhaps surprisingly, only ten Swedes have ever driven in Grands Prix. Though, eleven Swedish drivers have entered. Erik Lundgren was the first-ever driver from Sweden to enter a Formula One race, in the 1951 German Grand Prix, but he later withdrew. Here is a look at the ten drivers who actually participated in Grand Prix tournaments, some of whom had more success than others.

Jo Bonnier

In 1956, Jo Bonnier became the first Swedish racer to drive in a Grand Prix. He made his debut at the Italian Grand Prix, which resulted in retirement. Bonnier sporadically raced for fifteen more Formula One seasons, and his greatest accomplishment was winning the Dutch Grand Prix with BRM in 1959.

Members only$29 / year

Keep going. This is where it gets good.

Sports Car Digest Membership is for people who'd rather spend an hour with one chassis number than skim ten headlines. The rest of this story — and every other one like it — is a few seconds away.

  • 5,000+ members-only stories

    Concours, auctions, race history, driven classics and the full archive.

  • No ads. None.

    The whole site reads like a magazine, on every device.

  • The market, every week

    Auction results and classic-car values from the people who were there.

  • 30% off the shop

    Every Sports Car Digest shirt and piece of merch, all year.

Join Sports Car Digest — Keep Reading

$29 a year. Cancel anytime, no hoops.
Already a member? Sign in

BY CAR PEOPLE, NOT A NAMELESS MEDIA COMPANY. Your membership keeps a small independent team of historians, photojournalists and racing drivers doing this.

Join — Keep Reading $29/yr