Remembering Tom Belsø, Denmark's First F1 Driver

While Formula 1 is often populated with drivers from Britain, Denmark hasn't had as much success. And especially back in the day when Belsø first began driving. In fact, Belsø was the first F1 driver from Denmark to, quite literally, make a mark on the racing scene.

Early on in Belsø's career, he began racing touring cars. During this time he won his first race and subsequently became the Scandinavian Touring Car Champion in 1969. However, he moved to the UK in the early 70s in an effort to make the transition to Formula Two or One driving, thus aiming to become a professional driver.

It wasn't as easy as initially thought as it was hard for him to find money. Added to that, being born in 1942, Belsø was already older than most other drivers, making him a less desirable option in the eyes of many F1 teams.

However, with a lot of perseverance, Belsø became a Formula Two racer by 1972.

This move didn't come without issues though. It was a big jump going to the F2 car, and he wasn't as reliable as other drivers when it came to completing races. That being said, there was a turning point in his career when he earned points at Hockenheim, the first Danish driver to get points in F2.

Impressively, his best result was fourth and this was in the Albi Grand Prix. Overall, he was 17th in the F2 Championship in Europe. Notably, the only reason he got this excellent finish was due to Belsø's prowess as a mechanic. In fact, he got himself a good engine for the car, installing it himself and this made all the difference.

The following year, due to the increased notice from that great fourth finish, Belsø raced in Formula 5000, racing a Lola. There were also a number of smaller races he participated in including non-championship Formula One races. In 1973, he finished 7th in the Race of Champions, and was 8th in the BRDC International Trophy in the same year.

As such, he continued to show off his skills. He won the Snetterton in the 1974 Rothmans 5000 European Championship, coming 8th overall in the Series. Not only that, but he competed in the 1977 Shellsport 5000/Libre series and ended up coming fifth in the Radio Luxembourg race in the Lola T330-Chevrolet. With all these successes and top-level finishes, F1 finally came looking.

After all this racing, it should come as no surprise to learn that Belsø made it into F1 in 1973. His career began by racing for the Frank Williams Racing Cars team where he was due to start in the Swedish Grand Prix. Unfortunately, this initial race was not to be.

His sponsorship money failed to arrive which meant that he could not participate after all. Sadly, during 1974, he tried on four separate occasions to qualify for Williams, but only did so in Sweden and South Africa. This was not all Belsø's fault though.

In South Africa, the clutch failed in his Frank Williams right on the first lap. In Sweden, he did complete the race, coming in eighth. It was the only complete Grand Prix that he ever finished.

Formula 1 betting has evolved significantly over the years, becoming more popular as the sport’s global appeal has grown. In the past, betting on F1 was relatively simple and primarily focused on who would win the race. But as the sport has developed technologically and tactically, the betting options have become far more advanced.

Today, people can place bets on many different aspects of a Formula 1 race, including who will secure pole position, who will set the fastest lap, which driver will improve their position the most, and even whether a specific driver will finish the race.

This expansion in betting options reflects the sport’s complexity, providing a richer and more engaging experience for fans.We can’t help but wonder how the odds would look in terms of Tom Belsø’s favour if we had competed today.

Online betting platforms have also had a significant impact on the betting culture around Formula 1. Previously, betting was often limited to physical betting shops, but with online betting, fans can now place bets in real time as they follow the race live. This makes the experience more interactive and has increased the popularity of in-race betting.

With the rise of data analysis and statistics, today’s odds better reflect the actual probabilities, making bets more accurate and transparent thanks to betting and casino portals like this Danish one. Overall, Formula 1 betting has evolved from simple guesses to an exciting and intricate part of the sport, giving fans an added dimension to engage with races and support their favorite drivers.

While frustrating, Belsø does claim to regret not being able to stay calm after these F1 disappointments and look for new options. He went back to F5000 but this wasn't a financially viable move, with sponsors retreating.

By 1977, Belsø left professional racing for good, leaving with next to nothing. However, an impressive change of career saw him producing muesli breakfast cereal, making him a rich man. He died of stomach cancer on 11 January 2020 at the age of 77.