Formula 1 has lost one of its historic names. Hermano da Silva Ramos, former driver and until then the oldest surviving member of the category, died at 100 years old in France.
Read more F1: Norris believes in a promising future for McLaren after Miami
Born in Paris on December 7, 1925, Ramos passed away on May 4, 2026. He competed in seven F1 GPs between 1955 and 1956 for the Gordini team, leaving his mark in one of the early phases of the category.
His best result was fifth place at the 1956 Monaco GP, when he scored two points with the Gordini Type 16 model. His last participation was at the Italian GP of the same year, when he retired from the race after three laps due to engine problems.
Besides Formula 1, Ramos also competed in traditional motorsport races such as the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the Mille Miglia. He became the longest-living driver in the history of the category in April 2023, after the death of Kenneth McAlpine, who lived to 102 years old.
Read more F1: Red Bull admits technical error after difficult start
With his death, the title of oldest living driver passes to John Rhodes, who competed in the 1965 British GP and is currently 98 years old. The oldest living world champion is Jackie Stewart, the last survivor among the champions of the 1960s.
The sad news reached me that Hermano da Silva Ramos passed away the 4th of may…
He was the oldest living F1 driver. He drove for Gordini in 1955 and 1956, finishing 5th at Monaco 1956.
Hermano reach the amazing age of 100 R.I.P. #F1 #RetroF1 pic.twitter.com/aknVmmBOE3
Read more F1: Leclerc wants explanations from Ferrari for loss of performance
— UnracedF1 – Thanks Peter Sauber🏁 (@UnracedF1) May 6, 2026
Source: X – UnracedF1
