Long before Asian countries hosted Grand Prix events, a man from Thailand was already competing in Europe.
Prince Birabongse Bhanudej of Siam, known as Prince Bira, raced against top European Grand Prix drivers in the 1930s. His full royal name was Phra Worawong Ther Phra Ong Chao Birabongse Bhanudej.
He later became the first Asian driver to enter the official Formula 1 World Championship when the series started in 1950.
Formation of White Mouse Racing
Prince Bira moved to England as a teenager to study at Eton College and Cambridge. He later studied sculpture at the Byam Shaw School of Art in London. His career path changed after he reconnected with his cousin, Prince Chula Chakrabongse.
Both shared a deep interest in motor racing. In 1935, they founded an independent racing team named White Mouse Racing.
His cousin, Prince Chula, handled the team management, logistics, and finances. Meanwhile, Prince Bira took the role of the main driver.
The team ran their operations from a workshop in Hammersmith, London. Prince Chula kept detailed logs for every race and funded the team directly. They bought several high-performance vehicles, including Aston Martin and ERA models.
Success at the Grand Prix Circuit
Prince Bira chose a distinct color combination for his race cars. He painted the vehicles in light blue with yellow accents, matching the colors of the Siamese flag.
The color scheme became known as Siamese Blue in European racing circles. His primary car was an English Racing Automobiles R2B model, which he named Romulus.
In the 1930s, top-tier international motor racing existed as individual Grand Prix events rather than a unified world championship. Bira won his first major Grand Prix race at the 1936 International Trophy held at the Brooklands circuit in England.
His victories continued with a first-place finish in the Voiturette class at the Monaco Grand Prix in 1936. He secured additional wins at the Picardy Grand Prix and the Albi Grand Prix in the same year.
Early career achievements earned him the Road Racing Club's BRDC Star award three times in a row. He established himself as a regular winner on the European circuit before World War II interrupted all racing events.
Debut in Formula 1 World Championship
World War II halted European motor racing for several years. Official competition returned when the International Automobile Federation launched the unified Formula 1 World Championship of Drivers in 1950.
The first official race in Formula 1 history took place at Silverstone for the British Grand Prix on May 13, 1950. Prince Bira entered the event in a Maserati 4CLT/48. He stood as the only Asian driver on the grid.
He qualified in fifth position on the grid. An engine issue ended his race on lap 49, which prevented a finish.
Bira scored his first official championship points at the Monaco Grand Prix later that season with a fifth-place finish. He achieved the same result at the 1954 French Grand Prix in a Maserati A6GCM.
He completed 19 official Formula 1 World Championship races during his career. Prince Bira retired from motor racing at the end of the 1955 season.
After retiring from the track, he represented Thailand in sailing at four Summer Olympic Games between 1956 and 1972. He also returned to his early passion for painting and sculpting.
