Particularly successful in sportscars, he achieved some notable results across the board, with two highlights being 5th at the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix and winning the 1953 Aix-les-Bains Formula 2 race. A big crash at Le Mans, whilst testing, in 1955, where he suffered head injuries, heralded the beginning of the end of his top-flight career as Elie eventually retired from racing at the end of the 1956 season. Bayol was in his thirties when he took up racing, just after the Second World War, in various single-seater and hillclimb events.

Biography last updated 1 Sep 2015