Héctor Alonso Rebaque is the classic "gentleman driver," a figure widely seen in motorsports during the 1950s and 1960s. Born in Mexico City in 1956, he could count on the support of generous sponsors that allowed him to enter Formula 1. In 1977, he was entered in six World Championship races with the Hesketh team, but he only managed to qualify once, taking part in just one race. Left without a car for the 1978 season, he decided to establish his own team.
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| REBAQUE-LOTUS 78, Hèctor Rebaque Zandvoort, Dutch GP 1978 |
After purchasing a Lotus 78, the single-seater that had secured five victories the previous year, Héctor founded Team Rebaque. Aware of the need to integrate into the European racing scene, he set up the team’s headquarters in Leamington Spa, Warwickshire, England, and hired Ian Dawson as team manager.
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| REBAQUE-LOTUS 78, Hèctor Rebaque Montecarlo, Monaco GP 1978 |
During the 1978 season, he participated in all races with a single car, driven by himself. The first race of the season proved challenging: the Mexican was the first driver to fail to qualify, missing the cut by five seconds from pole position. He managed to qualify for the second race of the championship but had to retire after 40 laps due to exhaustion.
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| REBAQUE-LOTUS 78, Hèctor Rebaque Hockenheimring, Germani GP 1978 |
He achieved an encouraging tenth place in South Africa but struggled to qualify for several subsequent races. The high point of the season came in Germany, where he finished sixth, earning a championship point—marking the last time a private team scored points in Formula 1.
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| REBAQUE-LOTUS 78, Hèctor Rebaque Jacarepaguà, Brazilian GP 1978 |
Héctor Rebaque finished the championship in 21st place in the drivers' standings, while his team, not being a constructor of its own car, was not classified in the constructors' championship. To this day, Héctor Rebaque remains the only Mexican constructor to have participated in Formula 1 with his own team.
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