View source for Rudi Fischer

{{short description|Swiss racing driver (1912–1976)}}
{{sources needed|date=December 2025}}
{{Infobox person
| name          = Rudi Fischer
| image         = Rudi Fischer at the 1951 Monza Grand Prix.jpg
| caption       = Fischer in 1951
| birth_name    = Rudolf Fischer
| birth_date    = {{birth date|1912|4|19|df=y}}
| birth_place   = [[Stuttgart]], [[Kingdom of Württemberg|Württemberg]], [[German Empire]]
| death_date    = {{death date and age|1976|12|30|1912|4|19|df=y}}
| death_place   = [[Lucerne]], Switzerland
| module        =
{{Infobox F1 driver|embed=yes
| nationality   = {{flagicon|CHE}} [[Formula One drivers from Switzerland|Swiss]]
| Years         = {{F1|1950}}–{{F1|1952}}
| Team(s)       = ''Privateer'' [[Societa Valdostana Automobili|SVA]], ''privateer'' [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]]
| Races         = 8 (7 starts)
| Championships = 0
| Wins          = 0
| Podiums       = 2
| Points        = 10
| Poles         = 0
| Fastest laps  = 0
| First race    = [[1950 Swiss Grand Prix]]
| Last race     = [[1952 Italian Grand Prix]]
}}}}

'''Rudolf''' "'''Rudi'''" '''Fischer''' (19 April 1912 – 30 December 1976) was a Swiss [[racing driver]], who competed in [[Formula One]] at seven [[Formula One Grands Prix|Grands Prix]] from {{F1|1951}} to {{F1|1952}}.{{efn|Fischer was also entered into the [[1950 Swiss Grand Prix]] in a [[privateer (motorsport)|privateer]] [[Societa Valdostana Automobili|SVA 1500]], but did not complete a competitive session.}}

Fischer debuted in Formula One at the {{F1GP|1951|Swiss}} in {{F1|1951}}. He achieved two [[Podium#Usage in motorsport|podium finishes]], and scored a total of ten championship points. He also participated in numerous [[Glossary of motorsport terms#N|non-championship]] Formula One and [[Formula Two]] races.

==Career==
[[Image:Schauinsland-Rennstrecke; Training; am Start- Fischer (CH Zürich); Nr. 174; Ferrari - LABW - Staatsarchiv Freiburg W 134 Nr. 021007.jpeg|thumb|Fischer in Ferrari 500 F2, Schauinsland, 4 August 1951]]
Fischer finished third in a race which marked the reopening of the [[AVUS]], a German motor racing circuit. It had been closed for a 14-year period and was damaged during [[World War II]]. A crowd of 350,000 watched [[Paul Greifzu]] of [[Suhl]], [[Thuringia]], win in a car he built himself. Fischer drove a [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] to third place over a distance of 207.5 kilometres. His time was 1 hour, 10 minutes, 27.5 seconds.<ref>''350,000 See Reopening of Motor RaceWay In Berlin After an Interval of 14 Years'', ''[[The New York Times]]'', July 2, 1951, Page 31.</ref> In the [[1952 Swiss Grand Prix]], in [[Bern]], Fischer finished second to [[Piero Taruffi]]; both drivers were in Ferraris.<ref>''Swiss Auto Race to Taruffi'', Los Angeles Times, May 19, 1952, Page 24.</ref>

==Écurie Espadon/Scuderia Espadon==
Fischer was the leader of the "Écurie Espadon",<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.axos.nl/retrorace/temp/Scuderia-Espadon.doc |title=Presentation document Ecurie Espadon |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080410120800/http://www.axos.nl/retrorace/temp/Scuderia-Espadon.doc |archivedate=10 April 2008 |accessdate=4 March 2016}}</ref> the entrant name for most of his racing career.

Écurie Espadon was composed of a group of Swiss amateur gentleman racers. The word "Écurie" was used at the beginning as most of the team's cars were French, generally [[Gordini]]s. Later the team's equipment changed to Ferraris and other Italian vehicles, thus the name of the team changed to use the equivalent Italian word "Scuderia".

The team was involved in several races all over Europe, as the presentation document described.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://forums.autosport.com/topic/31439-scuderia-espadon-and-its-background/ |title=Scuderia Espadon and its background |website=forums.autosport.com |accessdate=4 March 2016}}</ref>

The team was composed of:
* Rudolf Fischer: a successful restaurant owner.
* [[Rudolf Schoeller]]
* [[Peter Hirt]]: a wealthy businessman from Küssnacht, near Zürich, involved in precision tool manufacturing.
* Peter (Pierre) Staechelin from Basel.
* [[Max de Terra]]
* Paul Glauser

==Racing record==

===Post WWII Grandes Épreuves results===
([[:Template:Motorsport driver results legend|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
|-
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
|-
| [[1949 Grand Prix season|1949]]
! Écurie Espadon
! [[Gordini|Simca Gordini]] [[Simca Gordini Type 11|T11]]
! [[Simca-Gordini]] 1.4 [[Inline-four engine|L4]]
| [[1949 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1949 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1949 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]<br/>{{small|15}}
| [[1949 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1949 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
|-
!colspan=9|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/database/drivers/rudolf-fischer|title=Rudolf Fischer – Biography|work=MotorSportMagazine|accessdate=January 7, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.oldracingcars.com/results/result.php?RaceID=CH49|title=Grosser Preis der Schweiz - Bremgarten, 3 Jul 1949|work=OldRacingCars|accessdate=January 7, 2019}}</ref>}}}}
|}

===Complete Formula One World Championship results===
([[:Template:F1 driver results legend 2|key]])
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! Year
! Entrant
! Chassis
! Engine
! 1
! 2
! 3
! 4
! 5
! 6
! 7
! 8
! {{Tooltip|WDC|World Drivers' Championship}}
! [[List of Formula One World Championship points scoring systems|Pts]]
|-
| {{F1|1950}}
! Écurie Espadon
! [[Società Valdostana Automobili|SVA]] [[SVA 1500|1500]]
! [[Fiat]] 1.5 [[Inline-four engine|L4]][[Supercharger|s]]
| [[1950 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
| [[1950 Monaco Grand Prix|MON]]
| [[1950 Indianapolis 500|500]]
| [[1950 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]<br><small>DNA</small>
| [[1950 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1950 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1950 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]
| 
! NC
! 0
|-
| {{F1|1951}}
! Écurie Espadon
! [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] [[Ferrari 212 F1|212]]
! [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] 212 2.5 [[V12 engine|V12]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1951 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]<br>{{small|11}}
| [[1951 Indianapolis 500|500]]
| [[1951 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
| [[1951 French Grand Prix|FRA]]
| [[1951 British Grand Prix|GBR]]
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1951 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br>{{small|6}}
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[1951 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br>{{small|DNS}}
| [[1951 Spanish Grand Prix|ESP]]
! NC
! 0
|-
|rowspan=2| [[1952 Formula One season|1952]]
!rowspan=2| Écurie Espadon
! [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] [[Ferrari Tipo 500|500]]
! [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] 500 2.0 [[Straight-4|L4]]
|style="background:#DFDFDF;"| [[1952 Swiss Grand Prix|SUI]]<br>{{small|2}}
| [[1952 Indianapolis 500|500]]
| [[1952 Belgian Grand Prix|BEL]]
|style="background:#FFFFFF;"| [[1952 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br>{{small|DNS}}
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1952 British Grand Prix|GBR]]<br>{{small|13}}
|style="background:#FFDF9F;"| [[1952 German Grand Prix|GER]]<br>{{small|3}}
| [[1952 Dutch Grand Prix|NED]]
|style="background:#EFCFFF;"| [[1952 Italian Grand Prix|ITA]]<br>{{small|Ret}}
!rowspan=2| 4th
!rowspan=2| 10
|-
! [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] [[Ferrari 212 F1|212]]
! [[Scuderia Ferrari|Ferrari]] 166 2.0 [[V12 engine|V12]]
|
|
|
|style="background:#CFCFFF;"| [[1952 French Grand Prix|FRA]]<br>{{small|11{{sup|†}}}}
|
|
|
|
|-
!colspan="14"|{{center|{{small|Source:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.statsf1.com/en/rudi-fischer/engagement.aspx|title=Rudi Fischer - Involvement|work=StatsF1|accessdate=January 7, 2019}}</ref>}}}}
|}
{{sup|†}} Entered and practiced in his Ferrari 500, but engine failure meant that he reverted to the previous season's 212 model for the race.<ref name=8W>{{cite web|last= Diepraam |first= M |title= German F2 specials taking on Ferrari |url= http://www.forix.com/8w/d52.html |date= June 2001 |work= 8W |accessdate= 30 April 2008 }}</ref> Drive shared with [[Peter Hirt]].

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
<references/>

{{DEFAULTSORT:Fischer, Rudi}}
[[Category:1912 births]]
[[Category:1976 deaths]]
[[Category:Racing drivers from Stuttgart]]
[[Category:Swiss racing drivers]]
[[Category:Swiss Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:Écurie Espadon Formula One drivers]]
[[Category:Formula One team owners]]