Topic: Pedro Rodriguez

Pedro Rodríguez (born Pedro Rodríguez de la Vega, 18 January 1940 – 11 July 1971) was a Mexican Grand Prix motor racing driver. He was born in Mexico City and was the older brother of Ricardo Rodríguez. The two are sometimes referred to as "The Little Mexicans". The brothers both raced bicycles and motorcycles to become Mexican champions. Pedro was national champion in 1953 and 1954 in motorcycles. He made his international debut in cars at Nassau in 1957 in a Ferrari, along with Ricardo in a Porsche.

He was just eighteen when US Ferrari importer Luigi Chinetti dispatched them to Le Mans at the wheel of a Ferrari 500 TR Testa Rossa. Ricardo did not drive due to age, so Pedro partnered José Behra, brother of Jean Behra. He came back every year to Le Mans, fourteen times in total, where he won in 1968 with Belgian driver Lucien Bianchi in a Ford GT40 of the Wyer–Gulf team.

In 1962, Ricardo died in a horrific accident while practicing for the Mexican Grand Prix, and Pedro considered retiring from racing. However, in 1963 he won at Daytona International Speedway and took part in his first Grand Prix for Lotus in the USA and Mexico. He competed in F1 sporadically through 1966 with Ferrari and Lotus. Rodriguez won in only his ninth GP, in South Africa in 1967, and became a permanent fixture in F1, racing for Cooper-Maserati in 1967, BRM in 1968, the private Parnell BRM team and Ferrari in 1969, and BRM in 1970 and 1971, achieving his second victory in the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa in 1970.