Grand Prix Rejects

It's common knowledge around here (I hope...) that Jules Bianchi is the grand-nephew of Lucien Bianchi, Le Mans winner and Monaco podium-scorer extraordinaire, but is that link enough for Jules to be considered the first ever third-generation Formula One driver? Jules' father, Philippe, was never a racing driver, and Philippe's father Mauro (Lucien's brother) almost was, as he was entered to the 1968 French Grand Prix for the stillborn Alpine F1 project.

From Emerson Fittipaldi's wiki about his (and crucially Wilson's) parents:

Both his parents had raced production cars shortly after the Second World War and Wilson Sr was also responsible for the first Mil Milhas race in 1956, in São Paulo, having been inspired by the 1949 Italian Mille Miglia. Emerson became a motorsports enthusiast at an early age.

Which might give Christian a tenuous claim, although in a different way to Bianchi.

Also if expanded to all forms of motorsport (in terms of the third generation driver's accomplishments) then Josh Hill would be one off the top of my head.

Teddy Pilette is, while not a third generation F1 driver, a third-generation grand prix driver, since his grandfather Theodore Pilette competed in the 1914 French GP, and his father André Pilette did some F1 races.

These are all very interesting indeed (I didn't know Wilson and Emerson's parents also raced), but I'm talking strictly about Formula One. Lucien (and arguably Mauro) Bianchi competed in Formula One, and so does Jules, two generations down the line. The point is, should Jules be counted as a third generation driver due to this? Would it require Jules' father to have raced as well? And Mauro? I believe Bruno Senna is considered a second generation driver, so uncle-nephew apparently counts...

Oh, and Adam Petty was a fourth generation driver in NASCAR (Lee-Richard-Kyle-Adam)

tommykl wrote:These are all very interesting indeed (I didn't know Wilson and Emerson's parents also raced), but I'm talking strictly about Formula One. Lucien (and arguably Mauro) Bianchi competed in Formula One, and so does Jules, two generations down the line. The point is, should Jules be counted as a third generation driver due to this? Would it require Jules' father to have raced as well? And Mauro? I believe Bruno Senna is considered a second generation driver, so uncle-nephew apparently counts...

Oh, and Adam Petty was a fourth generation driver in NASCAR (Lee-Richard-Kyle-Adam)

Well, you have stated out the problem in your own theory: there is no second generation. So this is only the second generation of Bianchi's who raced in formula one, and both generations don't follow each other up.
What makes it cooler is that they were French and Belgian, and they were actually all Italians. This makes them probably the most international family.