6

XXXVIIe Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.

02 Jul 1950Reims-Gueux500.160 km (7815 m x 64 Laps)

 Pole Position: Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo 158, 2:30.6 (186.8 km/h) Fastest Lap: Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo 158, 2:35.6 (180.8 km/h lap 52) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 6 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 2:57:52.8 168.7 km/h 2 4 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 158 2:58:18.5 168.3 km/h 3 14 Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 -3 Laps 4 44 Robert Manzon Simca Gordini T15 -3 Laps 5 16 Philippe Étançelin/ 33 laps Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C-DA -5 Laps 26 laps 6 26 Charles Pozzi/ 14 laps Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C -8 Laps 42 laps 7 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 55 Fuel pump 8 18 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA -12 Laps Did Not Finish: 22 Pierre Levegh Talbot Lago T26C 36 Engine 40 Felice Bonetto Maserati 4CLT/48-Speluzzi 14 Engine 42 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C 11 Overheating 12 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C-DA 10 Overheating 32 Reg Parnell Maserati 4CLT/48 9 Engine 28 Franco Rol Maserati 4CLT/48 6 Engine 30 Louis Chiron Maserati 4CLT/48 6 Engine 34 David Hampshire Maserati 4CLT/48 5 Engine 20 Raymond Sommer Talbot Lago T26C-GS 4 Overheating 36 José Froilán González Maserati 4CLT/48 3 Engine Did Not Start: 24 Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C Withdrawn: 8 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 275 Too slow 10 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 275 Too slow Did Not Appear: 34 David Murray Maserati 4CLT/48 Substitute driver 38 Franco Comotti Maserati 4CLT/48 Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 1-16 16 6 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 17-64 48 Fastest Laps: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Lap 1 6 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 2:35.6 180.8 52 16 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:50.4 165.1 16 Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:50.7 164.8 12 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:50.9 164.6 18 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:52.3 163.3 22 Pierre Levegh Talbot Lago T26C 2:56.6 159.3 20 Raymond Sommer Talbot Lago T26C-GS 2:57.3 158.7 42 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C 3:01.9 154.7 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 6 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 2:30.6 186.8 Alfa Romeo SpA 2 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 158 2:32.5 184.5 Alfa Romeo SpA 3 4 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 158 2:34.7 181.9 Alfa Romeo SpA 4 16 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:39.0 177.0 Philippe Étançelin 5 18 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:42.7 172.9 Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SA 6 20 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:46.0 169.5 Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SA 7 28 Franco Rol Maserati 4CLT/48 2:46.7 168.8 Officine Alfieri Maserati 8 36 José Froilán González Maserati 4CLT/48 2:48.0 167.5 Scuderia Achille Varzi 9 22 Pierre Levegh Talbot Lago T26C 2:49.0 166.5 Pierre Levegh 10 24 Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C - - Ecurie Lutetia 11 40 Felice Bonetto Maserati 4CLT/48-Speluzzi - - Scuderia Milano 12 32 Reg Parnell Maserati 4CLT/48 - - Scuderia Ambrosiana 13 44 Robert Manzon Simca Gordini T15 - - Equipe Gordini 14 30 Louis Chiron Maserati 4CLT/48 - - Officine Alfieri Maserati 15 42 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C - - Ecurie Belge 16 26 Charles Pozzi Talbot Lago T26C - - Charles Pozzi 17 12 Raymond Sommer Talbot Lago T26C-GS - - Automobiles Talbot-Darracq SA 18 34 David Hampshire Maserati 4CLT/48 - - Scuderia Ambrosiana 19 14 Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 - - Peter Whitehead Not Present: 10 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 275 2:42.4 173.2 Scuderia Ferrari 8 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 275 - - Scuderia Ferrari 34 David Murray Maserati 4CLT/48 - - Scuderia Ambrosiana 38 Franco Comotti Maserati 4CLT/48 - - Scuderia Achille Varzi
Starting Grid: 4 Luigi Fagioli 2 Giuseppe Farina 6 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 158 Alfa Romeo 158 Alfa Romeo 158 2:34.7 2:32.5 2:30.6 18 Yves Giraud-Cabantous 16 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C-DA Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:42.7 2:39.0 36 José Froilán González 28 Franco Rol 20 Raymond Sommer Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT/48 Talbot Lago T26C-GS 2:48.0 2:46:7 2:46.0 22 Pierre Levegh Talbot Lago T26C 2:49.0 44 Robert Manzon 32 Reg Parnell 40 Felice Bonetto Simca Gordini T15 Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT/48-Speluzzi No time No time No time 42 Johnny Claes 30 Louis Chiron Talbot Lago T26C Maserati 4CLT/48 No time No time 34 David Hampshire 12 Louis Rosier 26 Charles Pozzi Maserati 4CLT/48 Talbot Lago T26C-DA Talbot Lago T26C No time No time No time 14 Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 No time
Notes: 1) Grid positions 10-19 were randomly assigned as all these drivers did not practice. 2) Weather: Sunny, Hot, Dry.
Race Review:

There was a two-week break after the Belgian Grand Prix before the teams gathered for the French GP at Reims for the sixth round of the Formula 1 World Championship. Once again the Alfa Romeo factory team ran Giuseppe Farina, Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli against the two Ferrari drivers Luigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari. For the first time both Ferrari drivers had the new V12 engine and realizing that they were not going to be successful they withdrew after practice, leaving Peter Whitehead in his private car as the only Ferrari in the field. There were the usual Talbot Lagos and Maseratis to act as the supporting cast and a single Simca-Gordini for Robert Manzon.

Fangio was considerably quicker than Farina and Fagioli while Philippe Étançelin and Yves Giraud-Cabantous shared the second row in their Talbot Lagos. The race was much as expected with the Alfas completely dominant. Farina led early on but suffered fuel problems which dropped him to the back of the field. He raced back to third place before being forced to retire. This left Fangio to win by 20secs with Fagioli second and Whitehead third - three laps behind. Manzon was the first French finisher in the Simca-Gordini. The Maseratis and the Talbot Lagos were desperately unreliable.