11

Grand Prix d'Europe
38e Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.

01 Jul 1951Reims-Gueux601.755 km (7815 m x 77 Laps)

 Pole Position: Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo 159A, 2:25.7 (193.1 km/h) Fastest Lap: Juan Manuel Fangio, Alfa Romeo 159B, 2:27.8 (190.4 km/h lap 32) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 8 Luigi Fagioli/ 20 laps Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 159B 3:22:11.0 178.6 km/h 57 laps 2 14 José Froilán González/ 35 laps Alberto Ascari Ferrari 375 3:23:09.2 177.7 km/h 42 laps 3 10 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 375 -3 Laps 4 26 Reg Parnell Ferrari 375 Thin Wall -4 Laps 5 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 159A -4 Laps 6 42 Louis Chiron Talbot Lago T26C -6 Laps 7 46 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C -6 Laps 8 44 Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C-GS -8 Laps 9 48 Guy Mairesse Talbot Lago T26C -11 Laps 10 6 Consalvo Sanesi Alfa Romeo 159 -19 Laps 11 4 Juan Manuel Fangio/ 15 laps Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 159A -22 Laps 40 laps Did Not Finish: 28 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C-DA 54 Accident 40 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C-DA 43 Transmission 38 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 37 Engine 36 Aldo Gordini Simca Gordini T11 27 Engine 20 Harry Schell Maserati 4CLT/48 23 Overheating 32 Maurice Trintignant Simca Gordini T15 11 Engine 12 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 375 10 Gearbox 34 André Simon Simca Gordini T15 7 Engine 30 Robert Manzon Simca Gordini T15 3 Engine 50 Onofre Marimón Maserati 4CLT/50-Speluzzi 2 Engine 18 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CLT/48 1 Transmission 24 Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 1 Engine Did Not Appear: 16 Piero Taruffi Ferrari 375 Driver ill 22 Prince Bira Maserati 4CLT/48-OSCA 26 Brian Shawe-Taylor Ferrari 375 Thin Wall Brakes/Car used by Parnell Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 12 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 375 1-8 8 4 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 159A 9 1 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 159A 10-44 35 14 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 375 45-50 6 8 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 159B 51-77 27 Fastest Laps: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Lap 1 8 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 159B 2:27.8 190.4 32 42 Louis Chiron Talbot Lago T26C 2:46.4 169.1 18 40 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:48.0 167.5 34 38 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:49.1 166.4 35 46 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C 2:49.7 165.8 24 44 Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C-GS 2:50.2 165.3 40 28 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:50.5 165.0 36 48 Guy Mairesse Talbot Lago T26C 2:57.5 158.5 10 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 4 Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 159A 2:25.7 193.1 Alfa Romeo SpA 2 2 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 159A 2:27.4 190.9 Alfa Romeo SpA 3 12 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 375 2:28.1 190.0 Scuderia Ferrari 4 10 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 375 2:28.5 189.5 Scuderia Ferrari 5 6 Consalvo Sanesi Alfa Romeo 159 2:28.9 189.0 Alfa Romeo SpA 6 14 José Froilán González Ferrari 375 2:30.8 186.6 Scuderia Ferrari 7 8 Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 159B 2:33.1 183.8 Alfa Romeo SpA 8 42 Louis Chiron Talbot Lago T26C 2:43.7 171.9 Ecurie Rosier 9 26 Reg Parnell Ferrari 375 Thin Wall 2:44.0 171.6 G A Vandervell 10 38 Philippe Étançelin Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:44.8 170.7 Philippe Étançelin 11 46 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C 2:45.7 169.8 Yves Giraud-Cabantous 12 28 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:46.6 168.9 Ecurie Belge 13 40 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago T26C-DA 2:48.0 167.5 Ecurie Rosier 14 44 Eugène Chaboud Talbot Lago T26C-GS 2:49.6 165.9 Eugène Chaboud 15 50 Onofre Marimón Maserati 4CLT/50-Speluzzi 2:49.8 165.7 Scuderia Milano 16 18 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CLT/48 2:50.1 165.4 Enrico Platé 17 36 Aldo Gordini Simca Gordini T11 2:50.3 165.2 Equipe Gordini 18 32 Maurice Trintignant Simca Gordini T15 2:50.3 165.2 Equipe Gordini 19 48 Guy Mairesse Talbot Lago T26C 2:58.4 157.7 Yves Giraud-Cabantous 20 24 Peter Whitehead Ferrari 125 2:59.0 157.2 Peter Whitehead 21 34 André Simon Simca Gordini T15 2:59.5 156.8 Equipe Gordini 22 20 Harry Schell Maserati 4CLT/48 3:02.0 154.6 Enrico Platé 23 30 Robert Manzon Simca Gordini T15 3:06.0 151.3 Equipe Gordini Not Present: 16 Piero Taruffi Ferrari 375 - - Scuderia Ferrari 22 Prince Bira Maserati 4CLT/48-OSCA - - Ecurie Siam 26 Brian Shawe-Taylor Ferrari 375 Thin Wall - - G A Vandervell
Starting Grid: 12 Alberto Ascari 2 Giuseppe Farina 4 Juan Manuel Fangio Ferrari 375 Alfa Romeo 159A Alfa Romeo 159A 2:28.1 2:27.4 2:25.7 6 Consalvo Sanesi 10 Luigi Villoresi Alfa Romeo 159 Ferrari 375 2:28.9 2:28.5 42 Louis Chiron 8 Luigi Fagioli 14 José Froilán González Talbot Lago T26C Alfa Romeo 159B Ferrari 375 2:43.7 2:33.1 2:30.8 38 Philippe Étançelin 26 Reg Parnell Talbot Lago T26C-DA Ferrari 375 Thin Wall 2:44.8 2:44.0 40 Louis Rosier 28 Johnny Claes 46 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot Lago T26C-DA Talbot Lago T26C-DA Talbot Lago T26C 2:48.0 2:46.6 2:45.7 50 Onofre Marimón 44 Eugène Chaboud Maserati 4CLT/50-Speluzzi Talbot Lago T26C-GS 2:49.8 2:49.6 32 Maurice Trintignant 36 Aldo Gordini 18 Emmanuel de Graffenried Simca Gordini T15 Simca Gordini T11 Maserati 4CLT/48 2:50.3 2:50.3 2:50.1 24 Peter Whitehead 48 Guy Mairesse Ferrari 125 Talbot Lago T26C 2:59.0 2:58.4 30 Robert Manzon 20 Harry Schell 34 André Simon Simca Gordini T15 Maserati 4CLT/48 Simca Gordini T15 3:06.0 3:02.0 2:59.5
Notes: 1) Weather: Sunny, Hot, Dry.
Race Review:

The French GP was the third round of the World Championship in 1951 and featured a quartet of Alfa Romeo 159s against three Ferrari 375s and the Ferrari-built Thinwall Special. In addition Gordini had a four-car entry. Alfa Romeo had brought back Luigi Fagioli while the Ferrari lineup boasted José Froilán González for the first time. In qualifying Fangio and Farina were quickest for Alfa with Ascari's Ferrari the third car on the front row. At the start Ascari took the lead with Fangio chasing. Both were to retire early and with Villorsi also in trouble this enabled Farina to make up for a bad start to lead. González chased with Fagioli behind him. At his pit stop Fagioli handed over to Fangio and then González was replaced by Ascari.

This did not trouble Farina who was a long way ahead until his second pit stop when he began to suffer magneto problems and dropped back and with Ascari running into brake problems Fangio was left to win by a minute with Ascari second and Villoresi third - three laps behind. Parnell was fourth a further lap behind but he was still ahead of Farina at the finish.