19

XXXIXe Grand Prix de l'A.C.F.
5e Grand Prix de France 1952

06 Jul 1952Rouen-Les-Essarts387.600 km (5100 m x 76 Laps)

 Pole Position: Alberto Ascari, Ferrari 500, 2:14.8 (136.2 km/h) Fastest Lap: Alberto Ascari, Ferrari 500, 2:17.3 (133.7 km/h lap 28) Race Results: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed 1 8 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 3:00:20.2 128.9 km/h 2 10 Giuseppe Farina Ferrari 500 3:01:05.5 128.6 km/h 3 12 Piero Taruffi Ferrari 500 -1 Lap 4 2 Robert Manzon Gordini T16 -2 Laps 5 30 Maurice Trintignant Simca Gordini T15 -4 Laps 6 22 Peter Collins HWM 52-Alta -6 Laps 7 4 Jean Behra Gordini T16 -6 Laps 8 28 Philippe Étançelin Maserati A6GCM -6 Laps 9 20 Lance Macklin HWM 52-Alta -6 Laps 10 24 Yves Giraud-Cabantous HWM 52-Alta -8 Laps 11 36 Rudi Fischer/ 33 laps Peter Hirt Ferrari 212 -10 Laps 33 laps 12 38 Franco Comotti Ferrari 166F2/50 -13 Laps Did Not Finish: 6 Prince Bira Gordini T16 56 Rear axle 42 Mike Hawthorn Cooper T20-Bristol 51 Ignition 16 Emmanuel de Graffenried/ 20 laps Harry Schell Maserati 4CLT-Platé 34 Brakes 14 laps 26 Peter Whitehead Alta F2 26 Clutch 14 Louis Rosier Ferrari 500 17 Engine 32 Johnny Claes Simca Gordini T15 15 Engine 18 Harry Schell Maserati 4CLT-Platé 7 Gearbox 40 Piero Carini Ferrari 166F2/50 2 Engine Did Not Start: 34 Rudi Fischer Ferrari 500 Engine Did Not Appear: 12 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 500 Injury 28 Eitel Cantoni Maserati A6GCM 30 Chico Landi Maserati A6GCM 36 Rudolf Schöller Ferrari 212 Substitute driver 38 Vittorio Marzotto Ferrari 166F2/50 Substitute driver 40 Sergio Sighinolfi Ferrari 166F2/50 Substitute driver 42 Reg Parnell Cooper T20-Bristol Substitute driver Lap Leaders: Car# Driver Car Laps Total 8 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 1-76 76 Qualifying Times: Pos Car# Driver Car Time Speed Entrant 1 8 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 2:14.8 136.2 Scuderia Ferrari 2 10 Giuseppe Farina Ferrari 500 2:16.2 134.8 Scuderia Ferrari 3 12 Piero Taruffi Ferrari 500 2:17.1 133.9 Scuderia Ferrari 4 4 Jean Behra Gordini T16 2:19.3 131.8 Equipe Gordini 5 2 Robert Manzon Gordini T16 2:20.4 130.8 Equipe Gordini 6 30 Maurice Trintignant Simca Gordini T15 2:21.6 129.7 Equipe Gordini 7 6 Prince Bira Gordini T16 2:23.0 128.4 Equipe Gordini 8 22 Peter Collins HWM 52-Alta 2:21.9 129.4 HW Motors Ltd 9 14 Louis Rosier Ferrari 500 2:27.0 124.9 Ecurie Rosier 10 24 Yves Giraud-Cabantous HWM 52-Alta 2:27.5 124.5 HW Motors Ltd 11 18 Harry Schell Maserati 4CLT-Platé 2:29.0 123.2 Scuderia Platé 12 16 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CLT-Platé 2:28.6 123.6 Scuderia Platé 13 26 Peter Whitehead Alta F2 2:29.5 122.8 Peter Whitehead 14 20 Lance Macklin HWM 52-Alta 2:30.9 121.7 HW Motors Ltd 15 42 Mike Hawthorn Cooper T20-Bristol 2:32.0 120.8 Archie Bryde 16 38 Franco Comotti Ferrari 166F2/50 2:36.0 117.7 Scuderia Marzotto 17 36 Rudi Fischer Ferrari 212 2:34.6 118.8 Ecurie Espadon 18 28 Philippe Étançelin Maserati A6GCM 2:33.7 119.5 Escuderia Bandeirantes 19 40 Piero Carini Ferrari 166F2/50 2:37.7 116.4 Scuderia Marzotto 20 32 Johnny Claes Simca Gordini T15 2:39.6 115.0 Ecurie Belge 21 34 Rudi Fischer Ferrari 500 - - Ecurie Espadon Not Present: 12 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 500 - - Scuderia Ferrari 28 Eitel Cantoni Maserati A6GCM - - Escuderia Bandeirantes 30 Chico Landi Maserati A6GCM - - Escuderia Bandeirantes 36 Rudolf Schöller Ferrari 212 - - Ecurie Espadon 38 Vittorio Marzotto Ferrari 166F2/50 - - Scuderia Marzotto 40 Sergio Sighinolfi Ferrari 166F2/50 - - Scuderia Marzotto 42 Reg Parnell Cooper T20-Bristol - - Archie Bryde
Starting Grid: 12 Piero Taruffi 10 Giuseppe Farina 8 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 500 Ferrari 500 Ferrari 500 2:17.1 2:16.2 2:14.8 2 Robert Manzon 4 Jean Behra Gordini T16 Gordini T16 2:20.4 2:19.3 22 Peter Collins 6 Prince Bira 30 Maurice Trintignant HWM 52-Alta Simca Gordini T15 Simca Gordini T15 2:21.9 2:23.0 2:21.6 24 Yves Giraud-Cabantous 14 Louis Rosier HWM 52-Alta Ferrari 500 2:27.5 2:27.0 26 Peter Whitehead 16 Emmanuel de Graffenried 18 Harry Schell Alta F2 Maserati 4CLT-Platé Maserati 4CLT-Platé 2:29.5 2:28.6 2:29.0 42 Mike Hawthorn 20 Lance Macklin Cooper T20-Bristol HWM 52-Alta 2:32.0 2:30.9 28 Phillipe Étançelin 34 Rudi Fischer 38 Franco Comotti Maserati A6GCM Ferrari 212 Ferrari 166F2/50 2:33.7 2:34.6 2:36.0 32 Johnny Claes 40 Piero Carini Simca Gordini T15 Ferrari 166F2/50 2:39.6 2:37.7
Notes: 1) Race was scheduled for 3 hours. 2) Round 5 of Grands Prix de France F2 Championship. 3) Weather: Overcast, Rain.
Race Review:

The World Championship paid its first visit to the magnificent Les Essarts circuit near Rouen for the third round of the 1952 Championship. The previous weekend Jean Behra's Gordini had beaten the Ferraris in the Grand Prix de la Marne at Reims and expectations were high. Ferrari had made progress with some modified engine and lined up three factory cars for Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina and Piero Taruffi. Gordini ran cars for Behra, Robert Manzon (who had an injured arm) and Prince Bira while HWM turned up with cars for Lance Macklin, Peter Collins and Yves Giraud-Cabantous. The new factory Maseratis did not appear but Escuderia Bandeirantes ran one of the cars for Philippe Étançelin.

Ascari was easily quickest in practice with teammates Farina and Taruffi sharing the front row. Behra and Manzon shared the second row with Maurice Trintignant on the third row with an older Simca-Gordini. Then came Bira and Collins. The race was, as expected, a Ferrari affair with Ascari leading Farina from flag to flag. After a brief show by the Gordinis, Taruffi moved to third. Manzon struggled to finish fourth a lap behind while Behra crashed and had to pit for repairs. This left Trintignant to finish fifth, four laps down but still two laps ahead of Collins.