1948 French Grand Prix

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1948 French Grand Prix
Circuit-Reims-Gueux-1926.png
Race details
Date18 July 1948
Official name XXXV Grand Prix de l'ACF
Location Reims
Course Reims-Gueux
Course length 7.774 km (4.831 miles)
Distance 64 laps, 497.536 km (309.155 miles)
Pole position
Driver Alfa Romeo
Time 2:35.2
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Wimille Alfa Romeo
Time 2:41.2
Podium
First Alfa Romeo
Second Alfa Romeo
Third Alfa Romeo

The 1948 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race, held at Reims on 18 July 1948. The race was won by Jean-Pierre Wimille, driving an Alfa Romeo 158.

Contents

Report

Official practice was held in very wet conditions. In spite of this Jean-Pierre Wimille was able to set a time of 2:35.2, not far from the record set in 1939 in dry conditions, nearly 10 seconds faster than Alberto Ascari and nearly 20 seconds faster than the fastest non-Alfa Romeo, Philippe Étancelin's Talbot-Lago.

As expected, the three Alfa Romeos lead at the start from the Talbot-Lagos. However, Luigi Villoresi's Maserati, which started from near the back of the grid, quickly moved up into third place ahead of Consalvo Sanesi in the third of the Alfas. Villoresi was starting to challenge Ascari for second place when forced to pit for what would be the first of many mechanical issues. This allowed Alfa Romeo to take an easy 1-2-3 win, two laps ahead of the best Talbot-Lago. Although Wimille and Ascari would swap for the lead a few times, mostly as a result of pitstops, they finished in the order decided by team manager Giovanni Guidotti which required Ascari to slow and allow Sanesi to pass him just before the finish. [1]

Classification

PosDriverCarLapsTime/RetiredGrid [1]
1 Flag of France.svg Jean-Pierre Wimille Alfa Romeo 158 643:01:07.51
2 Flag of Italy.svg Consalvo Sanesi Alfa Romeo 158 64+ 24.53
3 Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Ascari Alfa Romeo 158 64+ 25.02
4 Flag of Italy.svg Franco Comotti Talbot-Lago T26C 62+ 2 laps6
5 Flag of France.svg "Georges Raph" Talbot-Lago T26C 62+ 2 laps8
6 Flag of France.svg Louis Rosier Talbot-Lago T26C 60+ 4 laps10
7 Flag of Italy.svg Luigi Villoresi
Flag of Italy.svg Tazio Nuvolari
Maserati 4CLT/48 59+ 5 laps16
8 Flag of France.svg Eugène Chaboud Delahaye 135S59+ 5 laps9
9 Flag of Monaco.svg Louis Chiron Talbot-Lago T26SS56+ 15 laps5
10 Flag of France.svg Charles Pozzi Talbot-Lago T26SS45+ 19 laps13
Ret Flag of Argentina.svg Juan Manuel Fangio Simca-Gordini T1141Engine11
Ret Flag of Italy.svg Nello Pagani Maserati 4CL 37Oil leak19
Ret Flag of France.svg Yves Giraud-Cabantous Talbot-Lago 150C31Fuel Tank7
Ret Flag of France.svg Philippe Étancelin Talbot-Lago T26C 22Engine4
Ret Flag of Italy.svg Soave Besana Ferrari 166SC19Engine14
Ret Flag of Switzerland.svg Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati 4CL 11Oil leak15
Ret Flag of the United Kingdom.svg John Heath Alta GP 7Clutch18
Ret Flag of France.svg Pierre Veyron Simca Gordini T115Engine17
Ret Flag of France.svg Raymond Sommer Maserati 4CM2Oil pressure12
DNP Flag of France.svg Eugène Martin CTA-ArsenalNot present
DNP Flag of Thailand.svg B. Bira ERA B-TypeNot present

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References

  1. 1 2 Hodges, David (1967). The French Grand Prix. pp. 135–138.
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