1952 Belgian Grand Prix

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1952 Belgian Grand Prix
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Spa 1947.png
Race details
Date22 June 1952
Official name XIV Grand Prix de Belgique
Location Spa-Francorchamps, Francorchamps, Belgium
Course Grand Prix Circuit
Course length 14.12 km (8.774 miles)
Distance 36 laps, 508.320 km (315.864 miles)
Weather Rain
Pole position
Driver Ferrari
Time 4:37.0
Fastest lap
Driver Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Ascari Ferrari
Time 4:54.0
Podium
First Ferrari
Second Ferrari
Third Gordini
Lap leaders
  • 1952 Belgian Grand Prix

The 1952 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 22 June 1952 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was race 3 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.

Contents

Report

Maserati's new A6GCM was still not ready, and, to compound this, their lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio had suffered back injuries at the non-championship Monza Grand Prix. This meant that Ferrari were once again favoured for success in the race, with their driver lineup consisting of Alberto Ascari (in place of André Simon), Nino Farina and Piero Taruffi. There were also two privateer Ferrari entries: local driver Charles de Tornaco of Ecurie Francorchamps, and Louis Rosier. The Gordini team expanded their lineup to include Belgian driver Johnny Claes, alongside Behra, Manzon and Bira. American Robert O'Brien also drove a Simca-Gordini for this race. HWM also recruited a pair of Belgian drivers — Paul Frère and Roger Laurent — who raced alongside regular drivers Peter Collins and Lance Macklin. Stirling Moss switched from HWM to ERA for this race. A handful of other privateer entrants also took part, including future World Champion Mike Hawthorn, who made his debut in a Cooper-Bristol.

Ascari headed an all-Ferrari front row, with teammates Farina and Taruffi in second and third, respectively. The Gordinis of Manzon and Behra made up row two, while the third row consisted of Hawthorn, Ken Wharton (in a Frazer-Nash), and Frère, who was the highest qualifier of the five Belgian drivers on the grid.

Taruffi started badly in the rain, dropping to ninth by the end of the first lap, while Behra overhauled the two leading Ferraris to take the lead of the race. Moss also started well, before his car broke down halfway through the first lap. Behra's lead was short-lived, as both Ascari and Farina overtook him on the second lap, subsequently holding first and second for the remainder of the race. Behra dropped to fourth when the recovering Taruffi passed him on lap 13. On the following lap Taruffi spun at Malmédy and Behra hit him, causing both to retire. Manzon overtook Hawthorn to assume what was now third place. Despite suffering from fuel leakage problems, Hawthorn was able to maintain fourth place until the end of the race. His fellow debutant Paul Frère also finished in the points, in fifth. [1]

Ascari's win (with fastest lap), and Taruffi's retirement, meant that the two now shared the lead of the Championship, on nine points each. Indianapolis 500 winner Troy Ruttman was in third, while Farina's second-place finish raised him to fourth in the standings, three points adrift of the joint Championship leaders.

Entries

NoDriverEntrantConstructorChassisEngineTyre
2 Flag of Italy.svg Nino Farina Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4 P
4 Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Ascari Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4 P
6 Flag of Italy.svg Piero Taruffi Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4 P
8 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Hawthorn Leslie D. Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol Cooper T20 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 D
10 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Brown Ecurie Richmond Cooper-Bristol Cooper T20 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 D
12 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Eric Brandon Cooper-Bristol Cooper T20 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 D
14 Flag of France.svg Robert Manzon Equipe Gordini Gordini Gordini T16 Gordini 20 2.0 L6 E
16 Flag of France.svg Jean Behra Gordini Gordini T16 Gordini 20 2.0 L6 E
18 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johnny Claes Gordini Gordini T16 Gordini 20 2.0 L6 E
20 Flag of Thailand.svg Prince Bira Simca-Gordini Simca-Gordini T15 Gordini 1500 1.5 L4 E
22 Flag of France.svg Louis Rosier Ecurie Rosier Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4 D
24 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lance Macklin HW Motors HWM-Alta HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 D
26 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Collins HWM-Alta HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 D
28 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Paul Frère HWM-Alta HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 D
30 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Roger Laurent HWM-Alta HWM 52 Alta F2 2.0 L4 D
32 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss English Racing Automobiles Ltd. ERA-Bristol ERA G Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 D
34 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Charles de Tornaco Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari Ferrari 500 Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4 E
36 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ken Wharton Scuderia Franera Frazer Nash-Bristol Frazer Nash FN48 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 D
38 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Arthur Legat Arthur Legat Veritas Veritas Meteor Veritas 2.0 L6 E
40 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robin Montgomerie-Charrington Robin Montgomerie-Charrington Aston Butterworth Aston NB41 Aston Butterworth F4 2.0 L6 D
42 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Gaze Tony Gaze HWM-Alta HWM 51 Alta F2 2.0 L4 D
44 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Robert O'Brien Robert O'Brien Simca-Gordini Simca-Gordini T15 Gordini 1500 1.5 L4 E
Sources: [2] [3]

Classification

Qualifying

PosNoDriverConstructorTimeGap
14 Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Ascari Ferrari 4:37.0
22 Flag of Italy.svg Nino Farina Ferrari 4:40.0+ 3.0
36 Flag of Italy.svg Piero Taruffi Ferrari 4:46.0+ 9.0
414 Flag of France.svg Robert Manzon Gordini 4:52.0+ 15.0
516 Flag of France.svg Jean Behra Gordini 4:56.0+ 19.0
68 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol 4:58.0+ 21.0
736 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ken Wharton Frazer Nash-Bristol 5:01.0+ 24.0
828 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Paul Frère HWM-Alta 5:05.0+ 28.0
910 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Brown Cooper-Bristol 5:07.0+ 30.0
1032 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss ERA-Bristol 5:07.6+ 30.6
1126 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Collins HWM-Alta 5:09.0+ 32.0
1212 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Eric Brandon Cooper-Bristol 5:11.0+ 34.0
1334 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Charles de Tornaco Ferrari 5:14.5+ 37.5
1424 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lance Macklin HWM-Alta 5:17.1+ 40.1
1540 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robin Montgomerie-Charrington Aston Butterworth 5:19.3+ 42.3
1642 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Gaze HWM-Alta 5:22.8+ 45.8
1722 Flag of France.svg Louis Rosier Ferrari 5:25.7+ 48.7
1820 Flag of Thailand.svg Prince Bira Simca-Gordini-Gordini 5:28.4+ 51.4
1918 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johnny Claes Gordini 5:31.1+ 54.1
2030 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Roger Laurent HWM-Alta 5:37.9+ 60.9
2138 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Arthur Legat Veritas 5:45.0+ 68.0
2244 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Robert O'Brien Simca-Gordini-Gordini 5:51.0+ 74.0

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
14 Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Ascari Ferrari 363:03:46.319 1
22 Flag of Italy.svg Nino Farina Ferrari 36+1:55.226
314 Flag of France.svg Robert Manzon Gordini 36+4:28.444
48 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Mike Hawthorn Cooper-Bristol 35+1 lap63
528 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Paul Frère HWM-Alta 34+2 laps82
610 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Alan Brown Cooper-Bristol 34+2 laps9
734 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Charles de Tornaco Ferrari 33+3 laps13
818 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Johnny Claes Gordini 33+3 laps19
912 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Eric Brandon Cooper-Bristol 33+3 laps12
1020 Flag of Thailand.svg Prince Bira Simca-Gordini-Gordini 32+4 laps18
1124 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lance Macklin HWM-Alta 32+4 laps14
1230 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Roger Laurent HWM-Alta 32+4 laps20
1338 Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Arthur Legat Veritas 31+5 laps21
1444 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Robert O'Brien Simca-Gordini-Gordini 30+6 laps22
1542 Flag of Australia (converted).svg Tony Gaze HWM-Alta 30+6 laps16
Ret40 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Robin Montgomerie-Charrington Aston Butterworth 17Engine15
Ret6 Flag of Italy.svg Piero Taruffi Ferrari 13Accident3
Ret16 Flag of France.svg Jean Behra Gordini 13Accident5
Ret36 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Ken Wharton Frazer-Nash-Bristol 10Spun off7
Ret22 Flag of France.svg Louis Rosier Ferrari 6Transmission17
Ret26 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Peter Collins HWM-Alta 3Halfshaft11
Ret32 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss ERA-Bristol 0Engine10
Source: [4]
Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1rightarrow blue.svg 1 Flag of Italy.svg Piero Taruffi 9
1uparrow green.svg 412 Flag of Italy.svg Alberto Ascari 9
1downarrow red.svg 13 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Troy Ruttman 8
1uparrow green.svg 264 Flag of Italy.svg Nino Farina 6
1downarrow red.svg 25 Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Rudi Fischer 6
Source: [5]

References

  1. "Belgian GP, 1952 Race Report". Grandprix.com. Retrieved 15 August 2012.
  2. "1952 Belgian Grand Prix - Race Entries". manipef1.com. Archived from the original on 9 May 2012. Retrieved 6 January 2016.
  3. "1952 Belgian GP - Entry List". chicanef1.com. Retrieved 15 December 2013.
  4. "1952 Belgian Grand Prix". formula1.com. Archived from the original on 1 December 2009. Retrieved 4 August 2015.
  5. "Belgium 1952 - Championship • STATS F1". www.statsf1.com. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
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1952 Indianapolis 500
FIA Formula One World Championship
1952 season
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1952 French Grand Prix
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1951 Belgian Grand Prix
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1953 Belgian Grand Prix
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1951 French Grand Prix
European Grand Prix
(Designated European Grand Prix)
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1954 German Grand Prix