Raymond Sommer was a French motor racing driver. He raced both before and after WWII with some success, particularly in endurance racing. He won the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in both 1932 and 1933, and although he did not reach the finishing line in any subsequent appearance at the Le Mans, he did lead each event until 1938. Sommer was also competitive at the highest level in Grand Prix motor racing, but did not win a race. He won the French Grand Prix in 1936, but the event that year was run as a sports car race. After racing resumed in the late 1940s, Sommer again won a number of sports car and minor Grand Prix events, and finished in fourth place in the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, the second round of the newly-instituted Formula One World Drivers' Championship. He was killed toward the end of 1950, when his car overturned during a race at the Circuit de Cadours.
Maurice Bienvenu Jean Paul Trintignant was a motor racing driver and vintner from France. He competed in the Formula One World Championship for fourteen years, between 1950 and 1964, one of the longest careers in the early years of Formula One. During this time he also competed in sports car racing, including winning the 1954 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Following his retirement from the track Trintignant concentrated on the wine trade.
The 1952 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 6 July 1952 at Rouen-Les-Essarts. It was race 4 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. Unusually this race was run over a duration of 3 hours, rather than a fixed distance.
The 1953 Argentine Grand Prix was race 1 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two regulations in 1952 and 1953. The race was held in Buenos Aires on 18 January 1953, at the Autódromo Gálvez as the first official Formula One race in South America and outside of Europe. Previously, the Indianapolis 500 was the only Formula One championship race held outside Europe but run to AAA regulations.
The 1953 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 7 June 1953 at the Circuit Zandvoort. It was race 3 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 90-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from pole position. His teammate Nino Farina finished second and Maserati drivers José Froilán González and Felice Bonetto came in third
The 1953 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 21 June 1953 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was race 4 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 36-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from second position. His teammate Luigi Villoresi finished second and Maserati driver Onofre Marimón came in third.
The 1953 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 5 July 1953 at Reims. It was race 5 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.
The 1954 Spanish Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 24 October 1954 at Pedralbes. It was the ninth and final race in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. The 80-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn after he started from third position. Luigi Musso finished second for the Maserati team and Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio came in third.
The 1955 Argentine Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Buenos Aires on 16 January 1955. It was race 1 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers.
The 1958 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 18 May 1958 at Monaco. It was race 2 of 11 in the 1958 World Championship of Drivers and race 2 of 10 in the 1958 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. The race was the 16th Monaco Grand Prix and was held over 100 laps of the three kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 314 kilometres.
The 1959 Portuguese Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monsanto on 23 August 1959. It was race 7 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and race 6 of 8 in the 1959 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the eighth Portuguese Grand Prix and the second to be held for the Formula One World Drivers' Championship. It was the third time the race was held at Monsanto and the first for Formula One. The race was held over 62 laps of the five kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 337 kilometres.
The 1959 United States Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on December 12, 1959, at Sebring International Raceway in Sebring, Florida. It was the last of 9 races in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and the 8th and final in the 1959 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers.It was the second United States Grand Prix, and the only occasion the race was held at the home of the 12 Hours of Sebring endurance sports car race, the Sebring International Raceway in Florida. The race was held over 42 laps of the 8.36-kilometre circuit for a total race distance of 351 kilometres.
The 1957 Formula One season was the 11th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1957 World Championship of Drivers which commenced on 13 January 1957 and ended on 8 September after eight races. Juan Manuel Fangio won his fourth consecutive title, his fifth in total, in his final championship. A feat that would not be beaten until Michael Schumacher in 2003. The season also included numerous non-championship races for Formula One cars.
Louis Rosier was a racing driver from France.
Aix-les-Bains, Savoie, France had a race track, called Circuit du Lac, which hosted Formula 2, Formula Junior, and Motorcycle Grand Prix races between 1949 and 1960.
The 1956 Sveriges Grand Prix took place on 12 August, at the Råbelövsbanan, Kristianstad. Although this was the second running of the race, it was the first time as a round of the F.I.A. World Sports Car Championship. The previous year's race, won by Juan Manuel Fangio was the first big race held in Sweden, and the organiser, Kungl Automobil Klubben dealt with it so well, the F.I.A. promoted the race. For this year's event, the circuit was widened and resurfaced.
The 6th Circuit de Cadours was a non-championship Formula One motor race held on 12 September 1954 at the Circuit de Cadours, in Cadours, Tarn-et-Garonne, France. The race, consisting of 2x15 lap heats and a 30 lap final, was won by Jean Behra in a Gordini. Behra's team-mate André Pilette finished second and Louis Rosier in a Maserati was third. Behra and Pilette set joint fastest lap.
The 1st Grand Prix de Caen was a Formula Two motor race held on 27 July 1952 at the Circuit de la Prairie, Caen. The race was run over 75 laps of the circuit, and was won by French driver Maurice Trintignant in a Gordini Type 16. Trintignant's teammate Jean Behra was second and Louis Rosier was third in a Ferrari 500.
The 4th Circuit de Cadours was a Formula Two motor race held on 14 September 1952 at the Circuit de Cadours, in Cadours, Tarn-et-Garonne, France. The race, consisting of 2x15 lap heats and a 30 lap final, was won by Louis Rosier in a Ferrari 500. Harry Schell finished second in a Gordini Type 16, and set fastest lap, and Emmanuel de Graffenried was third in a Maserati 4CLT/48.
The XV Grand Prix de l'Albigeois was a combined Formula One and Formula Two motor race held on 31 May 1953 at Circuit Les Planques, Albi, France. The race was held over two heats of 10 laps; one for Formula One and one for Formula Two, and a final of 18 laps in which both classes took part. The top four finishers in each heat qualified for the final, plus another four based on finishing position.
Maurice Trintignant 
