World Manufacturers' Championship

Last updated

The World Manufacturers' Championship, also known as Automobile World Championship, was a competition organised by the AIACR between 1925 and 1930. [1]

Contents

Scoring system

Unlike the modern Formula One points system, the championship awarded fewer points for higher finishes; the champion would be the manufacturer which ended the season on the lowest points score. A manufacturer would only score points from its highest-placed car. The points distribution is as follows.

PositionPoints
1st1
2nd2
3rd3
All other finishers4
All non-finishers5
Not starting6

For the 1925 season, in order to be eligible for the championship, manufacturers had to compete in the Italian Grand Prix and the Grand Prix of their country of origin. One score was also dropped. For 1926 and 1927, no scores were dropped and eligibility was gained by competing in at least two Grands Prix in addition to the mandatory Italian Grand Prix. For 1928 a seven-races schedule was planned with mandatory participation at three rounds. However, only two races were effectively held according to the AIACR regulations, so the title wasn't awarded. [2] A similar situation happened in 1929 and 1930 seasons since only one race was held to the AIACR regulations. [3] [4]

For 1931 the AIACR sanctioned the European Drivers' Championship replacing the failed World Championship.

Summary of results

SeasonChampionWinsPointsMargin (pnts)Grands Prix
1925 [5] Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg Alfa Romeo 274 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
500
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg
BEL
Flag of France.svg
FRA
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg
ITA
1926 [6] Flag of France.svg Bugatti 31110 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
500
Flag of France.svg
FRA
Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg
SAN
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
GBR
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg
ITA
1927 [7] Flag of France.svg Delage 41013 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
500
Flag of France.svg
FRA
Flag of Spain (1785-1873, 1875-1931).svg
ESP
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg
ITA
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg
GBR
1928 [8] not awarded Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg
500
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg
ITA
1929 [9] not awarded Flag of France.svg
FRA
1930 [10] not awarded Flag of Belgium (civil).svg
BEL

See also

Related Research Articles

Fédération Internationale de lAutomobile International sport governing body

The Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile is an association established on 20 June 1904 to represent the interests of motoring organisations and motor car users. To the general public, the FIA is mostly known as the governing body for many auto racing events, such as the well-known Formula One. The FIA also promotes road safety around the world.

Grand Prix motor racing, a form of motorsport competition, has its roots in organised automobile racing that began in France as early as 1894. It quickly evolved from simple road races from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver. Innovation and the drive of competition soon saw speeds exceeding 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), but because early races took place on open roads, accidents occurred frequently, resulting in deaths both of drivers and of spectators. A common abbreviation used for Grand Prix racing is "GP" or "GP racing".

Spanish Grand Prix Formula 1 Grand Prix

The Spanish Grand Prix is a Formula One motor racing event currently held at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya. The race is one of the oldest in the world still contested, celebrating its centenary in 2013. The race had modest beginnings as a production car race. Interrupted by the First World War, the race waited a decade for its second running before becoming a staple of the European calendar. In 1927 it was part of the World Manufacturers' Championship; it was promoted to the European Championship in 1935 before the Spanish Civil War brought an end to racing. The race was successfully revived in 1967 and has been a regular part of the Formula One World Championship since 1968 at a variety of venues.

Coppa Ciano

The Coppa Ciano was an automobile race held in Italy. Originally referred to as Coppa Montenero or Circuito Montenero, the Coppa Ciano name was officially in use between 1927 and 1939.

The European Drivers' Championship was an annual competition in auto racing that existed prior to the establishment of the Formula One world championship in 1950. It was established in 1931 and ran until the end of 1939 with a hiatus from 1933–34, and awarded points to drivers based on the results of selected Grand Prix races, the so-called Grandes Épreuves. The championship was discontinued because of the outbreak of World War II in 1939, and no champion was officially declared for the last season.

The 1937 Grand Prix season was the fifth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team. Caracciola won three of the five events that counted towards the championship.

The 1935 Grand Prix season was the third AIACR European Championship season. There were 35 non-championship races and seven races that counted for the European Championship. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team.

The 1938 Grand Prix season was the sixth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team. Caracciola won one of the four events that counted towards the championship.

The 1939 Grand Prix season was the seventh AIACR European Championship season. The championship winner was never officially announced by the AIACR due to the outbreak of World War II less than two weeks after the final event in Switzerland. The Italian GP initially had been a fifth event, but it became clear well before the war that it would be cancelled due to construction work. At that time, it was also undecided which scoring system would be used, the old minimum points system that basically counted positions, or the French maximum points system similar to the modern one. Although Hermann Paul Müller would have won the championship on points according to the old system, the president of Nazi Germany's highest motorsports organisation declared Hermann Lang the champion. Lang was clearly the dominating driver in that season, which was acknowledged by the international press. In the first two of the four championship events, both Lang and Müller won once while the other failed to complete 75% of the distance. The German round saw Lang retiring early, and Müller finishing 2nd behind Carraciola. This left Müller in the lead in both scoring systems, as published in magazines, with the Swiss round deciding the outcome. Müller finished 4th behind three Mercedes, which gave him the lead in the old point system, while in front, Lang had beaten Carraciola for the lead in the maximum points system.

The 1925 Grand Prix season was a watershed year in motor racing. It was the first year for the new AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season. The championship was won by Alfa Romeo, with its P2 model.

San Sebastián Grand Prix

The San Sebastián Grand Prix was an automobile race held at the Circuito Lasarte in Lasarte-Oria, Spain.

1909 Grand Prix season

The 1909 Grand Prix season was the fourth Grand Prix racing season. There were no Grandes Épreuves that year, as the economic recession of the previous year continued on. Renault had withdrawn from motor-racing and a number of French manufacturers, falling behind the success of their German and Italian rivals, followed suit. The French Grand Prix was cancelled, leaving the Targa Florio in Italy and Vanderbilt Cup in the United States as the only major races this season. With so little competition and financial incentive, technological advances ground to a halt. Emphasis shifted from racing to setting speed and endurance records. Benz & Cie built a new 12.4-litre racing-engine, and its 200 bhp derivative was put into the Blitzen Benz. This 21.5-litre monster held the Land speed record from 1909 to 1922, with various drivers starting with Victor Hémery in November, 1909 at Brooklands.

1926 French Grand Prix Motor car race

The 1926 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Circuit of Miramas on 27 June 1926.

1926 San Sebastián Grand Prix Motor car race

The 1926 San Sebastián Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Circuito Lasarte on 18 July 1926. It was also designated as the European Grand Prix.

The second Grand Prix of the Royal Automobile Club, commonly referred to as the 1927 British Grand Prix, was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Brooklands circuit on 1 October 1927. It was the fifth and final race of the 1927 AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season. The race was won by French driver Robert Benoist. It was his fourth victory from the season's five races, a performance that put the seal on his Delage team's already-unassailable lead in the Championship.

The Algerian Grand Prix or Grand Prix d'Alger was a motor race held in the 1920s and 1930s at several coastal road courses in the department of French Algeria.

1926 Spanish Grand Prix Motor car race

The 1926 Spanish Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Circuito Lasarte on 25 July 1926. The race was held over 40 laps of a 17.315 km circuit, for a total race distance of 692.6 km. The race was won by Bartolomeo Costantini driving a Bugatti.

Charles Montier Racing driver, engineer, and entrepreneur

Charles Pierre Elie Montier was a French racing driver and automotive engineer whose race entries included the inaugural 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Ferdinand Montier French racing driver

Ferdinand Montier (1909–1996) was a French racing driver active in Grand Prix motor racing.

The Junior Car Club 200 Mile Race was a voiturette and later Grand Prix motor race, first held in 1921. It was held on various layouts of Brooklands, and twice at Donington Park.

References

  1. Etzrodt, Hans. "The 1925 Automobile World Championship". The golden era of Grand Prix racing. Retrieved 2 January 2015.
  2. Etzrodt, Hans. "The 1928 Automobile World Championship". The golden era of Grand Prix racing. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  3. Etzrodt, Hans. "The 1929 Automobile World Championship". The golden era of Grand Prix racing. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  4. Etzrodt, Hans. "The 1930 World Championship". The golden era of Grand Prix racing. Retrieved 20 February 2015.
  5. "The First World Championship finally explained".
  6. "The 1926 Automobile World Championship".
  7. "The 1927 Automobile World Championship".
  8. "The 1928 Automobile World Championship".
  9. "1929 Championship".
  10. "1930 Championship".