1955 French Grand Prix

The 1955 French Grand Prix was the second race of the 1955 Alternate Formula One Season and was held at Reims-Gueux on May 22nd 1955.

Entry list

1. Helmut Niedermayr (Trod van Hoff Racing) - Van Hoff TVHR100 chassis 1, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 8
2. Maria Teresa de Filippis (Maria Teresa de Filippis) - O.S.C.A. F154 chassis 2, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 2
3. Hernando da Silva Ramos (Bernie C. Ecclestone) - Mercedes WM-2 chassis 1, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 8
4. Bernie Ecclestone (Bernie C. Ecclestone) - Mercedes WM-2 chassis 2, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 7
5. David Hampshire (Hampshire Racing Alliance) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 8, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 10
6. Roy Salvadori (Hampshire Racing Alliance) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 5, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 10
7. Dorino Serafini (Officine Renzo) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 5, Alfa Romeo AR2V8 engine 3
8. Cesare Perdisa (Officine Renzo) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 4, Alfa Romeo AR2V8 engine 4
9. Toulo de Graffenried (Officine Renzo) - Ambrosiana A-002 chassis 2, Ferrari 555 engine 4
10. André Simon (Ecurie Voeckler) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 6, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 11
11. Louis Chiron (Ecurie Voeckler) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 3, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 6
12. Alfonso de Portago (Loyer Racing) - Loyer LR101 chassis 1, Porsche 755 engine 3
14. Roger Loyer (Loyer Racing) - Loyer LR101 chassis 2, Porsche 755 engine 4
15. Eugenio Castellotti (Porsche System Engineering) - Porsche 855 chassis 1, Porsche 755 engine 1
16. Jean Behra (Porsche System Engineering) - Porsche 855 chassis 2, Porsche 755 engine 2
17. Paco Godia (ART-Gordini) - Gordini G-953 chassis 8, Gordini ART-004 engine 3
18. Porfirio Rubirosa (ART-Gordini) - Gordini G-953 chassis 4, Gordini ART-004 engine 4
19. Consalvo Sanesi (ART-Gordini) - Gordini G-953 chassis 6, Gordini ART-004 engine 6
20. Robert Manzon (ART-Gordini) - Gordini G-953 chassis 7, Gordini ART-004 engine 7
21. Aldo Gordini (Anglo Racing Engineering) - Gordini G-953 chassis 5, Gordini ART-004 engine 5
22. Roberto Mieres (FRacing) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 1, FIAT 155 engine 1
23. Philippe Etancelin (Guidobaldi) - Guidobaldi FG01 chassis 1, Mercedes UM153 engine 14
24. José Froilan Gonzalez (Scuderia Anglo-Italia) - O.S.C.A. 154 chassis 3, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 2
25. Jacques Swaters (Scuderia Anglo-Italia) - O.S.C.A. 154 chassis 5, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 3
26. Peter Whitehead (Scuderia Anglo-Italia) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 7, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 7
27. Stirling Moss (Scuderia Anglo-Italia) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 9, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 9
28. Harry Schell (Geoff Richardson Racing) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 11, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 11
29. André Guelfi (Ecurie Maghreb) - Lancia D50 chassis 2, Lancia DS50 engine 2
30. Desmond Titterington (Irish Racing Association) - Lancia D50 chassis 1, Lancia DS50 engine 1
31. Lex Davison (Scuderia Australasia) - Aston Martin AM-04 chassis 6, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 5
32. Reg Armstrong (Irish Racing Association) - Lancia D50 chassis 5, Lancia DS50 engine 5
33. Peter Collins (British Commonwealth Motorsport Association) - B.C.M.A. C-01 chassis 1, B.C.M.A. A/AS Griffin engine 3
34. Tony Brooks (British Commonwealth Motorsport Association) - B.C.M.A. C-01 chassis 2, B.C.M.A. A/AS Griffin engine 1
35. Umberto Maglioli (British Commonwealth Motorsport Association) - B.C.M.A. C-01 chassis 3, B.C.M.A. A/AS Griffin engine 2
36. Bib Stillwell (Tasman Racing Alliance) - O.S.C.A. F154 chassis 7, Vanwall 254 engine 3
37. Ron Flockhart (Officine Alfieri Maserati) - Cooper T41 chassis 2, Maserati 200F engine 1
38. Lance Macklin (Reatherson Racing Development) - Ferrari 555 chassis 4, Ferrari 555 engine 12
39. Ken Wharton (Reatherson Racing Development) - Ferrari 555 Chassis 7, Ferrari 555 engine 11
40. Jack Brabham (Alfa Romeo SpA) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 1, Alfa Romeo AR2V8 engine 1
41. Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo SpA) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 2, Alfa Romeo AR2V8 engine 2
42. Tony Gaze (Alfa Romeo SpA) - Alfa Romeo AR160 chassis 1, Alfa Romeo ARV8 engine 1
43. Mike Hawthorn (Vanwall) - Vanwall VW55 chassis 1, Vanwall 254 engine 1
44. Dennis Poore (Vanwall) - Vanwall VW55 chassis 2, Vanwall 254 engine 2
45. Giannino Marzotto (Maria Teresa de Filippis) - O.S.C.A. F154 chassis 8, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 4
46. Tony Bettenhausen (Jaguar-Aston Martin Racing) - Aston Martin AM-04 chassis 11, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 1
47. Dries van der Lof (Jaguar-Aston Martin Racing) - Aston Martin AM-04 chassis 3, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 3
48. B. Bira (Jaguar-Aston Martin Racing) - Aston Martin AM-04 chassis 2, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 2
49. Maurice Trintignant (Jaguar-Aston Martin Racing) - Aston Martin AM-04 chassis 12, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 16
50. Stan Jones (Balkan Leader) - Alfa Romeo AR161 chassis 7, Balkan Lion F154 engine 3
51. Kenneth McAlpine (Owen Racing Organisation) - Bentley Speed 4 chassis 4, Bentley 16VL-1 engine 9
52. Luigi Musso (Scuderia Ambrosiana) - Ambrosiana A-004 chassis 1, Alfa Romeo ARV8 engine 5
53. Alberto Uria (Scuderia Ambrosiana) - Ambrosiana A-004 chassis 2, Alfa Romeo ARV8 engine 6
54. Johnny Claes (Ecurie Nationale Belge) - Cooper T41 chassis 1, Jaguar JFE-2 engine 7
55. Alberto Ascari (Phoenix Racing Organisation) - Phoenix PRO-4 chassis 1, O.S.C.A. 156s engine 11

Prequalifying

1. Desmond Titterington (Lancia) - 2:26.11
2. Paco Godia (Gordini) - 2:28.54
3. Tony Brooks (B.C.M.A.) - 2:29.69
4. Reg Armstrong (Lancia) - 2:29.98
5. Bib Stillwell (O.S.C.A.-Vanwall) - 2:31.37
6. André Guelfi (Lancia) - 2:32.79
7. Luigi Musso (Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo) - 2:32.85
8. Lance Macklin (Ferrari) - 2:32.96
9. Dennis Poore (Vanwall) - 2:33.18
10. Alberto Uria (Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo) - 2:33.72
11. Ken Wharton (Ferrari) - 2:33.90
12. Cesare Perdisa (Alfa Romeo) - 2:34.47
13. Roger Loyer (Loyer-Porsche) - 2:34.63
14. Eugenio Castellotti (Porsche) - 2:34.80
15. Alfonso de Portago (Loyer-Porsche) - 2:35.27
16. Aldo Gordini (Gordini) - 2:35.29
17. Kenneth McAlpine (Bentley) - 2:36.67
18. Roy Salvadori (Bentley-O.S.C.A.) - 2:36.92
19. Ron Flockhart (Cooper-Maserati) - 2:37.39
20. Lex Davison (Aston Martin-Jaguar) - 2:38.69
21. Philippe Etancelin (Guidobaldi-Mercedes) - 2:40.57
22. Helmut Niedermayr (Van Hoff-O.S.C.A.) - 2:41.74

Qualifying

Performance

Musso - 112
Bira - 110
Schell - 109
Titterington - 108
Hampshire - 107
Godia - 107
Whitehead - 105
Behra - 104
Collins - 103
Brooks - 103
Stillwell - 103
Macklin - 103
Gaze - 103
Bettenhausen - 103
Jones - 103
de Graffenried - 101
Hawthorn - 101
Claes - 101
Marzotto - 99
Mieres - 98
Moss - 98
Ecclestone - 97
Sanesi - 97
Gonzalez - 97
Maglioli - 97
van der Lof - 96
Trintignant - 96
Ascari - 96
Ramos - 95
Armstrong - 95
de Filippis - 94
Swaters - 94
Simon - 93
Manzon - 92
Farina - 92
Rubirosa - 91
Serafini - 90
Guelfi - 88
Brabham - 88
Chiron - 84

Standings

1. Desmond Titterington (Lancia) - 2:26.11
2. B. Bira (Aston Martin-Jaguar) - 2:26.80
3. Paco Godia (Gordini) - 2:27.37
4. Peter Collins (B.C.M.A.) - 2:27.99
5. Tony Bettenhausen (Aston Martin-Jaguar) - 2:28.14
6. Dries van der Lof (Aston Martin-Jaguar) - 2:28.42
7. Tony Gaze (Alfa Romeo) - 2:28.87
8. Consalvo Sanesi (Gordini) - 2:28.94
9. Jack Brabham (Alfa Romeo) - 2:29.00
10. Tony Brooks (B.C.M.A.) - 2:29.40
11. Peter Whitehead (Bentley-O.S.C.A.) - 2:29.46
12. Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo) - 2:29.94
13. Stirling Moss (Bentley-O.S.C.A.) - 2:30.08
14. Maurice Trintignant (Aston Martin-Jaguar) - 2:30.32
15. Bib Stillwell (O.S.C.A.-Vanwall) - 2:30.64
16. Hernando da Silva Ramos (Mercedes-Bentley) - 2:30.70
17. José Froilan Gonzalez (O.S.C.A.-Bentley) - 2:31.03
18. Robert Manzon (Gordini) - 2:31.08
19. Alberto Ascari (Phoenix-O.S.C.A.) - 2:31.12
20. Porfirio Rubirosa (Gordini) - 2:31.31
21. Harry Schell (Bentley) - 2:31.52
22. Stan Jones (Alfa Romeo-Balkan Lion) - 2:31.63
23. Lance Macklin (Ferrari) - 2:31.94
24. Luigi Musso (Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo) - 2:32.26
25. Jacques Swaters (O.S.C.A.-Bentley) - 2:32.66
26. Giannino Marzotto (O.S.C.A.) - 2:32.67
27. Dorino Serafini (Alfa Romeo) - 2:32.80
28. Toulo de Graffenried (Ambrosiana-Ferrari) - 2:32.95
29. Maria Teresa de Filippis (O.S.C.A.) - 2:33.04
30. David Hampshire (Bentley) - 2:33.05
31. Umberto Maglioli (B.C.M.A.) - 2:33.20
32. Mike Hawthorn (Vanwall) - 2:33.24
33. Johnny Claes (Cooper-Jaguar) - 2:33.72
34. Reg Armstrong (Lancia) - 2:33.78
35. Bernie Ecclestone (Mercedes-Bentley) - 2:34.06
36. André Simon (Alfa Romeo-Jaguar) - 2:34.19
37. Jean Behra (Porsche) - 2:34.45
38. Roberto Mieres (Bentley-FIAT) - 2:36.24
39. André Guelfi (Lancia) - 2:36.38
40. Louis Chiron (Alfa Romeo-Jaguar) - 2:37.36

Race

Performance

Maglioli 47
Farina 38
Marzotto 28
Sanesi 25
Manzon 25
Hampshire 24
Whitehead 19
van der Lof 17
Titterington 11
Swaters 8
Ascari 5
Schell 5
Musso 5
Brabham 4
Jones 3
Macklin 1
Gaze -1
Stillwell -1
de Graffenried -1
Hawthorn -2
Collins -7
de Filippis -7
Godia -9
Moss -11
Trintignant -19
Gonzalez -21
Ramos -23
Brooks -28
Serafini -38
Bira -39
Rubirosa -50
Bettenhausen -62

Spontaneously, the race organisers extended the race distance to 73 laps, making the race over 600 kilometres long. As a consequence, there will be only six finishers, with seven engine failures, five Cat. 1 crashes, 2 Cat. 2 crashes, 1 Cat. 3 crash and 2 Cat. 5 crashes.

Of course, to compensate, the prier money pot will be larger than usual.

Report

Before the start of the race, the main talking point was the race organisers' decision to lengthen it to over 600 kilometres, which was a worry for both teams and drivers. The cars weren't designed to last that long, making reliability an issue, and they had become notoriously hard to handle, causing multiple accidents in Monaco, luckily without consequence. Despite these concerns, the race would go ahead for the full distance.

Titterington got the best start of the race leaders and led the first lap from Godia and Bira. Moss and Manzon got the best getaways, though, gaining three spots each. Desmond promptly fell behind Godia, Bira and Collins, the Spaniard taking the lead for the first time in his career. Bira then fell behind Collins and Titterington. On lap 5, towards the back, Mike Hawthorn attempted to pass Maria Teresa de Filippis into Calvaire. They misread each other's lines and their wheels locked. De Filippis was sent into the earth bank by the side of the track and flew up and over it. De Filippis promtply exited her car, and while she was conscious, she was in visible pain.

On lap 6, Dries van der Lof pulled into the pits with an oil leak. The resulting slick at Thillois caught out Luigi Musso, who span out of his maiden Grand Prix start. By this point, Consalvo Sanesi had risen from eighth place to second behind teammate Godia. On lap 8, Sanesi tried a move for the lead on the start-finish straight, but Godia blindly cut him off, sending him into the pit wall! This move, following his dive into the Monaco harbour, caused Amédée Gordini to lose his temper. At this point, he was only angrily listening to Sanesi's explanation. Meanwhile, Titterington and Bira, rigt behind Godia, were rightfully hesitant to make a move on the Spaniard. They tripped over themselves, allowing Moss through into second place while having started thirteenth!

On lap 10, the race took another turn, as the circuit announcers noticed that Philippe Etancelin had taken to the track in the Guidobaldi, despite having failed to prequalify for the race! Later on, the Frenchman admitted that he simply wanted his final race to actually be a race. In the meantime, he was running around in last place. On lap 12, Hampshire attempted to pass Ramos, but the Brazilian closed the door lazily and knocked himself out of the race. A few laps later, Jack Brabham crashed out at Calvaire, having just set the fastest lap of the race. That same lap, Lance Macklin wrecked yet another car for Reatherson, taking himself out in a big way using Umberto Maglioli to steer him into a ditch. The team boss would not be happy to see Lance walk back to the pits...

On lap 17, Swaters' gearbox failed from 20th position, one of the only mechanical failures so far this season. Indeed, driver incompetence hasn't left enough time for the cars to fail! Then, on lap 20, after such brilliant practice laps, Desmond Titterington span out at Muizon, ending his race. He was in second place. That same lap, Bib Stillwell's Vanwall engine expired on his (and his engine's) first start. At this point, Godia's lead was substantial over the battle for second between Bira, Moss and Collins for B.C.M.A. Bettenhausen then proceeded to blow a tyre on random debris and crash out when he lost control, reducing the field to 21 drivers, then 20 when Giannino Marzotto's engine failed. Then 19 when Harry Schell span out on the resulting oil. 25 laps had been run at this point.

On lap 27, Tony Brooks lost control of his car at Calvaire, collided and flew over the earth bank, much like de Filippis did. Miraculously, Brooks also walked away from the wreckage and, like the gentlemanly medecine student he is, offered to check de Filippis' injury after her accident. Meanwhile, the paddock was completely dumbfounded by Philippe Etancelin actually beating a few drivers at times in the Guidobaldi who had only shown really bad performance until then. Apart from the occasional overtake, nothing really happened until lap 34, when Stirling Moss retired from fourth place with a transmission failure, joining Titterington, who had stayed by the side of the track to enjoy the rest of the race.

On lap 35, Bira had an oil leak and retired from the race, leaving 16 drivers still running. Then, on the next lap, Giuseppe Farina had one of the scariest moments of the race when his brakes completely failed at Muizon. He bailed from the car as it clipped the stopped Lancia of Titterington and barrell-rolled into the wheat fields of Gueux. Farina promptly got up, brushed some dust off his shoulder and calmly walked to the incredulous Titterington and Moss, who had just witnessed the accident. All these scenes contributed to making this race one of the best-remebered of all time. On top of this, Peter Collins' B.C.M.A. engine expired out of a brilliant second place, causing Peter Whitehead (running third) to spin out on the oil. After 40 laps, Godia led from Tony Gaze, Robert Manzon, Maurice Trintignant, Alberto Ascari, David Hampshire, Stan Jones, Umberto Maglioli, José Froilan Gonzalez, Porfirio Rubirosa, Dorino Serafini, Philippe Etancelin and Mike Hawthorn.

To be continued...