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 (Alfa Romeo) - 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.