1955 Singapore Grand Prix

The 1955 Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts was a non-championship Formula One race held at Rouen-les-Essarts on 9 April 1955. Ran concurrently with the 1955 Grand Prix de Rouen-les-Essarts, the race was the scene of the first F1 appearances by the B.C.M.A. and Escuderia Hernandez teams. Although Consalvo Sanesi was the fastest driver of the weekend in a Gordini, but a commanding performance in the race yielded a popular victory for Alberto Ascari, the first for the Phoenix team.

Race report

Ascari made a brilliant start, taking the race lead from Sanesi and Godia, while Karl Kling also made a great getaway, gaining three spots in the first lap. However, on the very next lap, Ascari put a wheel on the grass at the exit of turn one. He avoided a spin but lost a lot of speed and dropped to fourth place behind Godia, now leading, Sanesi and Serafini. Not one to be outdone, he took third place again on the next lap, but couldn't get past Sanesi. The complete débutants at Ambrosiana were already fifth and sixth, Carvalho leading Laurel. On lap 2, Claes' engine failed, as did Woods' transmission, leaving 18 drivers.

On lap 5, Schell passes Laurel and took sixth place again. Kling promptly retired from 15th place with a suspension failure. On the very next lap, Serafini began to quickly lose gears in his Alfa Romeo, preferring to retire from fourth place than continue with one gear. Further back, Poore, Maglioli, Moss and Loyer were involved in a spirited fight for eighth place. Ecclestone dropped back into the pack and the battle was now for seventh. On lap 12, Laurel passed Schell once more for fifth place, but on the very next lap, the American repassed the Filipino. On lap 14, Ascari caught and passed Consalvo Sanesi for second place behind the surprising Paco Godia, who was in a comfortable lead.

But not comfortable enough, as on lap 17, Ascari caught him and launched a desperate move, which worked, muscling through into the race lead for Phoenix. That same lap, Ecclestone made a similar move on Wharton for seventh place, then Umberto Maglioli passed an astonishing four different drivers in the space of a single lap. On lap 20, Castellotti's Porsche engine expired and Pat Moss span out on the oil it left behind. 14 drivers were left at the race's halfway point. Ascari led from Godia, Sanesi, Carvalho, Schell, Laurel, Ecclestone, Wharton, Maglioli, Poore, Loyer, Stillwell, Perdisa and Bucci. On the next lap, Sanesi finally passed teammate Godia for second place, and one lap later, Schell passed Carvalho for fourth place.

Godia's race didn't last much longer. On lap 26, his transmission gave up. He was in third place. This elevated Schell to that spot, with Carvalho and Laurel now fourth and fifth and Umberto Maglioli inheriting sixth place. Carvalho's engine then expired from fourth place, elevating Ken Wharton to the points. The midfield battle continued to rage, then on lap 38, three drivers retired simultaneously, Arsenio Laurel, gearbox seized, Bib Stillwell, blown engine and Cesare Perdisa, steering failure!

Ascari eventually scored Phoenix's first victory, albeit non-championship, while Sanesi came home second with the fastest lap. Schell was third for SAI ahead of Maglioli's B.C.M.A., Roger Loyer and Ken Wharton in the Reatherson Ferrari. After good performance early in the race, Dennis Poore eventually fell back behind Ecclestone's Mercedes, but he had shown the promise of the Vanwall.

Classification

Entry list

No	Driver	Entrant	Chassis	Engine
2	Dorino Serafini	Officine Renzo	Alfa Romeo AR161	Alfa Romeo AR2V8 1.5 V8
4	Cesare Perdisa	Officine Renzo	Alfa Romeo AR161	Alfa Romeo AR2V8 1.5 V8
6	Lex Davison	Scuderia Australasia	Cooper T40	Jaguar JFE-2 4.5 V12
8	Spider Webb	Escuderia Hernandez	Hernandez FH355	FIAT 155 1.5 V8
10	Ken Wharton	Reatherson Racing Developments	Ferrari 555	Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
12	Dennis Poore	Vanwall	Vanwall VW55	Vanwall 254 2.5 L4
14	Ron Flockhart	Officine Alfieri Maserati	Maserati AM53	Maserati 200F 2.0 L6
16	Consalvo Sanesi	/ Alexander Racing Team-Gordini	Gordini G-953	Gordini ART-004 3.0 V6
18	Paco Godia		Gordini G-953	Gordini ART-004 3.0 V6
20	Theo Fitzau	Guidobaldi	Guidobaldi FG01	Mercedes UM153 4.5 V10
22	Harry Schell	/ Scuderia Anglo-Italia	Bentley Speed 4	O.S.C.A. 156s 1.5 L6s
24	Johnny Claes	Ecurie Nationale Belge	Ferrari 555	Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
26	Lucien Bianchi		Cooper T40	Jaguar JFE-2 4.5 V12
28	Roger Loyer	Loyer Racing	Loyer LR101	Porsche 755 1.5 L4
30	Eugenio Castellotti	Porsche System Engineering	Porsche 855	Porsche 755 1.5 L4
32	Bernie Ecclestone	Bernie C. Ecclestone	Mercedes-Benz WM-2	Lancia DS50 2.5 V8
34	Stanley Woods		Mercedes-Benz WM-2	Bentley 16VL-1 3.0 V16
36	Bib Stillwell	Tasman Racing Alliance	O.S.C.A. F154	Vanwall 254 2.5 L4
38	Karl Kling	Rennkollektiv EMW	Aston Martin AM-04	Jaguar JFE-2 4.5 V12
40	Umberto Maglioli	British Commonwealth Motorsport Association	B.C.M.A. C-01	B.C.M.A. A/AS Griffin 2.5 L6
42	Arsenio Laurel	Scuderia Ambrosiana	Ambrosiana A-004	Alfa Romeo ARV8 1.5 V8
44	Eduardo Carvalho		Ambrosiana A-004	Alfa Romeo ARV8 1.5 V8
46	Alberto Ascari	Phoenix Racing Organisation	Phoenix PRO-4	O.S.C.A. 156s 1.5 L6s
48	Thomas Pitt Cholmondeley-Tapper	Thomas Pitt Cholmondeley-Tapper	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
50	Lim Peng Han	Lim Peng Han	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
52	Chan Lye Choon	Chan Lye Choon	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
54	Bill Lomas	Bill Lomas	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
56	Colin Chapman	Colin Chapman	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
58	Rodney Nuckey	Rodney Nuckey	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
60	Pat Moss	BRUNEL	O.S.C.A. F154	Porsche 755 1.5 L4
62	Eldred Norman	Eldred Norman	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
64	Bill Patterson	Bill Patterson	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
66	Olivier Gendebien	Impéria Automobiles	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
68	Bruce Halford	Bruce Halford	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
70	Eric Thompson	Eric Thompson	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
72	Jorge Daponte	Jorge Daponte	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
74	Clemar Bucci	Clemar Bucci	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
76	Bill Whitehouse	Bill Whitehouse	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
78	Ken McAlpine	Ken McAlpine	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4
80	Buck Baker	Buck Baker	HWM 55	Alta GP 2.5 L4

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	16	Consalvo Sanesi	Gordini	2:32.27	-
2	18	Paco Godia	Gordini	2:34.42	+ 2.15
3	46	Alberto Ascari	Phoenix-O.S.C.A.	2:34.78	+ 2.51
4	22	Harry Schell	Bentley-O.S.C.A.	2:36.20	+ 3.93
5	2	Dorino Serafini	Alfa Romeo	2:36.31	+ 4.04
6	24	Johnny Claes	Ferrari	2:37.25	+ 4.98
7	32	Bernie Ecclestone	Mercedes	2:37.36	+ 5.09
8	44	Eduardo Carvalho	Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo	2:37.77	+ 5.50
9	42	Arsenio Laurel	Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo	2:38.83	+ 6.56
10	28	Roger Loyer	Loyer-Porsche	2:38.95	+ 6.68
11	10	Ken Wharton	Ferrari	2:39.27	+ 7.00
12	34	Stanley Woods	Mercedes-Bentley	2:40.26	+ 7.99
13	12	Dennis Poore	Vanwall	2:40.43	+ 8.16
14	40	Umberto Maglioli	B.C.M.A.	2:40.44	+ 8.17
15	30	Eugenio Castellotti	Porsche	2:40.55	+ 8.28
16	60	Pat Moss	O.S.C.A.-Porsche	2:40.96	+ 8.69
17	74	Clemar Bucci	HWM-Alta	2:41.48	+ 9.21
18	38	Karl Kling	Aston Martin-Jaguar	2:41.67	+ 9.40
19	36	Bib Stillwell	O.S.C.A.-Vanwall	2:41.77	+ 9.50
20	4	Cesare Perdisa	Alfa Romeo	2:41.89	+ 9.62
21	80	Buck Baker	HWM-Alta	2:41.92	+ 9.65
22	66	Olivier Gendebien	HWM-Alta	2:42.40	+ 10.13
23	58	Rodney Nuckey	HWM-Alta	2:42.99	+ 10.72
24	14	Ron Flockhart	Maserati	2:43.01	+ 10.74
25	76	Bill Whitehouse	HWM-Alta	2:43.29	+ 11.02
26	62	Eldred Norman	HWM-Alta	2:43.60	+ 11.33
27	70	Eric Thompson	HWM-Alta	2:43.61	+ 11.34
28	78	Ken McAlpine	HWM-Alta	2:43.90	+ 11.63
29	64	Bill Patterson	HWM-Alta	2:44.21	+ 11.94
30	26	Lucien Bianchi	Cooper-Jaguar	2:44.35	+ 12.08
31	8	Spider Webb	Hernandez-FIAT	2:44.51	+ 12.24
32	48	Thomas Pitt Cholmondeley-Tapper	HWM-Alta	2:44.52	+ 12.25
33	50	Lim Peng Han	HWM-Alta	2:44.53	+ 12.26
34	52	Chan Lye Choon	HWM-Alta	2:44.97	+ 12.70
35	68	Bruce Halford	HWM-Alta	2:44.98	+ 12.71
36	20	Theo Fitzau	Guidobaldi-Mercedes	2:45.12	+ 12.85
37	56	Colin Chapman	HWM-Alta	2:45.13	+ 12.86
38	54	Bill Lomas	HWM-Alta	2:45.43	+ 13.16
39	6	Lex Davison	Cooper-Jaguar	2:45.58	+ 13.31
40	72	Jorge Daponte	HWM-Alta	2:45.59	+ 13.32

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Team	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid
1	46	Alberto Ascari	Phoenix-O.S.C.A.	40	1:46:50.40	3
2	16	Consalvo Sanesi	Gordini	40	+1:54.11	1
3	22	Harry Schell	Bentley-O.S.C.A.	38	+2 laps	4
4	40	Umberto Maglioli	B.C.M.A.	38	+2 laps	14
5	28	Roger Loyer	Loyer-Porsche	38	+2 laps	10
6	10	Ken Wharton	Ferrari	38	+2 laps	11
7	32	Bernie Ecclestone	Mercedes	37	+3 laps	7
8	12	Dennis Poore	Vanwall	37	+3 laps	13
9	74	Clemar Bucci	HWM-Alta	36	+4 laps	17
Ret	42	Arsenio Laurel	Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo	35	Gearbox	15
Ret	36	Bib Stillwell	O.S.C.A.-Vanwall	34	Engine	19
Ret	4	Cesare Perdisa	Alfa Romeo	34	Steering	20
Ret	18	Paco Godia	Gordini	25	Transmission	2
Ret	44	Eduardo Carvalho	Ambrosiana-Alfa Romeo	25	Engine	8
Ret	60	Pat Moss	O.S.C.A.-Porsche	18	Spin	16
Ret	30	Eugenio Castellotti	Porsche	18	Engine	15
Ret	2	Dorino Serafini	Alfa Romeo	5	Gearbox	5
Ret	38	Karl Kling	Aston Martin-Jaguar	4	Suspension	18
Ret	24	Johnny Claes	Ferrari	1	Engine	6
Ret	34	Stanley Woods	Mercedes-Bentley	1	Transmission	12
DNQ	80	Buck Baker	HWM-Alta
DNQ	66	Olivier Gendebien	HWM-Alta
DNQ	58	Rodney Nuckey	HWM-Alta
DNQ	14	Ron Flockhart	Maserati
DNQ	76	Bill Whitehouse	HWM-Alta
DNQ	62	Eldred Norman	HWM-Alta
DNQ	70	Eric Thompson	HWM-Alta
DNQ	78	Ken McAlpine	HWM-Alta
DNQ	64	Bill Patterson	HWM-Alta
DNQ	26	Lucien Bianchi	Cooper-Jaguar
DNQ	8	Spider Webb	Hernandez-FIAT
DNQ	48	Thomas Pitt Cholmondeley-Tapper	HWM-Alta
DNQ	50	Lim Peng Han	HWM-Alta
DNQ	52	Chan Lye Choon	HWM-Alta
DNQ	68	Bruce Halford	HWM-Alta
DNQ	20	Theo Fitzau	Guidobaldi-Mercedes
DNQ	56	Colin Chapman	HWM-Alta
DNQ	54	Bill Lomas	HWM-Alta
DNQ	6	Lex Davison	Cooper-Jaguar
DNQ	72	Jorge Daponte	HWM-Alta