1950 French Grand Prix

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Flag of France svg.png 1950 French Grand Prix
Race 6 of 7 in the 1950 Alternate Formula One season
499px-Reims-Karta 1926-1951.svg.png
Date July 2, 1950
Official Name XXXVII Grand Prix de l'ACF
Location Circuit de Reims-Gueux
Course Public road course
7.815 km (4.856 mi)
Distance 64 laps, 500.160 km (310.785 mi)
Weather Overcast
Pole Position
Driver Flag of Italy svg.png Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo
Time 2:31.8
Fastest Lap
Driver Flag of Switzerland svg.png Toulo de Graffenried Ferrari
Time 2:36.7
Podium
First Flag of Italy svg.png Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo
Second Flag of Italy svg.png Dorino Serafini Ferrari
Third Flag of Switzerland svg.png Toulo de Graffenried Ferrari


The 1950 French Grand Prix was the sixth race of the Formula One World championship, held on July 2nd 1950 at Reims-Gueux. The race was won by Giuseppe Farina, who took his second championship victory. Dorino Serafini finished second and took the championship lead from Juan Manuel Fangio, who finished fourth. Toulo de Graffenried finished third. The race also marked the first entry for both a female driver (Hellé Nice) and an Irish driver (Joe Kelly), though none made the start. It was also the first time that a father and his son both started the same race (Louis and Jean-Louis Rosier).

Background

With two races to go in the inaugural season of Formula 1, anyone could still win the championship. The race attendance had been top-class, but entries would be limited for 1951 to decrease grid sizes. Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Fangio still led the championship, while Dorino Serafini, who started the season on a provisional license, won his first race in Belgium, getting within one point of the Argentine in the championship, while de Graffenried, the polesitter in Great Britain, was still third. The other race winners, Farina, Mauro and Chiron, were 4th, 5th and 6th. The entry list consisted of 39 cars, but a temporary decree by the FIA limited the starting grid to 28 cars.

The main and only surprise among the three big manufacturers was Maserati, who were unable to find a fourth driver for the French Grand Prix, Jimmy Davies' license having expired after his attempt at the Belgian Grand Prix, in which he was deemed not quick enough to be awarded a second attempt. Myron Fohr, meanwhile, had a sufficient racing pedigree to be allowed two starts, and the second would come in France. Alfa Romeo had yet to find a fourth driver for their home race at Monza. The slightly shorter entry list was in part due to Scuderia Maremmana. Bill Holland was still allowed one last entry that season, and Jacques de Rham decided to leave the American's final entry to the Italian GP, the team's home race.

Bugatti had decided to launch an attempt on their home race, full of confidence, in the Bugattis prepared by ENB, but with the French constructor's own engines instead of the usual Gordinis. ENB themselves would run a single Ferrari for Jacques Swaters, whose impressive début allowed him to get a second entry this season. All American Racers were probably happy to see Harry Schell's license expire for the season, the young rookie described as a "cocky playboy who lacked commitment". They had found a rookie, Troy Ruttman, who had already competed in the Indy 500 earlier that year for EXTRAS. Ruttman would become the youngest driver ever to start a race in the World Championship (excluding the Indy 500) at just 20 years old. The aformentioned EXTRAS, after missing the Belgian GP fixing the ERA and searching for a new driver, Peter Walker's license having expired, had indeed found a new driver, David Hampshire, who had already scored multiple podiums in top-class local races.

A new team has joined the fray that weekend. Enrico Platé and the remains of the late Achille Varzi's team had surprisingly merged, and the lack of remaining top-class drivers had led the team to hire an uncertain prospect, Brian Shawe-Taylor, whose performance at Reims would determine whether or not he would be allowed to enter the Italian Grand Prix. Claes Racing Developments had again entered Claes himself and Louis Chiron. Chiron was desperate for more points after his beautiful victory at Silverstone, while Claes was still after his first points. His finish at home should have given him a good confidence boost, as he now knew what he could do through the whole race distance. He knew he had pace (he led most of the British GP before his retirement), now he had to convert it into results.

ART's lienup had remained almost unchanged since Belgium, with Manzon, Giraud-Cabantous and Sanesi set to stay on for Italy, while local driver and son of the chassis supplier Aldo Gordini made his international début. Kurtis Kraft had struck a surprise deal with Ferrari America to equip Villoresi's car with the Italian manufacturer's engine, while Stuck would keep the regular Offenhauser engine to compare performance from one engine to the other. It remained to be seen whether or not the Ferrari powerplant fit in the American chassis.

Phoenix and Jaguar's lienups had not changed one bit, apart from the latter attempting to sign Indy 500 winner Johnny Mauro, who refused to let go of his entry spot for the Italian Grand Prix. Aston Martin, meanwhile, had finally found a second driver to drive alongside Sommer. This man was Jean-Louis Rosier, who burst onto the scene in June when he won the 24h of Le Mans, driving with his father Louis. That was his first high-level motor race, and he only drove for an hour, so it remained to be seen if he really was F1 material. Motorsport Bleu's local third driver for the race was experienced sports car driver Pierre Levegh.

As usual, many privateers entered the event, including veteran woman racer Hellé Nice, who managed to scrape together enough funding to start a farewell race at 49 years old. She was the first woman ever to enter a Formula 1 race, and she wasn't likely to do so after all her sponsors left her when Louis Chiron accused her of working for the Gestapo during the War. Georges Abecassis and Joe Kelly also entered private Altas. Unknown driver and businessman Dries van der Lof was refused entry due to a lack of experience.

Race weekend

Qualifying

After Ferrari dominated qualifying in the Belgian Grand Prix, Alfa Romeo dominated qualifying in France. This time, Fangio didn’t take pole. Instead, it was Giuseppe Farina, the winner in Monaco, who would start the race from the front. Fangio would start third, just ahead of Trintignant. Myron Fohr had gained some experience compared to the last race and started a hopefully lucky 13th. Fangio and Farina were split by the Belgian GP winner Dorino Serafini, who was again the best of the Ferraris, threatening Fangio’s championship lead.

In fact, the front of the grid was so close that even though four positions separated Serafini from the next best Ferrari, driven by Reg Parnell, their best times only differed by two tenths of a second! The other Ferraris would start 8th and 9th. To finish off the top manufacturers, the Maseratis qualified 5th, 7th and 11th, with Bonetto actually beaten by Johnny Claes in the private car! It had to be said, however, that Claes’ qualifying performance was nothing short of extraordinary, as his more experienced teammate Louis Chiron only managed 18th place.

The next best private car probably made ENB regret the firing of Yves Giraud-Cabantous, who plonked the ever-improving Gordini in twelfth position, with Manzon 16th and Sanesi 22nd. Aldo Gordini, however, had a weekend to forget, his lack of experience and ultimate pace showing, as he only qualified 32nd, failing to qualify. However, three performances really stood out. At Phoenix, while Ascari managed a decent 26th place to qualify for the race, Gonzalez drove a simply stoking lap to qualify in 14th place, while Aston Martin were equally brilliant on the long French straights, qualifying 15th and 20th, with Jean-Louis Rosier having a good début.

Scuderia Maremmana made the right choice to enter only Biondetti for this race, as the Jaguar engine was obviously lacking power, though Biondetti would still start in the top 20. His goal would be to gain some feedback towards the car for the team’s home race. Meanwhile, Motorsport Bleu’s slide down the field continued. Bira set the 19th best time, and the joys of the two podiums seemed so far away. Rosier was even outqualified by his son in a theoretically inferior car, the same son who had barely driven during their victorious at Le Mans. Pierre Levegh even failed to qualify for his championship début, just half a second away from making the cut. Jacques Swaters made the right move by using his extended license to make the trip to Reims, as he qualified for the second straight time in his private Ferrari for ENB. He would start ahead of other privateers Brian Shawe-Taylor and David Hampshire, all driving for customer outfits and making their débuts in Formula 1.

Troy Ruttman also seemed to have been a good signing for AAR, as he had now become the youngest driver to qualify for a Formula 1 race, excluding the Indy 500. Staying with the American teams, Kurtis Kraft’s gamble to switch to Ferrari engines for Villoresi did not pay off at all. While Von Stuck managed to qualify the frankly very slow Offenhauser-powered car, the Italian powerplant did not go very nicely with the chassis and Villoresi was only 34th, and off the grid. Other privateers failed to qualify. Abecassis and Kelly never really had a chance to make it in an unproven and underpowered Alta, while Hellé Nice’s attempt at a farewell race ended up being stillborn, despite a quick car. Old age and, perhaps, a lack of motivation prevented her from qualifying.

Others, though, had no excuse. Jaguar had been regularly qualifying since the start of the year, but the reduced grid size should not have been a hindrance. It was, and they would watch the race from the grandstands. However, the greatest disappointment of them all had to be the works Bugatti team. Apparently, the car worked much better with a Gordini engine in it, as it was definitely not just the drivers’ fault that they ended up over 7 seconds away from pole position and three seconds from qualification. The race looked like it would be a straight fight between Alfa and Ferrari, with Maserati perhaps spoiling the fun.

Race

Right from the start, six drivers broke away and began battling hard: Farina, Serafini, Fangio, Taruffi, Parnell and Trintignant. Further down the field Peter Whitehead and Jean-Louis Rosier tangled at Thillois and spun into the fields, both drivers retiring on the spot. Within a few laps, de Graffenried had joined the little group, while Farina had fallen behind a little bit, leaving Taruffi, then Fangio to lead the race for a few laps. Serafini led for four laps before de Graffenried, always reminding everyone about how he took pole in Silverstone, took a durable lead on lap 13. By this point, Farina had made up the gap, and it was Fangio who was falling behind.

Farina set out to prove that his Monaco victory was no fluke, and broke away from the pack and caught up to de Graffenried by lap 25, with Serafini close behind. A titanic struggle would break out between the Alfa and the two Ferraris. On lap 27, Farina took the lead again while Serafini and de Graffenried engaged in a spirited fight for second place. On lap 26, Robert Manzon had already stuck his Gordini in a ditch, spraining his wrist, but a serious crash marked the race on lap 36. Clemente Biondetti, two laps behind the leaders, was just outside the top 10 and fighting with Sanesi, when the veteran’s Ferrari-Jaguar left the road at Gueux. His car span and struck a concrete wall at moderate speed, and was transported to hospital. He suffered two broken arms and a fractured ankle.

Meanwhile, the race continued and Farina was taking advantage of the fight to pull out a sizeable gap without putting much strain on his car. By lap 47, his advantage was such that he decided to stop pushing. At the same time, de Graffenried dropped out of the fight to conserve his tyres, leaving Sanesi 17 laps to catch Farina. At the same time, further down the field, Felice Bonetto was having a miserable race, five laps behind. This race was ended at the Virage de la Garenne, when he spun on lap 50. At the same time, Reg Parnell was attempting to lap Alberto Ascari for the third time when Bonetto span ahead of both of them. Both aimed for the same gap and collided, ending both their races.

This was to be the last event of the race, however, as Serafini was unable to catch Farina, who became the first man to win multiple Formula 1 races. De Graffenried ended up lapped by Farina, but the lead he had developed early on was so large that he was still one lap ahead of Fangio and Taruffi, who rounded out the points. The Swiss therefore finished third, his third podium of the year, also racking up his second fastest lap. Serafini’s podium, in the meantime, elevated him to 23 points, compared to Fangio’s 21, giving him the championship lead, even though their official totals were 21 and 20 (with only the best four results counted).

Classification

Entry list

No Driver Entrant Chassis Engine
2 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png David Hampshire Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png EXTRAS ERA F-Type ERA 1.5 L6s
4 Flag of Italy svg.png Clemente Biondetti Flag of Italy svg.png Scuderia Maremmana Ferrari 166S Jaguar XK 3.4 L6
6 Flag of France svg.png Eugène Chaboud Flag of France svg.png Equipe Bugatti Bugatti T15 Bugatti 15C 1.5 L4s
8 Flag of France svg.png Eugène Martin Flag of France svg.png Equipe Bugatti Bugatti T15 Bugatti 15C 1.5 L4s
10 Flag of France svg.png Charles Pozzi Flag of France svg.png Equipe Bugatti Bugatti T15 Bugatti 15C 1.5 L4s
12 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Brian Shawe-Taylor Flag of Italy svg.png Scuderia Platé-Varzi Maserati 4CL Maserati 4CL 1.5 L4s
14 Flag of Belgium svg.png Jacques Swaters Flag of Belgium svg.png Ecurie Nationale Belge Ferrari 375 Ferrari 375 4.5 V12
16 Flag of France svg.png Hellé Nice Flag of France svg.png Hellé Nice Maserati 4CL Maserati 4CL 1.5 L4s
18 Flag of Belgium svg.png Johnny Claes Flag of Belgium svg.png Claes Racing Developments Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
20 Flag of Monaco svg.png Louis Chiron Flag of Belgium svg.png Claes Racing Developments Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
22 Flag of France svg.png Robert Manzon Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png/Flag of France svg.png Alexander Racing Team Gordini T15 Gordini 1.5 L4s
24 Flag of Italy svg.png Consalvo Sanesi Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png/Flag of France svg.png Alexander Racing Team Gordini T15 Gordini 1.5 L4s
26 Flag of France svg.png Yves Giraud-Cabantous Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png/Flag of France svg.png Alexander Racing Team Gordini T15 Gordini 1.5 L4s
28 Flag of France svg.png Aldo Gordini Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png/Flag of France svg.png Alexander Racing Team Gordini T15 Gordini 1.5 L4s
30 Flag of Italy svg.png Luigi Villoresi Flag of the United States svg.png Kurtis Kraft Kurtis Kraft 01 Ferrari 375 4.5 V12
32 Flag of Germany svg.png Hans Stuck Flag of the United States svg.png Kurtis Kraft Kurtis Kraft 01 Offenhauser 3.0 L4s
34 Flag of Italy svg.png Dorino Serafini Flag of Italy svg.png Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari 375 4.5 V12
36 Flag of Switzerland svg.png Toulo de Graffenried Flag of Italy svg.png Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari 375 4.5 V12
38 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Peter Whitehead Flag of Italy svg.png Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari 375 4.5 V12
40 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Reg Parnell Flag of Italy svg.png Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 375 Ferrari 375 4.5 V12
42 Flag of France svg.png Philippe Etancelin Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Jaguar Racing Jaguar A-Type Jaguar XK 3.4
44 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Bob Gerard Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Jaguar Racing Jaguar A-Type Jaguar XK 3.4
46 Flag of Italy svg.png Alberto Ascari Flag of Spain svg.png Phoenix Racing Organisation Phoenix PRO1-1 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
48 Flag of Argentina svg.png José Froilan Gonzalez Flag of Spain svg.png Phoenix Racing Organisation Phoenix PRO1-1 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
50 Flag of the United States svg.png Troy Ruttman Flag of the United States svg.png All American Racers AAR T1G Weslake 3.0 V12
52 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png George Abecassis Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png George Abecassis Alta GP Alta L4s
54 Flag of Ireland svg.png Joe Kelly Flag of Ireland svg.png Joe Kelly Alta GP Alta L4s
56 Flag of Argentina svg.png Juan Manuel Fangio Flag of Italy svg.png Alfa Romeo SpA Alfa Romeo 158/50 Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8s
58 Flag of Italy svg.png Giuseppe Farina Flag of Italy svg.png Alfa Romeo SpA Alfa Romeo 158/50 Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8s
60 Flag of France svg.png Maurice Trintignant Flag of Italy svg.png Alfa Romeo SpA Alfa Romeo 158/50 Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8s
62 Flag of the United States svg.png Myron Fohr Flag of Italy svg.png Alfa Romeo SpA Alfa Romeo 158/50 Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8s
64 Flag of Thailand svg.png B. Bira Flag of France svg.png Motorsport Bleu Talbot-Lago T26C Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6
66 Flag of France svg.png Louis Rosier Flag of France svg.png Motorsport Bleu Talbot-Lago T26C Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6
68 Flag of France svg.png Pierre Levegh Flag of France svg.png Motorsport Bleu Talbot-Lago T26C Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6
70 Flag of Italy svg.png Luigi Fagioli Flag of Italy svg.png Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
72 Flag of Italy svg.png Felice Bonetto Flag of Italy svg.png Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
74 Flag of Italy svg.png Piero Taruffi Flag of Italy svg.png Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
76 Flag of France svg.png Raymond Sommer Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin AM-01 Aston Martin 4.5 V6
78 Flag of France svg.png Jean-Louis Rosier Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Aston Martin Racing Aston Martin AM-01 Aston Martin 4.5 V6
n/a* Flag of France svg.png André Simon* Flag of Australia svg.png Redman Racing Team Maserati 4CLT/48 Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4s
  • André Simon attempted to enter after the entry list had closed

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Constructor Time Gap
1 58 Flag of Italy svg.png Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 2:31.8 -
2 34 Flag of Italy svg.png Dorino Serafini Ferrari 2:32.1 + 0.3
3 56 Flag of Argentina svg.png Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 2:32.1 + 0.3
4 60 Flag of France svg.png Maurice Trintignant Alfa Romeo 2:32.2 + 0.4
5 74 Flag of Italy svg.png Piero Taruffi Maserati 2:32.2 + 0.4
6 40 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Reg Parnell Ferrari 2:32.3 + 0.5
7 70 Flag of Italy svg.png Luigi Fagioli Maserati 2:32.7 + 0.9
8 36 Flag of Switzerland svg.png Toulo de Graffenried Ferrari 2:32.8 + 1.0
9 38 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Peter Whitehead Ferrari 2:32.9 + 1.1
10 18 Flag of Belgium svg.png Johnny Claes Maserati 2:33.3 + 1.5
11 72 Flag of Italy svg.png Felice Bonetto Maserati 2:33.4 + 1.6
12 26 Flag of France svg.png Yves Giraud-Cabantous Gordini 2:33.6 + 1.8
13 62 Flag of the United States svg.png Myron Fohr Alfa Romeo 2:33.7 + 1.9
14 48 Flag of Argentina svg.png José Froilan Gonzalez Phoenix-Maserati 2:33.9 + 2.1
15 76 Flag of France svg.png Raymond Sommer Aston Martin 2:34.2 + 2.4
16 22 Flag of France svg.png Robert Manzon Gordini 2:34.3 + 2.5
17 4 Flag of Italy svg.png Clemente Biondetti Ferrari-Jaguar 2:34.4 + 2.6
18 20 Flag of Monaco svg.png Louis Chiron Maserati 2:34.5 + 2.7
19 64 Flag of Thailand svg.png B. Bira Talbot-Lago-Talbot 2:35.3 + 3.5
20 78 Flag of France svg.png Jean-Louis Rosier Aston Martin 2:35.3 + 3.5
21 66 Flag of France svg.png Louis Rosier Talbot-Lago-Talbot 2:35.4 + 3.6
22 24 Flag of Italy svg.png Consalvo Sanesi Gordini 2:35.4 + 3.6
23 14 Flag of Belgium svg.png Jacques Swaters Ferrari 2:35.4 + 3.6
24 12 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Brian Shawe-Taylor Maserati 2:35.7 + 3.9
25 2 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png David Hampshire ERA 2:36.1 + 4.3
26 46 Flag of Italy svg.png Alberto Ascari Phoenix-Maserati 2:36.2 + 4.4
27 50 Flag of the United States svg.png Troy Ruttman AAR-Weslake 2:36.5 + 4.7
28 32 Flag of Germany svg.png Hans Stuck Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 2:36.5 + 4.7
29 68 Flag of France svg.png Pierre Levegh Talbot-Lago-Talbot 2:37.0 + 5.2
30 42 Flag of France svg.png Philippe Etancelin Jaguar 2:37.1 + 5.3
31 16 Flag of France svg.png Hellé Nice Maserati 2:37.3 + 5.5
32 28 Flag of France svg.png Aldo Gordini Gordini 2:37.4 + 5.6
33 52 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png George Abecassis Alta 2:37.7 + 5.9
34 30 Flag of Italy svg.png Luigi Villoresi Kurtis Kraft-Ferrari 2:38.0 + 6.2
35 44 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Bob Gerard Jaguar 2:38.2 + 6.4
36 54 Flag of Ireland svg.png Joe Kelly Alta 2:38.3 + 6.5
37 10 Flag of France svg.png Charles Pozzi Bugatti 2:39.2 + 7.4
38 6 Flag of France svg.png Eugène Chaboud Bugatti 2:39.5 + 7.7
39 8 Flag of France svg.png Eugène Martin Bugatti 2:40.1 + 8.3

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Pts
1 58 Flag of Italy svg.png Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 64 2:57:39.4 1 8
2 34 Flag of Italy svg.png Dorino Serafini Ferrari 64 + 1:35.9 2 6
3 36 Flag of Switzerland svg.png Toulo de Graffenried Ferrari 63 + 1 lap 8 5
4 56 Flag of Argentina svg.png Juan Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 62 + 2 laps 3 3
5 74 Flag of Italy svg.png Piero Taruffi Maserati 62 + 2 laps 5 2
6 26 Flag of France svg.png Yves Giraud-Cabantous Gordini 61 + 3 laps 12
7 20 Flag of Monaco svg.png Louis Chiron Maserati 60 + 4 laps 18
8 24 Flag of Italy svg.png Consalvo Sanesi Gordini 60 + 4 laps 22
9 18 Flag of Belgium svg.png Johnny Claes Maserati 60 + 4 laps 10
10 64 Flag of Thailand svg.png B. Bira Talbot-Lago-Talbot 59 + 5 laps 19
11 48 Flag of Argentina svg.png José Froilan Gonzalez Phoenix-Maserati 59 + 5 laps 14
12 14 Flag of Belgium svg.png Jacques Swaters Ferrari 58 + 6 laps 23
13 50 Flag of the United States svg.png Troy Ruttman AAR-Weslake 57 + 7 laps 27
14 12 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Brian Shawe-Taylor Maserati 57 + 7 laps 24
Ret 62 Flag of the United States svg.png Myron Fohr Alfa Romeo 51 Transmission 13
Ret 40 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Reg Parnell Ferrari 47 Collision 6
Ret 32 Flag of Germany svg.png Hans Stuck Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser 46 Engine 28
Ret 72 Flag of Italy svg.png Felice Bonetto Maserati 45 Spin 11
Ret 46 Flag of Italy svg.png Alberto Ascari Phoenix-Maserati 44 Collision 26
Ret 76 Flag of France svg.png Raymond Sommer Aston Martin 41 Oil line 15
Ret 60 Flag of France svg.png Maurice Trintignant Alfa Romeo 40 Engine 4
Ret 4 Flag of Italy svg.png Clemente Biondetti Ferrari-Jaguar 34 Accident 17
Ret 2 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png David Hampshire ERA 32 Gearbox 25
Ret 22 Flag of France svg.png Robert Manzon Gordini 26 Accident 16
Ret 66 Flag of France svg.png Louis Rosier Talbot-Lago-Talbot 24 Steering 21
Ret 70 Flag of Italy svg.png Luigi Fagioli Maserati 6 Transmission 7
Ret 38 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Peter Whitehead Ferrari 0 Spin 9
Ret 78 Flag of France svg.png Jean-Louis Rosier Aston Martin 0 Spin 20
DNQ 68 Flag of France svg.png Pierre Levegh Talbot-Lago-Talbot
DNQ 42 Flag of France svg.png Philippe Etancelin Jaguar
DNQ 16 Flag of France svg.png Hellé Nice Maserati
DNQ 28 Flag of France svg.png Aldo Gordini Gordini
DNQ 52 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png George Abecassis Alta
DNQ 30 Flag of Italy svg.png Luigi Villoresi Kurtis Kraft-Ferrari
DNQ 44 Flag of the United Kingdom svg.png Bob Gerard Jaguar
DNQ 54 Flag of Ireland svg.png Joe Kelly Alta
DNQ 10 Flag of France svg.png Charles Pozzi Bugatti
DNQ 6 Flag of France svg.png Eugène Chaboud Bugatti
DNQ 8 Flag of France svg.png Eugène Martin Bugatti
DNA Flag of France svg.png André Simon Maserati Late entry

Notes

Drivers

Constructors

  • First entry for Bugatti as an engine.

Entrants

Laps led

Records broken

Drivers

Constructors

Championship standings

Pos Driver Points
1 Flag of Italy svg.png Dorino Serafini 21 (23)
2 Flag of Argentina svg.png Juan Manuel Fangio 20 (21)
3 Flag of Switzerland svg.png Toulo de Graffenried 18 (19)
4 Flag of Italy svg.png Giuseppe Farina 16
5 Flag of Monaco svg.png Louis Chiron 9
  • Only the top five positions are listed.
Previous race:
1950 Belgian Grand Prix
Alternate Formula 1 World Championship
1950 Season
Next race:
1950 Italian Grand Prix
Previous race:
None
French Grand Prix Next race:
1951 French Grand Prix