Formula 1 - we recreate reality! 1951 season

[dr-baker]

Sounds like some people are this.

[Shadaza]

AMWYAREBFOBCDNQ

Awkward Moment Where You Are Really Excited But Find Out Both Cars Did Not Qualify.

ever the optimist!

[tommykl]

May 26th 1951, Monaco Grand Prix qualifying

After the huge success that was the 1950 season of Formula 1, and the consequent growing entry lists, the FIA decided to shorten the entry lists by imposing an entry cap based on positions in the new-for-1951 Entrant's Championship. With Monaco not counting towards the cap, the entry list is still rather big. With 38 cars initially entered, withdrawals due to ineligible drivers shortened the list down to 35 cars, competing for 20 spots on the grid.

2. Clemente Biondetti (Scuderia Maremmana)
4. Manfred von Brauchitsch (Scuderia Maremmana)
6. Alberto Ascari (Phoenix Racing Organisation)
8. José Froilan Gonzalez (Phoenix Racing Organisation)
10. David Hampshire (Hampshire Racing Alliance)
12. Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo SpA)
14. Juan Manuel Fangio (Alfa Romeo SpA)
16. Stirling Moss (Alfa Romeo SpA)
18. Paul Pietsch (Alfa Romeo SpA)
20. Hans von Stuck (Scuderia Platé-Varzi)
22. Dorino Serafini (Scuderia Ferrari)
24. Toulo de Graffenried (Scuderia Ferrari)
26. Peter Whitehead (Scuderia Ferrari)
28. Eugène Martin (Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing)
30. Luigi Villoresi (Ferrari America)
32. Louis Chiron (Ferrari America)
34. Bob Gerard (Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing)
36. Philippe Etancelin (Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing)
38. Maurice Trintignant (Scuderia Belgio)
40. André Pilette (Scuderia Belgio)
42. Eugène Chaboud (Equipe de France)
44. Tony Bettenhausen (Alexander Racing Team)
46. Robert Manzon (Alexander Racing Team)
48. Yves Giraud-Cabantous (Alexander Racing Team)
50. Consalvo Sanesi (Alexander Racing Team)
52. Paul Frère (Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing)
54. Pierre Levegh (Motorsport Bleu)
56. Piero Taruffi (Team Metcalf GP)
58. Georges Grignard (Scuderia Commesso)
60. Chico Landi (Scuderia Commesso)
62. Johnny Claes (Claes Racing Developments)
64. André Simon (Claes Racing Developments)
66. Giovanni Bracco (Scuderia Ambrosiana)
68. Jacques Swaters (Garage Francorchamps)
70. Franco Rol (Redman Racing Team)

The first team to enter the championship this season was Scuderia Maremmana, soldiering with their Ferrari-Jaguars. Clemente Biondetti was still there as first driver, having recovered from his broken legs in France last season, with Manfred von Brauchitsch's impressive drive in Belgium securing him a full-time drive at the Italian team.

Phoenix were very disappointed with their 1950 campaign, and for good reason. With confirmed drivers on their line-up, the car was simply not up to the task, and the team, who did not want to blame their chassis, traded their Maserati engines for Ferrari powerplants, while keeping the same drivers. Time will tell if it was the right choice.

After the demise of the EXTRAS team last season, David Hampshire desperately wanted to continue racing, and therefore bought a couple of Altas to compete in the 1951 season. The problem is that the car is not known for its pace, and the driver himself is relatively inexperienced at an international level. Not much is expected from them anytime soon.

Alfa Romeo would have won the constructors' championship last season had such a thing existed, and they thoroughly deserved it, by winning more than half of the season's races, two times more than their nearest rivals Ferrari and Maserati. Giuseppe Farina won the driver's title after Fangio had let it slip away in the final two races, and it doesn't look like the team are on their way down. The only flaw in the team is the driver lineup, with Paul Pietsch being given the third car despite not impressing that much in his one-off race last season, and almost complete rookie Stirling Moss in the other car. In Moss' case, he won last year's Monaco GP in F3, so everyone has high hopes of this young driver.

Scuderia Platé-Varzi are a bit of a mistery right now. No one knows who's running it, as one of its namesakes is dead and the other is more-or-less missing. All we know is that they inherited the works Maseratis when the team decided to cease operations after the last season, when they were beaten by CRD, their customers. Hans Von Stuck is driving for the team, and their year could turn out in any possible way.

Ferrari are pretty much like Alfa Romeo. They should have won the driver's championship with Dorino Serafini, which would have been one of the biggest upsets in motor racing history. The team are poised for another year at the front battling with Alfa Romeo, but they have made what seems to be a mistake by only entering three cars in Monaco. Time will tell if it's a mistake or just part of a bigger picture.

Last season's two reject teams from Britain have combined to form what looks like a super-reject team from Britain. With Jaguar making the chassis and Aston Martin the engine, it looks like a match made in hell rather than in heaven, and even their choice of drivers are quite questionable, with only Etancelin and Gerard having extensive experience. It's goind to be a long year for them.

Ferrari America is the new name of the Kurtis Kraft team, who are now running Ferraris. Sticking with Villoresi and signing Louis Chiron, who was unbelievably sacked by CRD last season. The team itself is inexperienced, but the drivers have a good reputation and the car has proven to be very quick indeed. It's hard to predict how they'll do.

Ecurie Nationale Belge are one of the most mysterious teams there is in terms of performance. With cars entered for every race last season, they never scored points. However, a deal struck with Alfa Romeo allowed them to get two works-condition chassis to enter for every race this season in exchange for Stirling Moss. In addition, ENB obtained the services of Maurice Trintignant alongside André Pilette, Eugène Chaboud and Jacques Swaters, at least for this race, as many drivers are signed up for the team along the year. However, all the different chassis used by the outfit mean that they will be using different names: Scuderia Belgio for Alfas, Garage Francorchamps for Ferraris and Maseratis and Equipe de France for Bugattis.

Alexander Racing Team were one of last year's surprises. They finished in every points scoring position once last year, apart from first, and the permanent return of Tony Bettenhausen will be a certain boost to the team. They are expected to take their first victory this year, and nothing seems to be standing in the way of them taking the fight to Alfa and Ferrari, especially with the four-car superteam.

Motorsport Bleu's end to the season was awfully disappointing, with Rosier failing to qualify in Italy and Bira crashing out after a miserable start to the race. It got worse, as the team failed to correctly send their entries for this race, with only their intended third driver Levegh arriving. Without more trouble, Rosier and Bira will have to do their damnded best to get more points, with the ever-slowing Talbot-Lago.

Claes Racing Developments had a very inconsistent 1950 season to say the least, but many a paddock personality was shocked when Johnny fired his star driver Louis Chiron, only to replace him with the virtually unknown André Simon. At least the confidence boost and the Maserati chassis and engines should mean a decent season, but he absence of a big name at the wheel could hamper their chances at big points.

Redman Racing Team are in the same boat as Platé-Varzi. Running customer Maseratis, mysteriously appearing at the end of last season. Franco Rol is a good, consistent driver, and should score a few top tens at least, but it's hard to predict anything about this team.

To end this season preview, I'll talk about all the new teams for this season. Two of them, Metcalf and Commesso, have come from nowhere, with only Scuderia Ambrosiana having been present in a few previous non-championship races. They all have one thing in common: all are making their own chassis. Metcalf are even making their engine in-house, while Commesso and Ambrosiana will use Ferrari and Maserati powerplants respectively. Despite this disadvantage, Metcalf should have the upper hand, as Piero Taruffi's sheer speed behind the wheel could be enough to get the car in places it shouldn't be, while Bracco, Landi and Grignard are all relative unknowns.

Qualifying

1. Dorino Serafini (Ferrari) - 1:47.5
Serafini showed everyone why he was a championship contender last season by taking a dominant pole position at Monaco. Only a slight wobble at Massenet troubled his lap, and he stormed to pole position for the first race of the year.

2. Juan Manuel Fangio (Alfa Romeo) - 1:48.1
Fangio confirmed that he would be at the front in 1951. An average start to the lap prevented him from taking the pole from Serafini, but his final few corners showed that he hadn't lost the talent he had showed at the start of 1950.

3. Tony Bettenhausen (Gordini) - 1:48.4
It was obviously worth the wait for ART, who had to make do without the American for the final few races of 1950. The Tinley Park Express esnt a message to the top teams that the Gordinis would be a force to be reckoned with for the coming season, with a sublime lap despite running very wide at the Gazomètre.

4. Robert Manzon (Gordini) - 1:48.8
Manzon's lap was just immensely beautiful. He gave it his all in the first part, but seemed to have run out of pace in the final few corners. No matter, as his performance is good enough for a top-5 grid spot.

5. Yves Giraud-Cabantous (Gordini) - 1:49.0
As if 3rd and 4th wasn't enough for ART, Yves had to go and take fifth place. His lap was all about smoothness, and a small slide at Tabac was the only thing that troubled his concentration. A superb performance by the Frenchman.

6. Jacques Swaters (Ferrari) - 1:49.1
His start to the lap may have been slow, but his run from Casino to Portier was simply sublime. The young Belgian is a man to watch for the future.

7. Toulo de Graffenried (Ferrari) - 1:49.3
The Swiss baron wasn't what you could call stunning on his lap, but unlike Whitehead he actually got the job done. He was on course for a top-5 grid slot, but he got the line wrong through the chicane. Nevertheless, he was good enough and seventh place is still a good place to be.

8. Consalvo Sanesi (Gordini) - 1:49.4
To complete ART's 3-4-5, Sanesi drove a cool lap to take a top-ten spot on the grid. Everyone knows he can do better, but he proved that he fully deserved his podium at Monza.

9. Stirling Moss (Alfa Romeo) - 1:49.5
Moss started off his lap with a bang, but apparently got a bit of a scare after a close shave with the barriers at Gazomètre. He kept his head cool and finished off the lap decently, beating two of his teammates in the process. Experience will give him the confidence to give more around the lap, but still a good performance by the young rookie.

10. José Froilan Gonzalez (Phoenix-Ferrari) - 1:49.8
His lap wasn't particularly quick-looking, but Gonzalez was very fast indeed for the car he was driving. However, it does look like the decision to use Ferrari engines worked out for the better for Phoenix, and the team will definitely be celebrating their first top-ten spot on the grid.

11. Hans Von Stuck (Maserati) - 1:49.8
Like Gonzalez, Stuck's lap was very impressive. Had he been driving a factory car, he would definitely have been in the top-ten, maybe even the top-five. Give this team more experience and they'll be scoring points in no time.

12. Johnny Claes (Maserati) - 1:49.9
The Belgian started off his lap quite well, but, in his typical unimpressive style, gave up the fight and just kept on the pace without giving it his all, content with his pace. It all combined to make an average lap, enough to make the grid. He'll have to do better if he wants to score points anytime soon, though.

13. Clemente Biondetti (Ferrari-Jaguar) - 1:50.1
The Italian was scruffy for the first few corners, probably age showing, but caught up the lost time beautifully, with his Mille Miglia-winning talent showing up. He could have done a better lap had he been younger, probably, but he should be satisfied with his place on the grid.

14. Franco Rol (Maserati) - 1:50.2
Ditto Biondetti, really. He was very messy for the first part of the lap, but his experience made the difference between starting the race and going home early as he found the best line through Portier and Tabac. The jury is still out on this driver.

15. André Simon (Maserati) - 1:50.3
Honestly, with the team's dropping pace and Simon's total lack of championship experience, no one expected him to qualify, or at least not in the top fifteen. Simon's lap was respectable, and only some slight wheelspin at Portier showed his inexperience. A nice clean lap by the Frenchman, and a thoroughly deserved place on the grid.

16. Piero Taruffi (Metcalf) - 1:50.5
Now, seriously, who gave this team a chance in hell of making the grid? On paper, Taruffi should have packed up after the session, and the car proved to be ill-handling and lacking grunt. Still, after getting to grips with the car, Taruffi pulled out an exceptional lap to get on the grid. Not much is expected from the team in the race, but the simple fact of qualifying should be a good motivation in the coming races.

17. Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo) - 1:50.6
Farina was immensely disappointing. It looked like he was lapping without a goal, like he didn't care. Only his car's pace and his natural talent and experience kept him from failing to qualify. Not a performance worthy of a World Champion.

18. Peter Whitehead (Ferrari) - 1:50.6
His lap was as disappointing as Farina's, but his lack of pace was slightly more forgiveable, as his third-driver status means that he isn't exactly the team's greatest hope for points. Still, he could have and should have done better. His car and experience alone would be enough to get him a spot in the top ten without pushing, but he was simply all over the place.

19. Louis Chiron (Ferrari) - 1:50.7
See above. Even though the team would be happy just to get on the grid after their dismal season last year, Chiron was scruffy all around the circuit and just couldn't get to grips with the car. Making the start is essential to the team, and hopefully they'll gain more experience as the season progresses.

20. Paul Pietsch (Alfa Romeo) - 1:50.8
As sad as it is, it's hard to know whether Pietsch's pace was impressive or disappointing. His early retirement in Italy wasn't enough to show exactly what he was worth. All we know is, he'll start in last place on the grid and have another chance to prove that he deserves a place at Alfa Romeo.

21. Maurice Trintignant (Alfa Romeo) - 1:50.9
Trintignant's performance was quite shameful. He made a few mistakes early on in the lap then seemed to lose confidence. He should have done much better. Him in that car should have been enough for a spot in the top ten, yet he threw it all away and ended in 21st, the hardest place to be at Monaco.

22. André Pilette (Alfa Romeo) - 1:51.0
Even though his time was worse than his teammate, he was much closer to him than expected, although that was mainly due to Trintignant's complete lack of pace. In fact, he had his spot on the grid sealed going into Tabac, but got big oversteer. With such a close field, it was unforgiving, and he failed to qualify by just two tenths thanks to his mistake turning a halfway-decent lap into a slight failure.

23. Chico Landi (Commesso-Ferrari) - 1:51.0
Even though his lap looked slow, Landi was really on fire. At some point, it looked like he might have been able to qualify, which would have been a victory for the team, but it wasn't to be. If he continues to perform like this, though, Landi might be able to spring a surprise or two in the car.

24. Philippe Etancelin (Jaguar-Aston Martin) - 1:51.2
He was in the same boat as Landi. On paper, he had no chance to qualify, but gave it his all. In fact, he was on course for a top-15 grid spot, but gave it too much. It looked like he had a momentary lapse of concentration at lightly brushed the kerb at Portier, which probably affected his steering, as the car was really a handful to drive for the final few corners, ultimately putting the Frenchman's hopes of qualification to a rest.

25. Manfred von Brauchitsch (Ferrari-Jaguar) - 1:51.4
After his performance in Belgium last year, it looked like a good idea to sign von Brauchitsch for the season, but he looked physically uncapable of driving his car at high speed. Von Brauchitsch's performance wasn't hugely embarrassing, but it was still massively disappointing as he just kept on losing time for the entire lap. Retirement is coming soon, I fear.

26. Luigi Villoresi (Ferrari) - 1:51.4
What will disappoint Ferrari America is that Villoresi threw away a perfectly good chance to qualify by being far too agressive for the final few corners, losing tons of time by sliding the car. What will cheer them up is that the car is perfectly able to be competitive. This year will definitely turn out better than the last.

27. Eugène Chaboud (Bugatti) - 1:51.6
Nothing much to say here. Chaboud was just on par with what was expected of him, as in non-qualification due to a very slow car. There is nothing to be ashamed of on the driver's part, but the chassis desperately needs to improve, or it'll be another long year.

28. Alberto Ascari (Phoenix-Ferrari) - 1:51.9
On a day where Gonzalez got himself into the top ten, Ascari had to be nowhere all day. He was quite simply slow, all over the place in some corners. Maybe he hasn't gotten used to the nex engine yet, but it's not enough to justify such an underwhelming performance. He'll have to improve greatly, his career is at risk.

29. David Hampshire (Alta) - 1:52.0
It was actually a decent performance by Hampshire. Such an inexperienced driver in such an underdeveloped car should by no right have even been inside the top-30, even if he was helped by some disappointing laptimes by other drivers. He should be able to easily qualify at some of the longer tracks, should he keep on performing like this.

30. Eugène Martin (Jaguar-Aston Martin) - 1:52.3
Martin could arguably have done better, but he would have had to pull out a daredevil lap to qualify the thing. The car is obviously lacking any sort of pace and will be leaving both manufacturers wondering why on earth they ever thought of teaming up.

31. Paul Frère (Jaguar-Aston Martin) - 1:52.6
His performance may have been overall underwhelming, but for a man of his inexperience, he couldn't really have done much better, especially with such a car. Give him more experience, and he may very well be the man to pull this team forward.

32. Pierre Levegh (Talbot-Lago-Talbot) - 1:52.6
Most people expected Motorsport Bleu to be slightly further back than last season, but no one thought thhey would fail to qualify, especially by such a margin. To tell you the truth, Levegh just seemed out of his depth despite his great experience. No mistake stood out, but he just looked off the pace, struggling to find the right line. An extremely disappointing performance.

33. Georges Grignard (Commesso-Ferrari) - 1:52.6
New driver; new car, new entrant...The only thing that Grignard had going for him was the Ferrari engine, but he didn't have the necessary experience to get anything out of it. Sadly, his performance looks more like what Commesso is likely to experience for the season rather than Landi's.

34. Bob Gerard (Jaguar-Aston Martin) - 1:52.8
It was obvious that this was Gerard's first visit to Monaco, as he struggled to get to grips with the track more than he did with the car, which wasn't much help either. The single-lap qualifying system isn't really the best in terms of giving rookies better shots, so Gerard didn't have much going for him. Even so, when looking at the performances of Swaters and Landi, it's obvious that it's not really an excuse. He'll have to improve.

35. Giovanni Bracco (Ambrosiana-Maserati) - 1:53.6
As it turned out, Scuderia Ambrosiana's attempt at making their own car was far from a success, although it wasn't helped by Bracco, who was desperately in need of previous single-seater experience, which he didn't have. At a track like Monaco, it's especially difficult, but he was still pretty embarrassing, and both he and the team deserve last place in the session.

[AdrianSutil]

ART: Continue to build on success.

It seems that many team this year have either changed their drivers, chassis' or engines after 1950, but Alexander Racing Team have kept everything the same, and it seems to be paying off. 3rd, 4th, 5th and 8th for the for drivers at Monaco qualifying has made the Italian's of Alfa Romeo and Ferrari sit up and take notice. This French/British team are here for the fight. Amédee Gordini made a rare public appearance at Monaco, and briefly talked about ART's chances for 1951, "We keep everything same. Same chassis, same engine and same drivers. We see it work in past, it will work in future". Only time will tell if ART can really mix it at the front, but if a part-British part-French team can take a Championship this year, it would certainly rub the Italian's noses in it.

[Phoenix]

The result for González has been simply well above expectations, which confirms we have made progresses overall. But we don't fully understand Ascari's below par performance. We're checking both the chassis and the engine to see if something was misfiring.

[wmetcalf68]

Go Pierro! Awesome qualifying!

[eurobrun]

From round 2 onwards Scuderia Commesso has decided to stop using their own chassis and use an old Maserati chassis instead.

[JeremyMcClean]

What on earth?....

[AdrianSutil]

From round 2 onwards Scuderia Commesso has decided to stop using their own chassis and use an old Maserati chassis instead.

I don't think you can. Chassis and engine pairings have been locked for the year.

[eurobrun]

From round 2 onwards Scuderia Commesso has decided to stop using their own chassis and use an old Maserati chassis instead.

I don't think you can. Chassis and engine pairings have been locked for the year.

OK, Reject of the Year here I come

[AdrianSutil]

From round 2 onwards Scuderia Commesso has decided to stop using their own chassis and use an old Maserati chassis instead.

I don't think you can. Chassis and engine pairings have been locked for the year.

OK, Reject of the Year here I come

Have a battle with Jaguar-Aston Martin

[This]

Swaters was supposed to drive a Maserati (like mentioned in your own entry list), but if you raced his Ferrari per accident, it's not a problem, then i'll just have to change the Indy entry.

Now come on, i entered 2 top cars, a top driver, and he can't qualify while i can easily qualify? Maurice, you need to perform better!
You must know i have excellent drivers to replace you, so has the Alfa Works team! Now i can't say a bad word about my own results, let's hope i can master this track

It was because that Ambriosiana car was spilling all kinds of dirt and car parts on the track!

Oh, that reject car, well,...

Well, i'll be playing cards and drinking a beer with Paul (Frère) again it seems. Impressive car, that Alfa-Romeo, took some time to get used to.
Better luck next time. It doesn't seem a good idea to drive for Jaguar-Aston in Belgium as they performed average, but i think their car just didn't suit Monaco, and
that i will be competitive in Spa!

Why am i even still doing this?

[FantometteBR]

Midfield grid place? More than I expected!

Hope Papa Hans can make the car run good and pick up some points!

[Moda92]

35. Giovanni Bracco (Ambrosiana-Maserati) - 1:53.6
As it turned out, Scuderia Ambrosiana's attempt at making their own car was far from a success, although it wasn't helped by Bracco, who was desperately in need of previous single-seater experience, which he didn't have. At a track like Monaco, it's especially difficult, but he was still pretty embarrassing, and both he and the team deserve last place in the session.!

Oh Dear. Let's hope things go better in our next race, or else I'll have to think about a driver change.

Anyway, I'd like to enter Bracco one more time for Spa please.

[tommykl]

From round 2 onwards Scuderia Commesso has decided to stop using their own chassis and use an old Maserati chassis instead.

I don't think you can. Chassis and engine pairings have been locked for the year.

Actually, you can change when you want. I just made that post to be sure to get all the new teams right, because most of them had only stated team names and drivers. You may indeed use a Maserati chassis from Indy onwards.

Swaters was supposed to drive a Maserati (like mentioned in your own entry list), but if you raced his Ferrari per accident, it's not a problem, then i'll just have to change the Indy entry.

I actually raced him in a Maserati, but forgot that when I wrote the results.

35. Giovanni Bracco (Ambrosiana-Maserati) - 1:53.6
As it turned out, Scuderia Ambrosiana's attempt at making their own car was far from a success, although it wasn't helped by Bracco, who was desperately in need of previous single-seater experience, which he didn't have. At a track like Monaco, it's especially difficult, but he was still pretty embarrassing, and both he and the team deserve last place in the session.!

Oh Dear. Let's hope things go better in our next race, or else I'll have to think about a driver change.

Anyway, I'd like to enter Bracco one more time for Spa please.

OK.

[Shadaza]

Ferrari America have mixed feelings, on the one hand to see the cars 19th and 26th in last years race winning cars is hardly inspiring, compared to last years disaster this is a plus, Chiron's 19th on the grid surpasses Von Stucks best effort of 20th last season. So qualifying at Monaco, where it is the hardest of the season should mean that we expect to qualify for all races with all cars. That is a plus!

[East Londoner]

I knew I probably was not to qualify the Alta here, due to the grid restrictions, but to outpace so many drivers in a car that, to bluntly put it, did not deserve to be there is a triumph in itself.

[eurobrun]

Can I have a third car for Chico Landi in any races there is still a vacant spot.

[simonracer]

REDMAN RACING TEAM:
"Simon says - Jump around! Do a dance! We qualified. That's great."

[simonracer]

By the way, we really need more cars racing at Indianapolis.

EDIT: The Robert William Racing Team - a spin off of the Redman Racing Team (its name comes from my two middle names) would like to enter two Kurtis Kraft-Offenhausers for Mike Nazaruk and Duke Nalon.

[tommykl]

May 27th 1950, Monaco Grand Prix

Once again, I will post reviews as a driver-by-driver deal, now with a precise recap of their positions for every lap.

1. Robert Manzon (Gordini) 3:08:38.4
Manzon's performance was absolutely fantastic. His start to the race was stunning, but not as stunning as Fangio's, and it took Manzon 25 laps to catch up. The battle commenced and lasted 7 laps before the Frenchman permanently disposed of the Argentine. He just kept on building his lead until the end of the race. With four laps to go, he decided his lead was large enough and eased off, already celebrating before the end of the race. He scores the full nine points as he also scored the fastest lap of the race. At 34, Manzon is the youngest drivre to win a Formula 1 race.

1st: 71 laps (26, 28, 30, 33-100)
2nd: 23 laps (7-25, 27, 29, 31-32)
4th: 6 laps (1-6)

2. Consalvo Sanesi (Gordini) +2 laps
Come to think of it, Sanesi's podium isn't that impressive. He already finished third in Italy last year, was driving one of the best cars of the moment, took advantage of the main challengers' retirements and Serafini's off-day and still finished two laps behind his winning teammate. Still, it was a good showing and he showed that he knows how to finish a race well and stay out of trouble, and also his skill in close combat, scrambling with Serafini for most of the race. A well-deserved 1-2 for ART.

2nd: 39 laps (43-61, 66-67, 78-89, 91-92, 95-98)
3rd: 22 laps (37-41, 62-65, 68-77, 90, 93-94)
4th: 9 laps (15, 30-36, 42)
5th: 17 laps (10, 13-14, 16-29)
6th: 1 lap (12)
7th: 4 laps (6-8, 11)
8th: 1 lap (5)
9th: 4 laps (2-4, 9)
10th: 1 lap (1)

3. Dorino Serafini (Ferrari) +2 laps
After the retirements of the main contenders, you would have though Serafini would naturally have won, and that's probably what he thought as well. As it turned out, Serafini never seemed to be giving it his all. He wasn't off the pace, but it definitely looked like he could be goind a lot quicker. Maybe he thought Manzon would retire, allowing him to claim an easy victory in the attrition race, but he didn't retire, and Serafini also got beaten to the line by Consalvo Sanesi. Let this be a lesson: never underestimate your rivals.

2nd: 20 laps (1-3, 62-65, 68-77, 90, 93-94)
3rd: 58 laps (4-11, 13, 15-16, 30-36, 42-61, 66-67, 78-89, 91-92, 95-98)
4th: 20 laps (12, 14, 17-29, 37-41)

4. Paul Pietsch (Alfa Romeo) +3 laps
Even in a race of high attrition and with such a good car, it was a brilliant display of overtaking by Pietsch. His pace was consistent and fast, but he was held up by traffic very often due to his lowly starting position. Nevertheless, he scored his first ever points and Alfa Romeo's first of the year. His performance was undoubtedly the best of the race.

4th: 6 laps (84, 93-97)
5th: 17 laps (58, 71-74, 78-83, 85-86, 89-92)
6th: 4 laps (76-77, 87-88)
7th: 2 laps (70, 75)
8th: 5 laps (53, 56, 59-60, 69)
9th: 8 laps (50, 55, 57, 61, 65-68)
10th: 5 laps (49, 51-52, 54, 64)
11th: 9 laps (13-14, 44-48, 62-63)
12th: 6 laps (15-16, 40-43)
13th: 6 laps (25, 30, 32-33, 38-39)
14th: 7 laps (11, 22, 31, 34-37)
15th: 13 laps (5, 7-10, 12, 18-21, 24, 26, 29)
16th: 5 laps (6, 17, 23, 27-28)
17th: 1 lap (4)
18th: 1 lap (3)
19th: 1 lap (2)
20th: 1 lap (1)

5. Franco Rol (Maserati) +4 laps
Despite a frankly bad start to the race, Rol was able to take advantage of the attrition and claw his way back up the field and into the final points-paying position by a whisker, crossing the line a car's length ahead of Johnny Claes in a race where half the drivers fell by the wayside. This result should be a great boost for the team.

5th: 2 laps (95-96)
6th: 3 laps (92-94)
7th: 2 laps (90-91)
8th: 3 laps (87-89)
9th: 5 laps (82-86)
10th: 4 laps (78-81)
11th: 10 laps (68-77)
12th: 23 laps (17, 19, 46, 48-67)
13th: 5 laps (5, 11, 18, 45, 47)
14th: 12 laps (4, 6, 9-10, 12, 14, 20-21, 23-24, 43-44)
15th: 18 laps (1, 13, 15-16, 22, 30-42)
16th: 4 laps (2-3, 25, 29)
17th: 4 laps (7, 26-28)
18th: 1 lap (8)

6. Johnny Claes (Maserati) +4 laps
Claes' performance was comparable to Serafini's in the fact that he thought attrition alone would be enough to secure some points. He didn't give it his all, and after settling on fifth place, he was passed for the final points position by Franco Rol and Toulo de Graffenried with just two laps to go, and he only regained sixth thanks to the Swiss' retirement with one lap left.

4th: 20 laps (43-56, 87-92)
5th: 10 laps (32-34, 39, 41-42, 68, 75, 93-94)
6th: 21 laps (14-16, 30-31, 36-38, 40, 57, 69-70, 80-86, 95-96)
7th: 20 laps (13, 17-19, 21-22, 26-29, 35, 59-61, 64, 67, 72, 74, 76-77)
8th: 8 laps (12, 23-24, 66, 71, 73, 78-79)
9th: 6 laps (5, 7, 20, 25, 62-63)
10th: 7 laps (6, 8-11, 58, 65)
11th: 2 laps (2-3)
12th: 2 laps (1, 4)

7. Peter Whitehead (Ferrari) +5 laps
Whitehead's race could have been good and he should have scored points. Sadly, his lowly starting position and his difficulty getting through traffic prevented him from even reaching the top ten before lap 33. By then, the leaders were too far ahead, but he didn't give up and raced as if it never happened. Given twenty more laps, he may have made it into the points.

5th: 3 laps (47-49)
6th: 4 laps (50, 52-53, 62)
7th: 15 laps (44-46, 54-56, 85-89, 92-95)
8th: 9 laps (43, 51, 57, 63, 82-84, 90-91)
9th: 13 laps 34, 36, 39-42, 58, 71, 77-81)
10th: 10 laps (33, 35, 68-70, 72-76)
11th: 11 laps (31-32, 37-38, 59-61, 64-67)
12th: 4 laps (26-27, 29-30)
13th: 3 laps (21-23)
14th: 2 laps (13, 28)
15th: 2 laps (14, 25)
16th: 5 laps (7, 12, 15, 19, 24)
17th: 9 laps (1, 8-11, 16-18, 20)
18th: 2 laps (2, 6)
19th: 2 laps (3, 5)
20th: 1 lap (4)

8. André Simon (Maserati) +7 laps
He may not have been particularly fast or competitve, but he showed good focus and consistency and actually made it to the end, unlike some other, more experienced drivers. Not a bad first race for a rookie.

8th: 2 laps (92-93)
9th: 2 laps (90-91)
10th: 4 laps (37, 87-89)
11th: 11 laps (30, 33-36, 43, 82-86)
12th: 19 laps (31-32, 38-39, 44-45, 47, 70-81)
13th: 24 laps (40-42, 46, 48-65, 68-69)
14th: 9 laps (1-3, 15-16, 18, 29, 66-67)
15th: 3 laps (17, 27-28)
16th: 4 laps (5, 14, 20, 26)
17th: 8 laps (6, 13, 19, 21-25)
18th: 3 laps (4, 11-12)
19th: 4 laps (7-10)

9. Hans Von Stuck (Maserati) +7 laps
By all rights, his middle stint alone should have been enough to finish higher, but he lost buckets of pace in the last 20 laps, dropping the ball bigtime. Anyway, the team should be glad to even finish the race, which will allow them a greater amount of entries for the next race than other teams.

5th: 4 laps (52-53, 56-57)
6th: 5 laps (54-55, 59-61)
7th: 5 laps (43, 51, 58, 63, 65)
8th: 11 laps (31, 35, 38-42, 44-45, 62, 68)
9th: 20 laps (32-33, 37, 46-49, 64, 69-70, 72-76, 87-89, 92-93)
10th: 15 laps (30, 34, 36, 50, 66-67, 71, 77, 82-86, 90-91)
11th: 11 laps (1, 21-23, 25, 28-29, 78-81)
12th: 5 laps (2, 5, 10-11, 20)
13th: 11 laps (3-4, 6, 9, 12-16, 24, 27)
14th: 5 laps (7-8, 17, 19, 26)
16th: 1 lap (18)

10. Toulo de Graffenried (Ferrari) +9 laps/Suspension
Despite an average start to the race, he slowly gained position after position and a bit before the halfway point of the race, he was in the points. He spent most of the last parts of the race in fourth place, some way behind the fight between Serafini and Sanesi. Indeed, he had also been unpleasantly surprised by Manzon's pace and was four laps down at the time of his retirement due to a suspension failure. This retirement allowed Franco Rol to gain fifth place and heads are probably going to roll at Maranello.

4th: 27 laps (57-60, 62-65, 67-83, 85-86)
5th: 14 laps (3, 8-9, 12, 30-31, 35, 54-55, 61, 66, 84, 87-88)
6th: 25 laps (4-7, 13, 17-29, 32-33, 51, 56, 89-91)
7th: 12 laps (1-2, 10, 14-16, 34, 36-37, 50, 52-53)
8th: 5 laps (11, 46-49)
9th: 2 laps (38, 45)
10th: 3 laps (39, 43-44)
11th: 3 laps (40-42)

11. Piero Taruffi (Metcalf) +13 laps
Taruffi was hopeless all race, probably demotivated. And who wouldn't be, driving this horrible dog of a car. His experience meant he wasn't a nuisance to all drivers lapping him, he knew how to keep out of the way, but he'll be wondering why he signed for Metcalf. At least he completed more than 75% of the race, meaning he was classified, as well as every retired driver who completed more laps than he did.

11th: 1 lap (87)
12th: 5 laps (82-86)
13th: 4 laps (78-81)
14th: 10 laps (68-77)
15th: 26 laps (2, 43-67)
16th: 17 laps (1, 4, 8-9, 30-42)
17th: 2 laps (3, 29)
18th: 19 laps (5, 7, 10, 13-28)
19th: 3 laps (6, 11-12)

DNF. Clemente Biondetti (Ferrari-Jaguar) +14 laps/Driveshaft
Biondetti didn't do anything particularly noteworthy and wasn't really part of the main competition. However, he consistently managed to keep his car inside the top ten and was even sixth at one point. He was eighth when his car started to splutter, and he retired two laps later.

5th: 2 laps (69-70)
6th: 6 laps (58, 63, 67-68, 71, 78)
7th: 7 laps (62, 66, 73, 79, 82-84)
8th: 21 laps (14-15, 18, 20-22, 30, 54-55, 61, 64-65, 72, 74-77, 80-81, 85-86)
9th: 12 laps (13, 17, 19, 23-24, 27, 29, 43-44, 56, 59-60)
10th: 16 laps (4, 16, 25-26, 28, 31-32, 38, 40-42, 45-48, 57)
11th: 14 laps (5-12, 39, 49-53)
12th: 6 laps (3, 33-37)
13th: 2 laps (1-2)

DNF. Stirling Moss (Alfa Romeo) +19 laps/Engine
Not too shabby a drive by Moss. He wasn't really on fire, but his knowledge of the track helped him greatly as he kept away from trouble. He was on the pace, too, albeit with the followers, not with Manzon, and he was briefly in the points towards lap 75. Engine woes prevented him from finishing the race, but Alfa Romeo have definitely made the right driver choice. And thanks to Pietsch, he'll be allowed to drive for the whole season.

5th: 2 laps (76-77)
6th: 12 laps (43-46, 64-66, 72-75, 79)
7th: 16 laps (9, 20, 38-42, 47-49, 68-69, 71, 78, 80-81)
8th: 12 laps (6, 16-17, 25, 32-34, 36-37, 50, 67, 70)
9th: 14 laps (1, 8, 10-12, 26, 28, 30-31, 35, 51-54)
10th: 21 laps (2-3, 5, 7, 13-15, 18-19, 21-24, 27, 29, 55, 59-63)
11th: 4 laps (4, 56-58)

DNF. Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo) +23 laps/Spun off
Farina's performance could be qualified as enigmatic. He was slow off the start, bringing up the field ahead of only Taruffi, then came to life around lap 20 and rose up to eleventh place before dropping down like a rock again to second last ahead of Taruffi. He had begun clawing back some time, but apparently gave too much and span off into the straw bales at the Chicane, ending his race. An unworthy performance by the World Champion.

11th: 5 laps (18-20, 26-27)
12th: 7 laps (21-25, 68-69)
13th: 22 laps (7-8, 17, 28-29, 31, 34-37, 43-44, 66-67, 70-77)
14th: 29 laps (30, 32-33, 38-42, 45-65)
15th: 1 lap (6)
16th: 4 laps (10-11, 13, 16)
17th: 4 laps (5, 12, 14-15)
18th: 1 lap (9)
19th: 2 laps (1, 4)
20th: 2 laps (2-3)

DNF. José Froilan Gonzalez (Phoenix-Ferrari) +33 laps/Gearbox
Seriously tough luck for Gonzalez. He made a good start and was surprisingly on the pace all race, proving that qualifying wasn't a flash in the pan. He was inside the top ten for most of the race and even reached fourth place at one point. He was in fifth position when his gearbox let go, but it looks like a promising season is ahead of Phoenix.

4th: 2 laps (61, 66)
5th: 18 laps (11, 36-38, 40, 43-46, 50-51, 59-60, 62-65, 67)
6th: 10 laps (3, 9, 34-35, 39, 41-42, 47-49)
7th: 11 laps (4-5, 12, 23-25, 30-33, 57)
8th: 13 laps (1-2, 7-8, 10, 13, 19, 26-29, 52, 58)
9th: 7 laps (6, 14-16, 18, 21-22)
10th: 4 laps (17, 20, 53, 56)
11th: 2 laps (54-55)

DNF. Juan Manuel Fangio (Alfa Romeo) +58 laps/Transmission
After a brilliant start that saw him take the lead, Fangio never looked back and just kept building the gap. However, even he was no match for the imperial Manzon and after a decent fight, the Argentine had to relinquish the lead on lap 33. Content on consolidating his second place, Fangio's day was over before the halfway point of the race due to a transmission failure. Still, he confirmed that Alfa would be at the front again this season.

1st: 29 laps (1-25, 27, 29, 31-32)
2nd: 13 laps (26, 28, 30, 33-42)

DNF. Tony Bettenhausen (Gordini) +71 laps/Collision
After a middle-ish start, Tony quickly won the battle at the front and began pulling away a gap, comfortably settling on a distant third behind Manzon and Fangio. Then, on lap 30, he came upon the lapped car of Louis Chiron at Massenet. There seemed to be a misunderstanding between both drivers, and Chiron veered towards the outside to let Bettenhausen through while the American was passing him at the same spot. The two made contact and Bettenhausen was sent into the wall. He was sent to the hospital for checks.

2nd: 3 laps (4-6)
3rd: 18 laps (1-3, 12, 14, 17-29)
4th: 7 laps (7-11, 13, 16)
5th: 1 lap (15)

DNF. Louis Chiron (Ferrari) +72 laps/Collision
Chiron hadn't had the best of race starts and was floundering at the rear of the midfield. When the clash with Bettenhausen happened, his car didn't hit the wall, but his right-rear suspension was wrecked and he also had to retire from the race.

11th: 4 laps (15-17, 24)
12th: 9 laps (6-9, 12-14, 18, 28)
13th: 4 laps (10, 19-20, 26)
14th: 3 laps (5, 25, 27)
15th: 4 laps (3-4, 11, 23)
16th: 2 laps (21-22)
17th: 1 lap (2)
18th: 1 lap (1)

DNF. Jacques Swaters (Maserati) +88 laps/Spun off
Swaters got off to a good start, but soon found it difficult to drive in traffic at Monaco, a track that he had never driven before. On lap 13, he was in tenth position and looking for a good, clean race, but he misjudged his braking for Gazomètre and spun off. He lightly tapped the wall backwards, but the rear suspension was broken and his race ended.

5th: (2, 4-7)
6th: (1, 8, 10-11)
7th: (3)
8th: (9)
10th: (12)

DNF. Yves Giraud-Cabantous (Gordini) +96 laps/Oil leak
After his great qualifying spot, Yves expected big things from the race. As it turned out, he never had the time to show his skills. On lap 4, his car developped an oil leak just after the pits, and he had to crawl back with a barely working car. The team tried to fix it, but it was no use, and Yves became the first driver to retire.

5th: (1)
6th: (2)
8th: (3-4)

Championship standings
Driver's championship
1. Robert Manzon - 9
2. Consalvo Sanesi - 6
3. Dorino Serafini - 4
4. Paul Pietsch - 3
5. Franco Rol - 2

Constructor's championship
1. Gordini - 9
2. Ferrari - 4
3. Alfa Romeo - 3
4. Maserati - 2

Entrant's championship
1. Alexander Racing Team - 9
2. Scuderia Ferrari - 4
3. Alfa Romeo SpA - 3
4. Redman Racing Team - 2
5. Claes Racing Developments - 0 (1 6th)
6. Scuderia Platé-Varzi - 0 (1 9th)
7. Team Metcalf GP - 0 (1 11th)
8. Ecurie Nationale Belge (Scuderia Belgio, Equipe de France, Garage Francorchamps) - 0 (1 Ret, 3 DNQs)
9. Scuderia Maremmana - 0 (1 Ret, 1 DNQ)
10. Phoenix Racing Organisation - 0 (1 Ret, 1 DNQ)
11. Ferrari America - 0 (1 Ret, 1 DNQ)
12. Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing - 0 (4 DNQs)
13. Scuderia Commesso - 0 (2 DNQs)
14. Motorsport Bleu - 0 (1 DNQ)
15. Hampshire Racing Alliance - 0 (1 DNQ)
16. Scuderia Ambrosiana - 0 (1 DNQ)

Entry spots allowed for the next races (excluding Indianapolis)
Alexander Racing Team - 18
Scuderia Ferrari - 18
Alfa Romeo SpA - 18
Redman Racing Team - 18
Claes Racing Developments - 18
Scuderia Platé-Varzi - 12
Team Metcalf GP - 12
Ecurie Nationale Belge (Scuderia Belgio, Equipe de France, Garage Francorchamps) - 12
Scuderia Maremmana - 12
Phoenix Racing Organisation - 12
Ferrari America - 6
Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing - 6
Scuderia Commesso - 6
Motorsport Bleu - 6
Hampshire Racing Alliance - 6
Scuderia Ambrosiana - 6
Eventual new teams - 6

[Shadaza]

May 27th 1950, Monaco Grand Prix

Entry spots allowed for the next races (excluding Indianapolis)

Phoenix Racing Organisation - 12
Ferrari America - 6
Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing - 6

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

So I have 6 Entrants all season? Whilst being 1, count them, 1 space higher would of meant my 2 car a race plan would of been possible.

again, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. On the other hand it would be tough to limit Phoneix down to 6 and Jaguar-Aston Martin seem to want loads of cars also!

[tommykl]

May 27th 1950, Monaco Grand Prix

Entry spots allowed for the next races (excluding Indianapolis)

Phoenix Racing Organisation - 12
Ferrari America - 6
Jaguar - Aston Martin Racing - 6

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

So I have 6 Entrants all season? Whilst being 1, count them, 1 space higher would of meant my 2 car a race plan would of been possible.

again, fuuuuuuuuuuuuuu. On the other hand it would be tough to limit Phoneix down to 6 and Jaguar-Aston Martin seem to want loads of cars also!

Hey, if your car's good, you have every chance to get better performance in the next few races, which might get you more entries

Besides, Gonzalez's performance was much better than Chiron's, and I sure as hell wasn't going to give more entries to a team who DNQ'd all four cars

[FantometteBR]

I would think the car would let Von Stuck fight closely for points, but given its performance it's a good start for the season... but need to reach on the pace of the non-works teams

Hope Indy and the following race can add Platé-Varzi better performances

[This]

I've changed the ENB entry list on page 1 (it is still possible to run 4 cars in Belgium if i run only 1 car in two other races, right?)

Also ENB would like to find a solution for André Pilette in the Belgian GP, as probably Jaguar-Aston Martin will choose on of their more experienced drivers.

ENB hopes to get a license to enter Roger Laurent, Georges Berger and Charles De Tornaco at indy in 3 ENB-Offenhauser's (which are actually the Bugatti-Gordini's they used last year who myseriously ended up in their garage without anyone knowing how they actually got there) ENB wants to do this to evaluate young drivers at a very high level, because they don't have other opportunities and because they have more money available now they will only be running 2 cars per race on average.

[tommykl]

eurobrun, I noticed you have Grignard lined up in Belgium and France, when he's already entered for Albertini. You also have Landi in France when he's already driving for Platé-Varzi. You may want to make some changes there

[This]

Looks like there are free spots at Claes Racing Developments and Team Metcalf GP for the Belgian GP, i'll offer you Pilette or Frère for one race. (so i can run my second Alfa later in the season)

[wmetcalf68]

Looks like there are free spots at Claes Racing Developments and Team Metcalf GP for the Belgian GP, i'll offer you Pilette or Frère for one race. (so i can run my second Alfa later in the season)

It's a deal!

[tommykl]

Looks like there are free spots at Claes Racing Developments and Team Metcalf GP for the Belgian GP, i'll offer you Pilette or Frère for one race. (so i can run my second Alfa later in the season)

It's a deal!

But it has to be Frère, because Pilette is already signed by JAMR for that race.

[This]

Looks like there are free spots at Claes Racing Developments and Team Metcalf GP for the Belgian GP, i'll offer you Pilette or Frère for one race. (so i can run my second Alfa later in the season)

It's a deal!

But it has to be Frère, because Pilette is already signed by JAMR for that race.

JAMR can only run one car on average, and they have 4 entries, i suppose they're not going to screw up their season by entering 4 cars in Belgium, would they? In that case, just run Frère, and if Pilette is released, i hope Claes' national pride is big enough to run Pilette.

[wmetcalf68]

Frere it is!

[the Masked Lapwing]

Ferrari's ingenious Indy plan:

Ferrari will use a Kurtis Kraft chassis that has been so heavily modified it is now called the Ferrari 500. It will use the same Ferrari engines as usual. Reg Parnell will drive one car, and Jimmy Davies (who I think is available) will drive a second. If he isn't, then I'll just have to find another American.

[eurobrun]

eurobrun, I noticed you have Grignard lined up in Belgium and France, when he's already entered for Albertini. You also have Landi in France when he's already driving for Platé-Varzi. You may want to make some changes there

OK, looks like I bathplugged up. I will replace them later. Also, the owner of Ecurie Albertini (Pointrox) hasn't really been active in this thread.

[Bleu]

Due to entry restrictions, Motorsport Bleu will use no longer guest drivers. B.Bira will be main driver in the team.

[eurobrun]

Due to funding issues Georges Grignard and Toni Branca will not race for Scuderia Commesso in 1951.

[DanielPT]

That was an unhappy start of the season for Alfa Romeo... Hopefully, from next race (after Indianapolis) things will get back on track.

[tommykl]

Due to entry restrictions, Motorsport Bleu will use no longer guest drivers. B.Bira will be main driver in the team.

Does that mean I enter him for all the remaining races?

Due to funding issues Georges Grignard and Toni Branca will not race for Scuderia Commesso in 1951.

Could you clarify your entries for the next few races then?

[AdrianSutil]

ART-Gordini celebrate fanatstic 1-2:

Today's Monaco Grand Prix saw the unfancied ART-Gordini team claim 1st and 2nd with Robert Manzon claiming his first Grand Prix win by over 2 laps from team-mate Consalvo Sanesi. Manzon kept his head together and gradually pulled away from Fangio to take an emotional win for Gordini owner, Amedee Gordini. "It is fantastic to see my cars 1-2. Robert is a wonderful driver, so smooth and calm." Sanesi too, was overjoyed with his 2nd place, "I'm really pleased to score a handful of points today, with some of our main rivals not finishing. This car is really nice to drive so I'm hoping to build on this promising result and continue to push for the Championship."
Sadly for ART-Gordini, both Yves-Giraud Cabantous and Tony Bettenhausen failed to reach the finish, both drivers retiting early on whilst in good positions. Cabantous retired on lap 4 with an oil lack, that the team tried but failed to fix, whilst Bettenhausen was involved in a nasty crash with Chiron by the harbour. No news has been released about Bettenhausen's condition but ART-Gordini might rest him for the next race.

[Shadaza]

Due to the entry Limitations Ferrari America would like to make a small revision to the entry list, the line up for Belgium will remain unchanged but we would otherwise withdraw the 2nd car from ever event, However it is yet to be decided who should drive the sole car between Villoresi and Schell at each individual event.

We thank Lois Chiron for his input at the team however we can't keep him in the team.

Just making it clear that the 1950 British Grand Prix winner is a free agent!

[tommykl]

Tony Bettenhausen discharged from Monaco Hospital

After his crash in Sunday's Monaco Grand Prix, when Bettenhausen's Gordini clashed with local driver Louis Chiron's Ferrari and was sent into the wall at 100 mph, Bettenhausen got out of his car, but decided to go to the hospital because of pain in his leg. This turned out to be minor bruising, and he was released this morning after undergoing a few tests. He is cleared to drive for the next races.