The 1908 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 7 July 1908.
| 1908 French Grand Prix | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race details | |||
| Date | July 7, 1908 | ||
| Official name | Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France | ||
| Location | Dieppe, France | ||
| Course | Public roads | ||
| Course length | 76.989 km (47.840 miles) | ||
| Distance | 10 laps, 769.889 km (478.400 miles) | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Otto Salzer | Mercedes | |
| Time | 36:31.0 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Mercedes | ||
| Second | Benz | ||
| Third | Benz | ||
Formula Changes
editThe race was run under a new formula agreed in Ostend in 1907. There was no fuel consumption limit, but the cars had a minimum weight of 1100 kilograms, and a maximum cylinder bore of 155 millimetres.[1] This formula differed from the regulations in place for the American Vanderbilt Cup series, which discouraged American manufacturers from entering the race.[2] Lewis Strang drove the single American entrant, the Thomas Flyer.[3] D. Napier & Son cars were disqualified from the race due to their use of Rudge-Whitworth center locking hubs, which the organizers believed were unsafe.[4]
The Race
edit
Christian Lautenschlager won the race in his Mercedes finishing nearly nine minutes ahead of Victor Hémery's Benz. Lautenschlager's average speed for the race was 69.045 mph (111.117 km/h). Otto Salzer set fastest lap in his Mercedes, with an average speed of over 78 mph (126 km/h).[5][6] The race was notable for tragic reasons. Henri Cissac's car lost a tyre and rolled, killing Cissac and Jules Schaube, his riding mechanic. This was the first fatal accident in Grand Prix history.[7]
Classification
edit| Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 35 | Christian Lautenschlager | Mercedes | 10 | 6:55:43.8 |
| 2 | 6 | Victor Hémery | Benz 150 hp | +8:40.2 | |
| 3 | 23 | René Hanriot | Benz 150 hp | +9:29.2 | |
| 4 | 11 | Victor Rigal | Clément-Bayard | +34:52.8 | |
| 5 | 2 | Willy Pöge | Mercedes | +36:47.2 | |
| 6 | 27 | Carl Jörns | Opel | +43.56.2 | |
| 7 | 39 | Fritz Erle | Benz | +56:48.0 | |
| 8 | 37 | Sergey Dimitriewich[6] | Renault | +1:07:39.0 | |
| 9 | 16 | George Heath | Panhard-Levassor | +1:09:03.0 | |
| 10 | 49 | Perpère | Germain | +1:12:34.4 | |
| 11 | 12 | Alessandro Cagno | Itala | +1:21:23.0 | |
| 12 | 28 | Fernand Gabriel | Clément-Bayard | +1:25:11.2 | |
| 13 | 36 | Courtade | Motobloc | +1:26:10.0 | |
| 14 | 20 | Pierre Garcet | Motobloc | +1:33:23.0 | |
| 15 | 21 | Gustave Caillois | Renault | +1:33:23.4 | |
| 16 | 14 | Camille Jenatzy | Mors | +1:38:11.8 | |
| 17 | 31 | Landon | Mors | +1:52:47.4 | |
| 18 | 18 | JTC Moore-Brabazon | Austin | +1:56:17.0 | |
| 19 | 1 | Dario Resta | Austin | +2:00:17.4 | |
| 20 | 29 | Henri Fournier | Itala | +2:00:47.4 | |
| 21 | 10 | Friedrich Opel | Opel | +2:21:38.6 | |
| 22 | 17 | François Degrais | Germain | +2:27:01.0 | |
| 23 | 32 | Henry Farman | Panhard-Levassor | +2:38:07.0 | |
| Ret | 8 | Léon Théry | Brasier | 9 | Wheel |
| Ret | 41 | Paul Bablot | Brasier | 9 | Magneto |
| Ret | 9 | Emile Stricker | Porthos | 9 | |
| Ret | 43 | Michel | Opel | 9 | Radiator |
| Ret | 48 | Henri Cissac | Panhard-Levassor | 8 | Fatal crash |
| Ret | 13 | Pryce Harrison | Weigel | 5 | Crash |
| Ret | 44 | Lucien Hautvast | Clément-Bayard | 5 | Wheel |
| Ret | 34 | Warwick Wright | Austin | 4 | Engine |
| Ret | 33 | François Marie Roch-Brault | Germain | 4 | |
| Ret | 15 | Lewis Strang | Thomas | 4 | Clutch |
| Ret | 40 | Louis Wagner | Fiat | 3 | Gearbox |
| Ret | 24 | Felice Nazzaro | Fiat | 3 | Engine |
| Ret | 3 | Pierron | Motobloc | 3 | Crash |
| Ret | 30 | Gregor Laxen | Weigel | 3 | Crash |
| Ret | 25 | Paul Baras | Brasier | 3 | Engine |
| Ret | 38 | Ferdinando Minoia | Lorraine-Dietrich | 3 | Magneto |
| Ret | 5 | Arthur Duray | Lorraine-Dietrich | 2 | Clutch |
| Ret | 4 | Ferenc Szisz | Renault | 2 | Wheels |
| Ret | 19 | Otto Salzer | Mercedes | 2 | Wheel |
| Ret | 42 | Jules Simon | Porthos | 2 | Water pump |
| Ret | 7 | Vincenzo Lancia | Fiat | 1 | Engine |
| Ret | 22 | Henri Rougier | Lorraine-Dietrich | 1 | Magneto |
| Ret | 46 | Shannon | Weigel | 1 | Steering |
| Ret | 45 | Giovanni Piacenza | Itala | 1 | Gearbox |
| Ret | 26 | J. Gaubert | Porthos img | 0 | Water pump |
References
edit- ^ Etzrodt, Hans (2007-06-19). "Grand Prix Winners 1895-1949. History and Formulae". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ "Foreign Autoists Eager for Racing" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-01-06. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ "The American Car in Grand Prix Race" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-05-03. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ Matteucci, Marco (1976). History of the Motor Car. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. p. 250. ISBN 978-0706400007. OCLC 4168687.
- ^ Higham, Peter (1995). The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. Guinness Publishing. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-85112-642-1.
- ^ a b "1908 Grands Prix". Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Henri Cissac". Retrieved 2014-01-29.
