1948 British Grand Prix
1948 RAC International Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race details | |||
Date | 2 October 1948 | ||
Official name | RAC International Grand Prix | ||
Location | RAF Silverstone, Northamptonshire | ||
Course | Converted aerodrome | ||
Course length | 5.907 km (3.670 miles) | ||
Distance | 65 laps, 383.91 km (238.55 miles) | ||
Weather | Dry, light cloud. | ||
Pole position | |||
Driver | Talbot-Lago | ||
Time | 2:56.0 | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | Luigi Villoresi | Maserati | |
Time | 2:52.0 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Maserati | ||
Second | Maserati | ||
Third | ERA |
The Royal Automobile Club International Grand Prix was a motor race held on 2 October 1948, at Silverstone Airfield, Northamptonshire, UK. It is commonly cited as the first British Grand Prix of the modern era.[1]
Held two years before the inauguration of the
The race meeting marked the opening of the Silverstone Circuit, although at the time the site was only on a one-year loan to the RAC from the Air Ministry, having been a bomber station during World War II.
Background
The
The circuit
The Royal Automobile Club took a one-year lease on the Silverstone airfield site in early 1948 and set about creating a race track. The airfield conformed to the standard model for WWII RAF sites: three long, wide runways formed a triangle, their ends joined by a narrow perimeter roadway. In this inaugural year the RAC decided to lay out a relatively long circuit, using the full lengths of the two longest runways, as well as large portions of the perimeter road.
The competitors started on the western perimeter road and headed north towards a right-hand turn, the high-speed Woodcote Corner. From there the track used the northern edge of the perimeter to a sharp right turn onto the main runway at Copse Corner. Then came the main runway, known for the race as Segrave Straight, with the track continuing to the point at which the two largest runways intersected. Here, in an attempt to better emulate a true road circuit,
At the end of the straight at what is now Stowe Corner, competitors rejoined the main runway (this southern portion now named the Seaman Straight), and headed back towards the central hairpin complex. Once again, at the intersection of the two runways the track was narrowed, before a left-hand hairpin onto the second runway, heading back out to the perimeter road. The perimeter road was rejoined at Club Corner. From this point the track once again headed north towards the finish line, passing through the flat-out Abbey Curve en route. Total track length was approximately 3.7 miles (5.9 km), substantially longer than the 2.9 miles (4.7 km) of Silverstone's classic layout, and longer even than the current 3.2-mile (5.1 km) circuit design. This was the only Grand Prix event ever held on this track layout, as from 1949 onward Silverstone circuits used only the perimeter roads. To commemorate the opening of this new circuit, all drivers completing either the Grand Prix or 500 cc race received the RAC Silverstone Plaque.[4] Despite the interim and improvised nature of the Silverstone site, the event attracted in excess of 100,000 spectators.[5]
Grand Prix entrants
The entry list for the 65-lap Grand Prix was very mixed. Brand new, full works cars were entered by
Of the older vehicles, two of the most notable were the
Notable by their absence were the
Entry list
No | Driver | Entrant | Car | Qual. |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Louis Chiron | Ecurie France | Talbot-Lago T26C | 1 |
2 | Gianfranco Comotti
|
G. Comotti | Talbot-Lago T26C | 11 |
3 | Louis Rosier | L. Rosier | Talbot-Lago T26C | 12 |
4 | Philippe Étancelin | P. Étancelin | Talbot-Lago T26C | 3 |
5 (r) | Lord Selsdon
|
Lord Selsdon | Talbot-Lago T26C | – |
6 | Reg Parnell | R. Parnell | Maserati 4CLT/48
|
7 |
7 (r) | Fred Ashmore | F. Ashmore | Maserati 4CL
|
– |
8 | Duncan Hamilton | D. Hamilton | Maserati 6CM | 18 |
9 | Bob Ansell | R.E. Ansell | Maserati 4CL
|
21 |
10 | Raymond Sommer | R. Sommer | Ferrari 125 | DNA |
11 | Giuseppe Farina | G. Farina | Ferrari 125 | DNA |
12 | Raymond Mays | Raymond Mays | ERA B-Type | 17 |
14 | Peter Walker | P.D.C. Walker | ERA E-Type | 8 |
15 | Leslie Johnson | Leslie Johnson | ERA E-Type | 5 |
16 | Bob Gerard | F.R. Gerard | ERA B-Type | 4 |
17 (r) | George Watson | G. Watson | Alta 69/IS | 16 |
18 | Luigi Villoresi | Scuderia Ambrosiana | Maserati 4CLT/48
|
24 |
19 | B. Bira | H.R.H. Prince Chula | Maserati 4CL
|
6 |
20 | Emmanuel de Graffenried | E. Platé | Maserati 4CL
|
2 |
21 (r) | Anthony Baring | A.A. Baring | Maserati 6CM | – |
22 | Geoffrey Ansell | G. Ansell | ERA B-Type | 15 |
23 | Cuth Harrison | T.C. Harrison | ERA B-Type | 10 |
24 | David Hampshire | D.A. Hampshire | ERA A-Type | 19 |
25 (r) | John Bolster | P.H. Bell | ERA B-Type | 13 |
26 | Sam Gilbey | S.J. Gilbey | Maserati 6CM | 23 |
27 | Roy Salvadori | Rowland Motors Ltd. | Maserati 6CM | 22 |
28 | Leslie Brooke
|
Alfieri Maserati | Maserati 4CLT
|
– |
29 | Tony Rolt | A.P.R. Rolt | Alfa Romeo 3.45 L | 9 |
30 (r) | George Nixon | G. Nixon | ERA A-Type | 20 |
31 (r) | Geoff Richardson | G. Richardson | Riley-ERA
|
14 |
32 | Bobby Baird | R. Baird | Emeryson-Duesenberg | DNQ |
(11)1 | Alberto Ascari | Scuderia Ambrosiana | Maserati 4CLT/48
|
25 |
1 Late entry, assumed the running number of non-arrival Giuseppe Farina.
(r) Reserve entry.
RAC 500 cc race
The main Grand Prix event was supported by a race for 500 cc (later to become
Despite the prestigious occasion – running two hours before the main Grand Prix event, the 500 cc race was actually the first ever competitive race on the Silverstone Circuit – the start was something of a shambles.
Grand Prix
Qualifying
The works Maserati 4CLTs were delayed on their way to Silverstone, and in their absence qualifying was dominated by Monegasque driver Chiron, in his Ecurie France-run Talbot-Lago. He took pole position with a time of 2:56.0, a second clear of de Graffenried's Maserati in second place. Third was the Talbot-Lago of Philippe Étancelin, a further second behind de Graffenried. Despite driving a car a decade older than those in front of him, Bob Gerard managed to put his ERA R14B into fourth position, only two-tenths of a second behind Étancelin, with Johnson's ERA E-type in fifth. Having missed official practice, the Maseratis of Villoresi and Ascari were forced to start at the back of the field, in 24th and 25th positions respectively, but in unofficial practice immediately before the race Ascari posted a lap of 2:54.6,[5] over a second faster than Chiron's pole position time.
Race
At the start, de Graffenried got away from the line fastest, but he was passed by Chiron, Parnell and Johnson before the first corner at Woodcote. This group was followed by Bira, Étancelin and Gerard. As the leaders entered Woodcote Johnson drew level with the leader, Chiron, but at that moment the driveshaft on Johnson's ERA failed, causing its immediate retirement. Further back in the field, Salvadori went straight to his pit box from the start, to attend to an oiled spark plug. The stop cost him half a lap, and put him into last position. In the early corners Parnell was close behind Chiron, in second place, but his month-old Maserati dropped out on the first lap after a flying stone tore out the drain plug of his fuel tank.
By the end of the second lap the Maseratis of Villoresi and Ascari, showing their superior pace and benefiting from retirements, had made their way through the field and were close on Chiron's tail. On lap three both passed Chiron, and Villoresi took the lead. Later on the same lap Italian privateer
As the race progressed de Graffenried dropped yet further back, as his engine went out of tune and started to overheat, and he eventually finished six laps behind the winners. The other early leader, Chiron, started to suffer from a lack of performance in his Talbot on lap 17, and Bira slipped ahead of him into third place. Gerard sat in fifth place, after Étancelin's engine began to overheat, which dropped him back down the field as he was forced to make successive pit stops to top up his radiator fluid, and he eventually retired on lap 22. Chiron dropped even further back after spending 45 seconds in the pits investigating the poor handling of his Talbot, and he eventually retired with a seized gearbox on lap 37. Gerard passed Bira during refuelling pit stops, his pit crew completing the task four seconds faster than Bira's. However, Louis Rosier slipped past both of them as he did not need to stop for fuel. Gerard eventually caught Rosier again on lap 52, and passed him to take third place.
The works Maseratis were never more than a few seconds apart, and they regularly swapped the lead between them. On laps 27 and 29, respectively, Villoresi and Ascari came into the pits to refuel. During his stop, Ascari also replaced both rear wheels of his Maserati, and the extra time taken for this stop put him 50 seconds behind his team mate, but he retained second place. He lost a further 16 seconds to Villoresi during the second round of pit stops, putting him almost a full minute behind the leader at that point. However, Villoresi, who posted the fastest lap of the race (2:52.0), suffered an unusual mishap when his tachometer's fixings failed and the unit fell out of the Maserati's dashboard.[5] In addition to not now knowing the speed of his engine, the tachometer lodged underneath Villoresi's clutch pedal and prevented him from using the clutch for the remainder of the race. Despite this, Villoresi managed to hold on to the lead and proved the eventual winner, 14 seconds ahead of Ascari and half a lap ahead of Gerard. The only other finisher on the same lap as the leaders, but only a few seconds from being lapped, was Rosier's Talbot-Lago.
Classification
Pos | No | Driver | Manufacturer | Laps | Time/Retired |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 18 | Luigi Villoresi | Maserati | 65 | 3:18:03.0 |
2 | 11 | Alberto Ascari | Maserati | 65 | + 14.0s |
3 | 16 | Bob Gerard | ERA | 65 | + 2:03.0 |
4 | 3 | Louis Rosier | Talbot-Lago | 65 | + 4:35.6 |
5 | 19 | B. Bira | Maserati | 64 | + 1 lap |
6 | 25 | John Bolster Peter Bell |
ERA | 63 | + 2 laps |
7 | 24 | Philip Fotheringham-Parker David Hampshire |
ERA | 60 | + 5 laps |
8 | 27 | Roy Salvadori | Maserati | 60 | + 5 laps |
9 | 20 | Emmanuel de Graffenried
|
Maserati | 59 | + 6 laps |
10 | 30 | George Nixon | ERA | 58 | + 7 laps |
11 | 14 | Peter Walker
|
ERA | 53 | + 12 laps |
12 | 9 | Bob Ansell George Bainbridge |
Maserati | 50 | + 15 laps |
Ret | 23 | Cuth Harrison | ERA | 47 | Valve |
Ret | 1 | Louis Chiron | Talbot-Lago | 37 | Gearbox |
Ret | 26 | Sam Gilbey Dudley Folland |
Maserati | 36 | Gearbox |
Ret | 12 | Raymond Mays | ERA | 35 | Piston |
Ret | 4 | Philippe Étancelin | Talbot-Lago | 22 | Engine |
Ret | 22 | Geoffrey Ansell Brian Shawe-Taylor |
ERA | 22 | Crashed |
Ret | 31 | Geoff Richardson | ERA | 12 | Transmission |
Ret | 17 | George Watson | Alta | 8 | Sheared camshaft |
Ret | 8 | Duncan Hamilton | Maserati | 8 | Oil pressure |
Ret | 29 | Tony Rolt | Alfa Romeo | 6 | Engine |
Ret | 2 | Gianfranco Comotti
|
Talbot-Lago | 3 | Brakes |
Ret | 15 | Leslie Johnson | ERA | 0 | Transmission |
Ret | 6 | Reg Parnell | Maserati | 0 | Split fuel tank |
References
Sources
- Programme of the Royal Automobile Club International Grand Prix and "500 cc." National Race at the Silverstone Circuit Saturday, 2 October 1948. Royal Automobile Club, London. 24 pp.
- Grande Vitesse (6 October 1948). "The R.A.C. Grand Prix". The Motor: 247–252.
- 1948 Revisited. Coys International Historic Festival: 1998 Silverstone Event Guide. 27–31
- "02-10-1948, British Grand Prix, Silverstone". Project 009900. Archived from the original on 8 October 2007. Retrieved 12 September 2016. (German, results)
- "The British Grand Prix". GrandPrix.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2007. Retrieved 31 August 2007.
- "The ERA Cars". The British Racing Motors (unofficial) information centre. Retrieved 12 November 2007.
- ""Spike" Rhiando". The 500 Owners Association. Archived from the original on 7 June 2008. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
- "500cc Formula 3 Results for Great Britain – 1948". The 500 Owners Association. Archived from the original on 1 March 2005. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
Footnotes
- ^ a b GrandPrix.com
- ^ Programme..., p.10
- ^ Programme..., p.16
- ^ Programme..., p.7
- ^ a b c d The Motor, Oct. 1948
- ^ Programme..., p.19
- ^ The ERA Cars.
- ^ 1948 Revisited, p.29
- ^ 1948 Revisited, p.31
- ^ a b "Spike" Rhiando
- ^ 500 cc results...
- ^ Nye, Doug (1977). The British Grand Prix. pp. 32–34.
- ^ "1948 British Grand Prix". Motorsport Magazine Database. Retrieved 2 March 2019.