1956 French Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of France 1956, on July 1, 1956 performed at the Circuit de Reims - Gueux Reims and was the fifth race of the Formula 1 season 1956.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
Reports
Background
Following the cancellation of the Grand Prix of France in 1955, the race took place after a year be held at the Circuit de Reims - Gueux. Juan Manuel Fangio won the Grand Prix in the previous three times, Mike Hawthorn once. Of the participating teams at the Grand Prix of France 1956 Ferrari won only one race in 1953 on this route.
Ferrari continued in this race on his three regular drivers Fangio, Eugenio Castellotti and the winner of the previous race, Peter Collins. Another car was the Spaniard Alfonso de Portago provided, who played his first Formula 1 race car and a fifth came for Olivier Gendebien used.
Ferrari's biggest rival of the Formula 1 season 1956 was up to this time, Maserati, which awarded a cockpit to Piero Taruffi. This cockpit was released after Mike Hawthorn moved to the Vanwall team. There, he was a team -mate of Harry Schell and Colin Chapman, who played his only race and later became known as racing car constructor.
Maurice Trintignant, who started earlier for Vanwall, switched to Bugatti, who went as a team in Formula 1. Trintignant was the only driver for the team, as the cars of the new Bugatti T251 was used, which was powered by a rear-mounted engine. For Bugatti but this was the only part in a Formula 1 race because the car was not competitive.
The French team Gordini also took part again in a race with three cars for the driver Robert Manzon, Hernando da Silva Ramos and André Pilette and three riders started with private Maserati.
In the drivers' standings Collins led together with Maserati driver Stirling Moss, Jean Behra and Fangio just ahead.
Quarrels there was behind the scenes at Ferrari after the driver Fangio and Castellotti complained about a lack of preparation of the car. The threat of strike of the two was prevented. However, the distrust of Fangio against Ferrari remained, and in 1957 he moved back to Maserati.
Training
In training, the Ferrari were superior to the competition again and covered with three cars the entire front row. Fangio was like in the previous race the fastest in training and won the pole position with more than a second ahead of second-placed Castellotti. A further second back Collins qualified in third place.
Maserati lost in training compared to previous races at speed, during which Vanwall had to report an increase in performance again. The three cars from Vanwall were able to keep up with the Ferraris and qualified in positions four through six. However, during the training, there was a collision between Chapman and Hawthorn, which prevented further time improvements of the team. Due to an injury and the damaged car in consequence of the accident it was Chapman then not possible to participate in the race. Schell half a second improved after the accident still in fourth position, slower than Collins.
The candidates for the title and Maserati drivers Moss and Behra placed on position seven and eight, just behind the Vanwall, fourth Ferrari driver and debutant Portago started from ninth. The top ten on the grid was completed by Luigi Villoresi, who was thus the best of those drivers who participated with a private Maserati in the race.
Gordini qualified again in the back of the midfield, best starting position was number 14 among da Silva Ramos. Trintignant in the Bugatti, the only car with a rear engine in the field started from the third- last place, with over 18 seconds behind Fangio's training time.
Race
Already in the first lap of the race showed the dominance of the Scuderia Ferrari. Collins went to Castel Lotti and Fangio in the lead and the three Ferrari driver sat in the first lap of the race several seconds from the competition. Behind the Moss and Schell, the position four secured behind the Ferrari dueled. Moss fell back on, as well as Hawthorn overtook him in the Vanwall. In the next two laps Hawthorn overtook his teammate Schell, down behind the three leading Ferrari. Trintignant was in the new Bugatti cut off at the end of the field and had difficulty handling of the car.
Schell Vanwall suffered in round five engine damage, Moss Maserati retired on lap twelve with a broken gearbox from. Both drivers put the race away a short time later, Schell drove the car from Hawthorn for round ten further and Moss took over in round 20 as in the previous race the car of his teammates Cesare Perdisa. The Ferrari dueled At the top of one another, Fangio took top spot for itself. In the tenth lap of the race were behind him Collins and Castel Lotti, and Hawthorn, Portago and Gendebein. Hawthorn handed so early in the race his car because he lacked the concentration, because he took the night before on a 12 -hour race in part.
In lap 18, the end of the race for Trintignant followed by technical problems at his Bugatti. For the team of the Grand Prix was so disappointing and unsuccessful, that you decided to participate in any further races and Bugatti difference thus made from Formula 1.
De Portago, who in his first race prospect had a points placement, retired on lap 20 with a gearbox failure, which Schell again held position four. He set a new lap record, decreased in the following rounds the projection of the Ferraris and attacked in round 31 Castellotti and Collins to. Schell both outdated and was scheduled for six rounds in second place until Ferrari noticed that Schell not as expected a round lagged, but drove in the carriage of Hawthorn. They then increased the pace and both Collins and Castellotti outdated Schell again, shortly after the technical problems got in his car and repair the Vanwall five minutes in the box had. At the same time came Fangio in the box, also for one more minute repair pit stop, which made him drop back to fourth place.
The race result was thus a few laps before the end decided, since Ferrari instructed his driver to hold the positions at the top. Collins won his second Grand Prix in a row and took a lead of 0.3 seconds, just ahead of his teammate Castellotti the finish. Behra Maserati completed the podium since Fangio despite a new round cup record in the last lap of the race no longer caught up to him. The last two points for fifth place went to Maserati and were shared by Moss and Perdisa.
Collins built in the drivers' championship by winning a five-point lead on second place on the now Behra held. Fangio was still one point behind Behra and got a place on position three on. Moss lost the lead in the drivers' standings and dropped back to fourth place. Furthermore, in fifth in the drivers' championship was the Indianapolis 500 winner Pat Flaherty, who, however, took part in no other race of the season.
Message list
Comments
Classifications
Line-up
Race
Standings after the race
The first five of the race were 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 points. The driver with the fastest lap of the race also received 1 point. It included only the five best results from the eight races.