1949 Roussillon Grand Prix Explained

Type:GP
Grand Prix:Roussillon
Date:8 May
Year:1949
Official Name:IV Grand Prix du Roussillon
Country:France
Location:Perpignan, France
Course:Street circuit
Course Mi:1.577
Course Km:2.538
Distance Laps:2x50
Distance Mi:157.704
Distance Km:253.800
Pole Driver:Prince Bira
Pole Team:Maserati 4CLT/48
Pole Country:Thailand
Pole Time:1:27.9
Grid From Heats:true
Fast Driver:Prince Bira
Fast Team:Maserati 4CLT/48
Fast Time:1:27.3
Fast Country:Thailand
First Driver:Juan Manuel Fangio
First Team:Maserati 4CLT/48
First Country:Argentina
Second Driver:Prince Bira
Second Team:Maserati 4CLT/48
Second Country:Thailand
Third Driver:Benedicto Campos
Third Team:Maserati 4CLT/48
Third Country:Argentina

The 1949 Roussillon Grand Prix (formally the IV Grand Prix du Roussillon) was a Grand Prix motor race held at Circuit des Platanes de Perpignan on 8 May 1949. The Grand Prix was raced in two 50 laps sessions, with the final standing given by the addition of the two results.

Entry list

Juan Manuel Fangio is on a two victory in a row (San Remo and Pau) for his first racing season in Europe.Henri Louveau share during the races his Delage 3000 n°22 with Francisco Godia Sales. Eugène Martin wasn't present despite his commitment.

NoDriverEntrantCarEngineChassisQual.
2 Raymond SommerEquipe GordiniSimca Gordini T11Gordini0006GC5
4 Juan Manuel FangioSquadra ArgentinaMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CL2
6 Benedicto CamposSquadra ArgentinaMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CL4
8 Luigi VilloresiScuderia AmbrosianaMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CL3
10 Prince BiraPrince BiraMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CL1
12 Emmanuel de GraffenriedScuderia Enrico PlatéMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CL8
14 Nello PaganiScuderia Enrico PlatéMaserati 4CLMaserati 4CL9
16 Maurice TrintignantEquipe GordiniSimca Gordini T15Gordini0011GC6
18 Robert ManzonEquipe GordiniSimca Gordini T11Gordini0004GC7
20 Eugène MartinEugène MartinJicey-BMWBMW 328DNA
22 Henri Louveau
Francisco Godia Sales
Henri LouveauDelage 3000Delage D688000411
24 Pierre LeveghPierre BouillinTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV11000510

Qualifying

PosNoDriverCarTime
110 Prince BiraMaserati 4CLT/481.27.9
24 Juan Manuel FangioMaserati 4CLT/481.29.2
38 Luigi VilloresiMaserati 4CLT/481.29.5
46 Benedicto CamposMaserati 4CLT/48?
52 Raymond SommerSimca Gordini T11?
616 Maurice TrintignantSimca Gordini T151.31.3
718 Robert ManzonSimca Gordini T111.32.6
812 Emmanuel de GraffenriedMaserati 4CLT/481.32.6
914 Nello PaganiMaserati 4CL1.34.0
1024 Pierre LeveghTalbot-Lago T26C1.35.3
1122 Henri LouveauDelage 30001.35.5

Classification

The heat 1 saw Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Villoresi fight for the first position but the Italian driver entered the pits to repair an oil pump problem. Luigi Villoresi lost 5 laps and Juan Manual Fangio finished the 50 laps first with 25 seconds ahead of Prince Bira.

In the second heat, Prince Bira took the lead immediately over Juan Manuel Fangio who kept a close gap with the Siam driver. Prince Bira who needed to distance the Argentine attack and realized the fastest lap was 1:27.3 and won Heat 2 with less than a second ahead of Juan Manuel Fangio, Luigi Villoresi finished third.

Juan Manuel Fangio won the Grand Prix. It was his third of four consecutive wins in France. Prince Bira finished second and Argentine Benedicto Campos third. Fangio won his third victory in a row in Grand Prix motor racing.

Heat 1

Pos
[1] [2] [3] [4]
NoDriverCarLapsTime/RetiredGrid
14 Juan Manuel FangioMaserati 4CLT/48501:17:06.8 (98.75 km/h)2
210 Prince BiraMaserati 4CLT/48501:17:31.91
36 Benedicto CamposMaserati 4CLT/4849+1 lap4
412 Emmanuel de GraffenriedMaserati 4CLT/4849+1 lap8
518 Robert ManzonSimca Gordini T1149+1 lap7
614 Nello PaganiMaserati 4CL48+2 laps9
724 Pierre LeveghTalbot-Lago T26C46+4 laps10
816 Maurice TrintignantSimca Gordini T1545+5 laps6
98 Luigi VilloresiMaserati 4CLT/4845+5 laps3
1022 Henri LouveauDelage 300044+6 laps11
Ret2 Raymond SommerSimca Gordini T112Crash5

Heat 2

Pos
NoDriverCarLapsTime/RetiredGrid
110 Prince BiraMaserati 4CLT/48501:16:09.4 (99.36 km/h)2
24 Juan Manuel FangioMaserati 4CLT/48501:16:09.91
38 Luigi VilloresiMaserati 4CLT/48501:17:14.19
46 Benedicto CamposMaserati 4CLT/4849+1 lap3
512 Emmanuel de GraffenriedMaserati 4CLT/4848+2 laps4
624 Pierre LeveghTalbot-Lago T26C47+3 laps7
716 Maurice TrintignantSimca Gordini T1546+4 laps8
814 Nello PaganiMaserati 4CL46+4 laps6
922 Henri Louveau
Francisco Godia Sales
Delage 300044+6 laps10
Ret18 Robert ManzonSimca Gordini T1124Ret5

Aggregate final standing

Pos
NoDriverCarLapsTime/Retired
14 Juan Manuel FangioMaserati 4CLT/481002.33'16.7 (99.36 km/h)
210 Prince BiraMaserati 4CLT/48100*2.33'41.3
36 Benedicto CamposMaserati 4CLT/4898+2 laps
412 Emmanuel de GraffenriedMaserati 4CLT/4897+3 laps
514 Nello PaganiMaserati 4CL94+6 laps
68 Luigi VilloresiMaserati 4CLT/4893+7 laps
724 Pierre LeveghTalbot-Lago T26C93+7 laps
816 Maurice TrintignantSimca Gordini T1591+9 laps
922 Henri Louveau
Francisco Godia Sales
Delage 300088+12 laps
nc18 Robert ManzonSimca Gordini T1173Ret
nc2 Raymond SommerSimca Gordini T112Crash

Notes and References

  1. http://www.jmfangio.org/gp1949roussillon.htm 1949 Francia – IV Grand Prix du Roussillon
  2. http://f1-images.de/green/nowm/490507.htm 07-05-1949, Grand Prix du Roussillon, Perpignan
  3. http://www.statsf1.com/default.asp?From=/resultat/gphc/gp.asp?idGp=50%26LG=1 1949, Grand Prix du Roussillon
  4. http://www.silhouet.com/motorsport/archive/f1/nc/1949/49rousil.html Grand Prix du Roussillon