1950 Monaco Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:Monaco
Grand Prix:Monaco
Date:21 May
Year:1950
Previous Round:1950 British Grand Prix
Next Round:1950 Indianapolis 500#World Drivers' Championship
Official Name:Prix de Monte-Carlo et XI Grand Prix Automobile
Location:Circuit de Monaco
Course:Street circuit
Course Mi:1.976
Course Km:3.180
Distance Laps:100
Distance Mi:197.596
Distance Km:318.000
Pole Driver:Juan Manuel Fangio
Pole Team:Alfa Romeo
Pole Time:1:50.2[1]
Pole Country:Argentina
Fast Driver:Juan Manuel Fangio
Fast Team:Alfa Romeo
Fast Time:1:51.0[2]
Fast Country:Argentina
First Driver:Juan Manuel Fangio
First Team:Alfa Romeo
First Country:Argentina
Second Driver:Alberto Ascari
Second Team:Ferrari
Second Country:Italy
Third Driver:Louis Chiron
Third Team:Maserati
Third Country:Monaco

The 1950 Monaco Grand Prix, formally titled the Prix de Monte-Carlo et XI Grand Prix Automobile,[3] was a Formula One motor race held on 21 May 1950 at Monaco. It was race two of seven in the 1950 World Championship of Drivers. The 100-lap race was held at an overall distance of 318.1 km (197.1 mi) and was won by Juan Manuel Fangio for the Alfa Romeo team after starting from pole position. Alberto Ascari finished second for Ferrari and Louis Chiron finished third for Maserati. It was also the first race for Ferrari in Formula One.

Report

After two qualifying sessions, on Thursday and Saturday, which Charles Pozzi, Yves Giraud-Cabantous, Pierre Levegh and Clemente Biondetti did not start, the race was dominated from start to finish by Juan Manuel Fangio, who scored his first ever victory in a World Championship event, driving an Alfa Romeo. The starting grid consisted of alternating rows of three and two, starting with three on the front row and continuing up to two on the 8th row. The first two rows of the grid (positions 1 to 5) were made up of the fastest five drivers from the Thursday qualifying session, with the remaining positions based on the other 16 drivers' times in the second session on the Saturday. This format meant that Luigi Villoresi started 6th, despite his time being fast enough for 2nd place on the grid.

Due to an accident in practice, Alfredo Piàn did not start the race, with Peter Whitehead another non-starter. The race was marred by a large pile-up during the first lap, when a wave from the harbour flooded the track at Tabac Corner. Nino Farina in 2nd, spun and crashed while Fangio managed to escape the chaos. Those who were behind them tried to stop or avoid the carnage, but eight more drivers (from a field of 19 drivers) crashed and retired. None of them was injured, but José Froilán González, who damaged his Maserati in the pile-up but was subsequently running second, crashed during the second lap. His car caught fire and he suffered burns. The race went on with many cars going off at Tabac Corner, nearly causing other accidents. Ferrari driver Luigi Villoresi charged his way from the back of the field after being delayed by the pile-up, but did not finish.

Harry Schell's Cooper was the first rear-engined car to start in a championship race. Chiron's 3rd-place finish made him the only Monegasque driver to score points in Formula One until Charles Leclerc finished 6th in the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix some 68 years later.

Entries

No Driver Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre
2 José Froilán GonzálezScuderia Achille VarziMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
4 Alfredo PiànScuderia Achille VarziMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
6 Johnny ClaesEcurie BelgeTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV 4.5 L6
8 Harry SchellHorschell Racing CorporationCooperCooper T12JAP 1.1 V2
10 Robert ManzonEquipe GordiniSimca-GordiniSimca-Gordini T15Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4 s
12 Maurice TrintignantEquipe GordiniSimca-GordiniSimca-Gordini T15Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4 s
14 Philippe ÉtancelinPhilippe ÉtancelinTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV 4.5 L6
16 Louis RosierEcurie RosierTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV 4.5 L6
18 Charles PozziEcurie RosierTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV 4.5 L6
20 Yves Giraud-CabantousAutomobiles Talbot-DarracqTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV 4.5 L6
22 Pierre LeveghPierre LeveghTalbot-LagoTalbot-Lago T26CTalbot 23CV 4.5 L6
24 Cuth HarrisonCuth HarrisonERAERA B/CERA 1.5 L6 s
26 Bob GerardBob GerardERAERA AERA 1.5 L6 s
28 Peter WhiteheadPeter WhiteheadFerrariFerrari 125Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12 s
32 Nino FarinaAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa RomeoAlfa Romeo 158Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s
34 Juan Manuel FangioAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa RomeoAlfa Romeo 158Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s
36 Luigi FagioliAlfa Romeo SpAAlfa RomeoAlfa Romeo 158Alfa Romeo 158 1.5 L8 s
38 Luigi VilloresiScuderia FerrariFerrariFerrari 125Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12 s
40 Alberto AscariScuderia FerrariFerrariFerrari 125Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12 s
42 Raymond SommerScuderia FerrariFerrariFerrari 125Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12 s
44 Franco RolOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
46 Clemente BiondettiScuderia MilanoMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/50Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
48 Louis ChironOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
50 Prince BiraEnrico PlatéMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
52 Toulo de GraffenriedEnrico PlatéMaseratiMaserati 4CLT/48Maserati 4CLT 1.5 L4 s
54 André SimonEquipe GordiniSimca-GordiniSimca-Gordini T15Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4 s
Sources:[4] [5]

— Entry withdrawn prior to event.[6]

Classification

Qualifying

Positions 1-5 determined by Thursday practice. The rest of the field was set on Saturday.

Pos No Driver Constructor Lap Gap
134 Juan Manuel FangioAlfa Romeo1:50.2
232 Nino FarinaAlfa Romeo1:52.8+ 2.6
32 José Froilán GonzálezMaserati1:53.7+ 3.5
414 Philippe ÉtancelinTalbot-Lago-Talbot1:54.1+ 3.9
536 Luigi FagioliAlfa Romeo1:54.2+ 4.0
638 Luigi VilloresiFerrari1:52.3+ 2.1
740 Alberto AscariFerrari1:53.8+ 3.6
848 Louis ChironMaserati1:56.3+ 6.1
942 Raymond SommerFerrari1:56.6+ 6.4
1016 Louis RosierTalbot-Lago-Talbot1:57.7+ 7.5
1110 Robert ManzonSimca-Gordini2:00.4+ 10.2
1252 Toulo de GraffenriedMaserati2:00.7+ 10.5
1312 Maurice TrintignantSimca-Gordini2:01.4+ 11.2
1424 Cuth HarrisonERA2:01.6+ 11.4
1550 Prince BiraMaserati2:02.2+ 12.0
1626 Bob GerardERA2:03.4+ 13.2
1744 Franco RolMaserati2:04.5+ 14.3
184 Alfredo PiànMaseratiNo time
196 Johnny ClaesTalbot-Lago-Talbot2:12.0+ 21.8
208 Harry SchellCooper-JAPNo time
2128 Peter WhiteheadFerrariNo time
DNA18 Charles PozziTalbot-Lago-Talbot
DNA20 Yves Giraud-CabantousTalbot-Lago-Talbot
DNA22 Pierre LeveghTalbot-Lago-Talbot
DNA46 Clemente BiondettiMaserati

Race

PosNoDriverConstructorLapsTime/RetiredGridPoints
134 Juan Manuel FangioAlfa Romeo1003:13:18.719
240 Alberto AscariFerrari99+ 1 lap76
348 Louis ChironMaserati98+ 2 laps84
442 Raymond SommerFerrari97+ 3 laps93
550 Prince BiraMaserati95+ 5 laps152
626 Bob GerardERA94+ 6 laps16 
76 Johnny ClaesTalbot-Lago-Talbot94+ 6 laps19 
Ret38 Luigi VilloresiFerrari63Rear axle6 
Ret14 Philippe ÉtancelinTalbot-Lago-Talbot36Oil leak4 
Ret2 José Froilán GonzálezMaserati1Accident3 
Ret32 Nino FarinaAlfa Romeo0Accident2 
Ret36 Luigi FagioliAlfa Romeo0Accident5 
Ret16 Louis RosierTalbot-Lago-Talbot0Accident10 
Ret10 Robert ManzonSimca-Gordini0Accident11 
Ret52 Toulo de GraffenriedMaserati0Accident12 
Ret12 Maurice TrintignantSimca-Gordini0Accident13 
Ret24 Cuth HarrisonERA0Accident14 
Ret44 Franco RolMaserati0Accident17 
Ret8 Harry SchellCooper-JAP0Collision20 
DNS28 Peter WhiteheadFerrariEngine21 
DNS4 Alfredo PiànMaseratiPractice accident18 
Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Nino Farina9
112 Juan Manuel Fangio9
13 Luigi Fagioli6
184 Alberto Ascari6
85 Louis Chiron4
Source:[7]

Notes and References

  1. Book: Lang, Mike . Grand Prix! Vol 1 . Haynes Publishing Group . 1981 . 0-85429-276-4 . 15.
  2. Book: Lang, Mike . Grand Prix! Vol 1 . Haynes Publishing Group . 1981 . 0-85429-276-4 . 16.
  3. Book: XI Grand Prix Automobile . Automobile Club de Monaco . 1950 . 16 January 2018 .
  4. Web site: 1950 Monaco Grand Prix - Race Entries. https://web.archive.org/web/20120509151114/http://www.manipef1.com/results/1950/monaco/entries/. 9 May 2012. manipef1.com. 6 January 2016.
  5. Web site: 1950 Monaco GP - Entry List. chicanef1.com. 14 November 2013.
  6. Web site: Monaco 1950 - Result. statsf1.com. 14 November 2013.
  7. Web site: Monaco 1950 - Championship. www.statsf1.com. 1 March 2019.