1952 Italian Grand Prix Explained

Type:F1
Country:Italy
Grand Prix:Italian
Official Name:XXIII GRAN PREMIO D'ITALIA
Date:7 September
Year:1952
Previous Round:1952 Dutch Grand Prix
Next Round:1953 Argentine Grand Prix
Location:Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy
Course:Permanent racing facility
Course Mi:3.915
Course Km:6.300
Distance Laps:80
Distance Mi:313.171
Distance Km:504.000
Weather:Sunny
Pole Driver:Alberto Ascari
Pole Team:Ferrari
Pole Time:2:05.7
Pole Country:Italy
Fast Driver:Alberto Ascari
Fast Team:Ferrari
Fast Time:2:06.1
Fast Lap:56
Fast Country:Italy
Fast Driver2:José Froilán González
Fast Team2:Maserati
Fast Lap2:57, 60
Fast Country2:Argentina
First Driver:Alberto Ascari
First Team:Ferrari
First Country:Italy
Second Driver:José Froilán González
Second Team:Maserati
Second Country:Argentina
Third Driver:Luigi Villoresi
Third Team:Ferrari
Third Country:Italy

The 1952 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 7 September 1952 at Monza. It was the eighth and final round of the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 80-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from pole position. José Froilán González finished second for the Maserati team and Ascari's teammate Luigi Villoresi came in third.

Race report

Due to the dominance of the Ferrari team throughout 1952, the World Drivers' Championship had already been clinched a month prior to the season-ending Italian Grand Prix. Nevertheless, Ferrari entered five drivers for their home race, with their Dutch Grand Prix trio—World Champion Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina and Luigi Villoresi—being joined by Piero Taruffi and André Simon, both of whom had competed for the Scuderia at various points of the season. There were also a number of privateer Ferraris, including the Ecurie Espadon pairing of Fischer and Stuck, as well as Charles de Tornaco of Ecurie Francorchamps, Louis Rosier and Peter Whitehead. The works Maserati team appeared for the first and only time in the 1952 World Championship, running three cars for Felice Bonetto, Franco Rol and José Froilán González. Also running A6GCMs were the Escuderia Bandeirantes trio of Bianco, Cantoni and Landi, while Enrico Platé's drivers—Toulo de Graffenried and debutant Alberto Crespo—ran the older 4CLT/48 equipped with the team's own revised engines. Gordini retained their previous driver lineup of Behra, Manzon and Trintignant, while Johnny Claes drove a privateer Simca-Gordini at Monza. HWM entered a pair of cars for Peter Collins and Lance Macklin, with Australian Tony Gaze running a privateer HWM. The Connaught team, absent since the British Grand Prix, returned to the Championship with a three-car entry consisting of Stirling Moss (who had driven for ERA at the previous event), Dennis Poore and Kenneth McAlpine.

For this event, only 24 cars were allowed to take the start, meaning that 11 of the 35 drivers who had entered the race failed to qualify. These included all of the HWMs, three of the privateer Ferraris, and both of the Enrico Platé-entered Maseratis. Ascari took his third consecutive pole position (and his fifth of the season), and the front row was completed by his teammates Villoresi and Farina, and the Gordini of Trintignant. The Maserati of González started from the second row, alongside the remaining works Ferraris of Taruffi and Simon, and the Gordini of Robert Manzon. Row three consisted of Stirling Moss in the leading Connaught, Frenchman Élie Bayol in the sole OSCA, Behra in the third and final works Gordini, and Mike Hawthorn in his privateer Cooper-Bristol. The remaining works Maseratis of Bonetto and Rol were only able to make the fourth row of the grid, starting from 13th and 16th, respectively.

José Froilán González emerged in first place at the start of the race, ahead of Ascari in second. The Argentine remained in the lead for the first 36 laps of the race, until a slow pit stop allowed the Ferraris of Ascari and Villoresi to pass him for first and second, respectively. Ascari held the lead for the remainder of the race, and, in so doing, took his sixth consecutive World Championship race victory. González caught up with Villoresi and passed him to take second place in his only Championship race of the season. Villoresi completed the podium by taking his second consecutive third-place finish. Farina was not far behind in fourth place, while the second Maserati of Felice Bonetto took the final points position in fifth, finishing a lap down on the leaders. The remaining works Ferraris of Simon and Taruffi finished in sixth and seventh place, respectively.[1]

As Taruffi finished outside the points, he was unable to overtake Nino Farina in the Drivers' Championship standings. The Ferrari team monopolised the top three positions, with World Champion Alberto Ascari ahead of teammates Farina and Taruffi.

Entries

No Driver Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre
2 Robert ManzonEquipe GordiniGordiniGordini T16Gordini 20 2.0 L6
4 Maurice TrintignantGordiniGordini T16Gordini 20 2.0 L6
6 Jean BehraGordiniGordini T16Gordini 20 2.0 L6
8 André SimonScuderia FerrariFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
10 Nino FarinaFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
12 Alberto AscariFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
14 Piero TaruffiFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
16 Luigi VilloresiFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
18 Rudi FischerEcurie EspadonFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
20 Hans StuckFerrariFerrari 212Ferrari 166 2.0 V12
22 Felice BonettoOfficine Alfieri MaseratiMaseratiMaserati A6GCMMaserati A6G 2.0 L6
24 Franco RolMaseratiMaserati A6GCMMaserati A6G 2.0 L6
26 José Froilán GonzálezMaseratiMaserati A6GCMMaserati A6G 2.0 L6
28 Kenneth McAlpineConnaught EngineeringConnaught-Lea FrancisConnaught ALea Francis 2.0 L4
30 Dennis PooreConnaught-Lea FrancisConnaught ALea Francis 2.0 L4
32 Stirling MossConnaught-Lea FrancisConnaught ALea Francis 2.0 L4
34 Élie BayolÉlie BayolOSCAOSCA 20OSCA Tipo 2000 2.0 L6
36 Eric BrandonEcurie RichmondCooper-BristolCooper T20Bristol BS1 2.0 L6
38 Alan BrownCooper-BristolCooper T20Bristol BS1 2.0 L6
40 Ken WhartonScuderia FraneraCooper-BristolCooper T20Bristol BS1 2.0 L6
42 Mike HawthornLeslie D. HawthornCooper-BristolCooper T20Bristol BS1 2.0 L6
44 Piero DusioPiero DusioCisitalia-BPMCisitalia D46BPM 2.0 L4
46 Gino BiancoEscuderia BandeirantesMaseratiMaserati A6GCMMaserati A6G 2.0 L6
48 Chico LandiMaseratiMaserati A6GCMMaserati A6G 2.0 L6
50 Eitel CantoniMaseratiMaserati A6GCMMaserati A6G 2.0 L6
52 Lance MacklinHW MotorsHWM-AltaHWM 52Alta F2 2.0 L4
54 Peter CollinsHWM-AltaHWM 52Alta F2 2.0 L4
56 Tony GazeTony GazeHWM-AltaHWM 52Alta F2 2.0 L4
58 Alberto CrespoEnrico PlatéMaserati-PlatéMaserati 4CLT-48Platé 2.0 L4
60 Toulo de GraffenriedMaserati-PlatéMaserati 4CLT-48Platé 2.0 L4
62 Louis RosierEcurie RosierFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
64 Bill AstonW.S. AstonAston ButterworthAston NB41Aston Butterworth F4 2.0 F4
66 Johnny ClaesVicomtesse de WalckiersSimca-GordiniSimca-Gordini T15Gordini 1500 1.5 L4
68 Peter WhiteheadPeter WhiteheadFerrariFerrari 125Ferrari 166 2.0 V12
70 Charles de TornacoEcurie FrancorchampsFerrariFerrari 500Ferrari Type 500 2.0 L4
Sources:[2] [3]

— Carlo Dusio, named substitute driver for the #44 Cisitalia-BPM, took no part in the Grand Prix.[4]

Classification

Qualifying

Pos No Driver Constructor Time Gap
112 Alberto AscariFerrari2:05.7
216 Luigi VilloresiFerrari2:06.6+0.9
310 Nino FarinaFerrari2:07.0+1.3
44 Maurice TrintignantGordini2:07.2+1.5
526 José Froilán GonzálezMaserati2:07.6+1.9
614 Piero TaruffiFerrari2:07.8+2.1
72 Robert ManzonGordini2:08.2+2.5
88 André SimonFerrari2:09.1+3.4
932 Stirling MossConnaught-Lea Francis2:09.8+4.1
1034 Élie BayolOSCA2:10.6+4.9
116 Jean BehraGordini2:10.8+5.1
1242 Mike HawthornCooper-Bristol2:11.2+5.5
1322 Felice BonettoMaserati2:11.6+5.9
1418 Rudi FischerFerrari2:11.8+6.1
1540 Ken WhartonCooper-Bristol2:12.2+6.5
1624 Franco RolMaserati2:12.7+7.0
1762 Louis RosierFerrari2:12.7+7.0
1848 Chico LandiMaserati2:13.0+7.3
1930 Dennis PooreConnaught-Lea Francis2:14.0+8.3
2036 Eric BrandonCooper-Bristol2:14.0+8.3
2138 Alan BrownCooper-Bristol2:15.0+9.3
2228 Kenneth McAlpineConnaught-Lea Francis2:15.1+9.4
2350 Eitel CantoniMaserati2:15.9+10.2
2446 Gino BiancoMaserati2:17.1+11.4
2570 Charles de TornacoFerrari2:17.5+11.8
2658 Alberto CrespoMaserati-Platé2:17.8+12.1
2760 Toulo de GraffenriedMaserati-Platé2:18.4+12.7
2854 Peter CollinsHWM-Alta2:18.6+12.9
2968 Peter WhiteheadFerrari2:18.8+13.1
3056 Tony GazeHWM-Alta2:20.3+14.6
3164 Bill AstonAston Butterworth2:20.7+15.0
3252 Lance MacklinHWM-Alta2:21.0+15.3
3320 Hans StuckFerrari2:22.8+17.1
3444 Piero DusioCisitalia-BPMNo time
3566 Johnny ClaesSimca-Gordini-GordiniNo time
Sources:[5] [6]

*Entries with a pink background failed to qualify for the race.

Race

Pos No Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
112 Alberto AscariFerrari802:50:45.618.5
226 José Froilán GonzálezMaserati80+1:01.856.5
316 Luigi VilloresiFerrari80+2:04.224
410 Nino FarinaFerrari80+2:11.433
522 Felice BonettoMaserati79+1 lap132
68 André SimonFerrari79+1 lap8
714 Piero TaruffiFerrari77+3 laps6
848 Chico LandiMaserati76+4 laps18
940 Ken WhartonCooper-Bristol76+4 laps15
1062 Louis RosierFerrari75+5 laps17
1150 Eitel CantoniMaserati75+5 laps23
1230 Dennis PooreConnaught-Lea Francis74+6 laps19
1336 Eric BrandonCooper-Bristol73+7 laps20
142 Robert ManzonGordini71+9 laps7
1538 Alan BrownCooper-Bristol68+12 laps21
Ret32 Stirling MossConnaught-Lea Francis60Suspension9
Ret46 Gino BiancoMaserati46Engine24
Ret6 Jean BehraGordini42Engine11
NC42 Mike HawthornCooper-Bristol38Not classified12
Ret24 Franco RolMaserati24Engine16
Ret4 Maurice TrintignantGordini5Engine4
Ret28 Kenneth McAlpineConnaught-Lea Francis4Suspension22
Ret18 Rudi FischerFerrari3Engine14
Ret34 Élie BayolOSCA0Gearbox10
DNQ70 Charles de TornacoFerrariDid not qualify
DNQ58 Alberto CrespoMaserati-PlatéDid not qualify
DNQ60 Toulo de GraffenriedMaserati-PlatéDid not qualify
DNQ54 Peter CollinsHWM-AltaDid not qualify
DNQ68 Peter WhiteheadFerrariDid not qualify
DNQ56 Tony GazeHWM-AltaDid not qualify
DNQ64 Bill AstonAston ButterworthDid not qualify
DNQ52 Lance MacklinHWM-AltaDid not qualify
DNQ20 Hans StuckFerrariDid not qualify
DNQ44 Piero DusioCisitalia-BPMDid not qualify
DNQ66 Johnny ClaesSimca-Gordini-GordiniDid not qualify
Notes

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings
PosDriverPoints
1 Alberto Ascari36 (53.5)
2 Nino Farina24 (27)
3 Piero Taruffi22
4 Rudi Fischer10
5 Mike Hawthorn10
Source:[7]

References


Notes and References

  1. Web site: Italian GP, 1952 Race Report. Grandprix.com. 16 July 2013.
  2. Web site: 1952 Italian Grand Prix - Race Entries. https://web.archive.org/web/20120509144144/http://www.manipef1.com/results/1952/italy/entries/. 9 May 2012. manipef1.com. 6 January 2016.
  3. Web site: 1952 Italian GP - Entry List. chicanef1.com. 8 April 2014.
  4. Web site: Italy 1952 - Race entrants. statsf1.com. 8 April 2014.
  5. Web site: 1952 Italian Grand Prix - Qualifying and Race Results. 2012-07-10. F1Pulse.com. F1 Pulse.
  6. Web site: Italy 1952 - Qualifications. StatsF1.com. 8 April 2014.
  7. Web site: Italy 1952 - Championship • STATS F1. www.statsf1.com. 1 March 2019.