The history of the Monaco Grand Prix
T he modern era of Formula One began in 1950, but the Grand Prix roots much earlier track racing on cutting-edge road in France in the 1890s, through the Edwardian years, years twenty dark, German domination of the 1930s and the first years of post-war Italian supremacy.
A t the birth of racing, cars were upright and heavy, roads were tarred sand or wood, reliability was problematic, drivers were accompanied by mechanics, and races usually on public roads city to city were incredibly long by modern standards Considered first proper race car was a road race of 1200 km from Paris to Bordeaux and in 1895, won by Émile Levassor with his Panhard et Levassor in 48 hours one of most successful drivers of the year at the beginning wAS Fernand Charron, who won the Paris-Bordeaux race in 1899, also in a Panhard, at an average speed of 29 September buckling mph.
T he first race using the name Grand Prix was the 1901 French Grand Prix at Le Mans, won by Ferencz Szisz with Renault who covered the 700 miles in 63 0 mph 1906 Grand Prix of the Automobile Club of France, commonly known as the great 1906 French name Price was organized at the instigation of the French automotive industry as an alternative to Gordon Bennett races, which limited the number of entries from each participating country regardless of the size of its industry in 1908 the Targa Florio in Sicily saw the emergence of the pits, shallow sites dug by the side of the track where mechanics could work with detachable rims on early GP car tires themselves a major technical improvement over the prior art wheels and spokes permanently attached, but even so, racing cars of the early years were too heavy and fast for their tires; Christian Lauteschalnger winning Mercedes shredded 10 tires in 1908 French Grand Prix at Dieppe.
I n 1914, the massive 4 1 2 liter Mercedes of Daimler-Benz dominated the French Grand Prix in Lyon 20 laps of a circuit 23 3 mile taking the first three places and introducing control of drivers by signal stands During World War II, the race was stopped in Europe, and many drivers participated in the United States Indianapolis 500 Enzo Ferrari is a real celebrity was to follow as team manager and manufacturer with Ferrari formed in 1929 to race Alfa Romeo P2s finished second in the race carts 1920 in Le Mans the first international road race in France in six years.
B y tradition of Italian racing driver in action is an excitable character given to shouting, gesticulating, waving his fists, baring his teeth and give way to emotions Tazio Nuvolari filled this role splendidly Son Cyril Posthumus s The Farmer.
T he first and, until Eagle-Weslake Dan Gurney at Spa-Francorchamps in 1967, the only win of the Grand Prix of US-made car was by Jimmy Murphy in 1921 French Grand Prix at Le Mans driving a Duesnberg Among the best of the 1920s manufacturers were Bugatti whose right eight types 35Bs won the French and Spanish GPs in 1929 and Monaco French and Belgian GPs in 1930, and Fiat has introduced the supercharger for the first time in 1923. 1931 saw the formation of the great International Prize, later also known as Championship auto Europe, since all major events were held in Europe, was the first championship of international drivers in the history of motor racing rules of origin provided 10 hours of racing in France, Belgium, Italy and Spain, with two drivers chaqu e car because of the length of races all cars without restriction on the ability of weight or so known engine under the Formula Libre name could involve winners would be the driver Pairin g which in the period of 10 hours has covered more long distance.
T he Great Depression of the 1930s led to a regrettable lack of money and general interest in the Grand Prix races, but has seen the emergence of the legendary Tazio Nuvolari wins in the Alfa Romeo P3 in Monza to the Mille Miglia Monaco and the Italian GP at Monza were stunning legendary victories, although in the 40 to Nuvloari in 1933 Monaco GP the first in which the positions of the Staring grid were determined by qualifying performance which saw nine Monza Alfas 8Cs seven 51s Bugattis type and three Maseratis 8cm entered and the grand Prix at Donington in 1938 were epic None of the spectators to the latter, who returned home after seeing a huge race, could have imagined that it would take 55 years before the next Donington GP was run as winner Nuvolari got a worthy successor Ayrton Senna Known for Italian fans Mantua wheel or the Grand little man , Nuvolari was just 5 3 160 cm high and he quickly discovered he did not have the strength to force the cars around corners with the steering wheel So instead, he developed a technique where he put his car in a drift-wheel drive and control the slide with the throttle all Nuvolari spent 30 years in motor racing and as his wish, was buried in his uniform when he died after a long illness, a short few years after the modern F1 series was launched.
B ut in 1934, the balance of power in the race would begin to move from Italy to Germany, with the emergence of Auto Union factory team now Audi and Mercedes-Benz behind massive financial support Third Reich government on orders from Adolph Hitler These powerful machines and beautiful German introduced aerodynamics in automotive design Price and ran on exotic fuel beers, secret driving the sleek, silver 3-liter V12 Auto Union in his trademark yellow jersey canary, Nuvolari achieved new greatness with these incredibly well-designed cars, but nothing to top his 1935 German GP victory on the original 14,173 milie Nordschleife Nürburgring Nordschleife where he beat nine German cars modern in an old Alfa romeo four years for the race, Mercedes-Benz had entered no fewer than five cars, driven by Caracciola Brauchitsch, Fagioli, Geier and Lang the V-16 April 9 li tres 350 bhp Auto Unions were piloted by Stuck Rosemeyer Pietsch and Varzi Both German cars Coul d, and not exceed 175 mph Nuvolari passed Rosemeyer in the sixth round, spent Brauchitsch on lap seven, was ironed by him on lap eight, took Brauchitsch again, and Fagioli and of the nine past and knees Caracciola to lead the race on lap 10 250,000 German spectators could hardly believe their eyes.
N uvolari was then attend a typical Italian stop of more than two minutes before returning to the track in anger at the delay, his blood was and he drove like a total fool in the next rounds, he passed Caracciola, Stuck and Fagioli as if they were nothing more than the runners club later normal pitstop by Rosemeyer moved the small Italian back in second place once again at the Karussell Kurve a banked, tight hairpin to the left open hand on the line inside with concrete on the final round, a little over 200 yards separated the red car of the Mercedes of von Brauchitsch, Nuvolari leak when a puncture on the silver car propelled Tazio to an amazing victory Brauchitsch continued on the rim do not have to see the Alfa Romeo pass and continue to win in front of spectators amazed with half a kilometer to go a second tire blew on the Mercedes and cry Brauchitsch had to see three other cars pass before he could get his car on the line for a second was silent, but the Italian was greeted by huge cheers from the crowd it was once and for all triumph for the human qualities of skill, courage and judgment against the hard mechanical facts of speed, power and acceleration Nazi officials were confused by the lack of a record of the Italian anthem to play the speakers only Deutschland Uber Alles had been ready for the inevitable German triumph, but Nuvolari himself was able to rectify the situation with his own record of the Marcia Reale, which he wore as a talisman.
F1 Formula One Origins Art Genius, formula, French Grand Prix, French Grand Prix Le Mans.