1908 French Grand Prix
1908 French Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race details | |||
Date | July 7, 1908 | ||
Official name | Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France | ||
Location | Dieppe, France | ||
Course | Public roads | ||
Course length | 76.989 km (47.840 miles) | ||
Distance | 10 laps, 769.889 km (478.400 miles) | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver |
![]() | Mercedes | |
Time | 36:31.0 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Mercedes | ||
Second | Benz | ||
Third | Benz |
The 1908 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 7 July 1908.
Formula Changes
[edit]The race was run under a new formula agreed in Ostend in 1907. There was no fuel consumption limit, but the cars had a minimum weight of 1100 kilograms, and a maximum cylinder bore of 155 millimetres.[1] This formula differed from the regulations in place for the American Vanderbilt Cup series, which discouraged American manufacturers from entering the race.[2] Lewis Strang drove the single American entrant, the Thomas Flyer.[3] D. Napier & Son cars were disqualified from the race due to their use of Rudge-Whitworth center locking hubs, which the organizers believed were unsafe.[4]
The Race
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Christian_Lautenschlager_Mercedes_1908_French_Grand_Prix.jpg/220px-Christian_Lautenschlager_Mercedes_1908_French_Grand_Prix.jpg)
Christian Lautenschlager won the race in his Mercedes finishing nearly nine minutes ahead of Victor Hémery's Benz. Lautenschlager's average speed for the race was 69.045 mph (111.117 km/h). Otto Salzer set fastest lap in his Mercedes, with an average speed of over 78 mph (126 km/h).[5][6] The race was notable for tragic reasons. Henri Cissac's car lost a tyre and rolled, killing Cissac and Jules Schaube, his riding mechanic. This was the first fatal accident in Grand Prix history.[7]
Classification
[edit]Pos | No | Driver | Car | Laps | Time/Retired |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 35 | ![]() |
Mercedes | 10 | 6:55:43.8 |
2 | 6 | ![]() |
Benz 150 hp | +8:40.2 | |
3 | 23 | ![]() |
Benz 150 hp | +9:29.2 | |
4 | 11 | ![]() |
Clément-Bayard | +34:52.8 | |
5 | 2 | ![]() |
Mercedes | +36:47.2 | |
6 | 27 | ![]() |
Opel | +43.56.2 | |
7 | 39 | ![]() |
Benz | +56:48.0 | |
8 | 37 | ![]() |
Renault | +1:07:39.0 | |
9 | 16 | ![]() |
Panhard-Levassor | +1:09:03.0 | |
10 | 49 | ![]() |
Germain | +1:12:34.4 | |
11 | 12 | ![]() |
Itala | +1:21:23.0 | |
12 | 28 | ![]() |
Clément-Bayard | +1:25:11.2 | |
13 | 36 | ![]() |
Motobloc | +1:26:10.0 | |
14 | 20 | ![]() |
Motobloc | +1:33:23.0 | |
15 | 21 | ![]() |
Renault | +1:33:23.4 | |
16 | 14 | ![]() |
Mors | +1:38:11.8 | |
17 | 31 | Landon | Mors | +1:52:47.4 | |
18 | 18 | ![]() |
Austin | +1:56:17.0 | |
19 | 1 | ![]() |
Austin | +2:00:17.4 | |
20 | 29 | ![]() |
Itala | +2:00:47.4 | |
21 | 10 | ![]() |
Opel | +2:21:38.6 | |
22 | 17 | ![]() |
Germain | +2:27:01.0 | |
23 | 32 | ![]() |
Panhard-Levassor | +2:38:07.0 | |
Ret | 8 | ![]() |
Brasier | 9 | Wheel |
Ret | 41 | ![]() |
Brasier | 9 | Magneto |
Ret | 9 | ![]() |
Porthos | 9 | |
Ret | 43 | Michel | Opel | 9 | Radiator |
Ret | 48 | ![]() |
Panhard-Levassor | 8 | Fatal crash |
Ret | 13 | ![]() |
Weigel | 5 | Crash |
Ret | 44 | ![]() |
Clément-Bayard | 5 | Wheel |
Ret | 34 | ![]() |
Austin | 4 | Engine |
Ret | 33 | ![]() |
Germain | 4 | |
Ret | 15 | ![]() |
Thomas | 4 | Clutch |
Ret | 40 | ![]() |
Fiat | 3 | Gearbox |
Ret | 24 | ![]() |
Fiat | 3 | Engine |
Ret | 3 | ![]() |
Motobloc | 3 | Crash |
Ret | 30 | ![]() |
Weigel | 3 | Crash |
Ret | 25 | ![]() |
Brasier | 3 | Engine |
Ret | 38 | ![]() |
Lorraine-Dietrich | 3 | Magneto |
Ret | 5 | ![]() |
Lorraine-Dietrich | 2 | Clutch |
Ret | 4 | ![]() |
Renault | 2 | Wheels |
Ret | 19 | ![]() |
Mercedes | 2 | Wheel |
Ret | 42 | ![]() |
Porthos | 2 | Water pump |
Ret | 7 | ![]() |
Fiat | 1 | Engine |
Ret | 22 | ![]() |
Lorraine-Dietrich | 1 | Magneto |
Ret | 46 | ![]() |
Weigel | 1 | Steering |
Ret | 45 | ![]() |
Itala | 1 | Gearbox |
Ret | 26 | ![]() |
Porthos img | 0 | Water pump |
References
[edit]![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Etzrodt, Hans (2007-06-19). "Grand Prix Winners 1895-1949. History and Formulae". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ "Foreign Autoists Eager for Racing" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-01-06. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ "The American Car in Grand Prix Race" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-05-03. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ Matteucci, Marco (1976). History of the Motor Car. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. p. 250. ISBN 978-0706400007. OCLC 4168687.
- ^ Higham, Peter (1995). The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. Guinness Publishing. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-85112-642-1.
- ^ a b "1908 Grands Prix". Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Henri Cissac". Retrieved 2014-01-29.