1908 French Grand Prix

France  1908 French Grand Prix
Race details
1908 Grand Prix season
Date July 7, 1908
Official name Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France
Location Dieppe, France
Course Public roads
76.989 km (47.840 mi)
Distance 10 laps, 769.889 km (478.400 mi)
Fastest lap
Driver Germany Otto Salzer Mercedes
Time 36:31.0
Podium
First Germany Christian Lautenschlager Mercedes
Second France Victor Hémery Benz
Third France René Hanriot Benz

The 1908 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 7 July 1908.

Formula Changes


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]

The Race

Winner Christian Lautenschlager

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).[4][5] 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.[6]

Classification

Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/Retired
1 35 Germany Christian Lautenschlager Mercedes 10 6:55:43.8
2 6 France Victor Hémery Benz 150 hp +8:40.2
3 23 France René Hanriot Benz 150 hp +9:29.2
4 11 France Victor Rigal Clément-Bayard +34:52.8
5 2 Germany Willy Pöge Mercedes +36:47.2
6 27 Germany Carl Jörns Opel +43.56.2
7 39 Germany Fritz Erle Benz +56:48.0
8 37 Russia Sergey Dimitriewich Renault +1:07:39.0
9 16 United States George Heath Panhard-Levassor +1:09:03.0
10 49 Belgium Perpère Germain +1:12:34.4
11 12 Italy Alessandro Cagno Itala +1:21:23.0
12 28 France Fernand Gabriel Clément-Bayard +1:25:11.2
13 36 Courtade Motobloc +1:26:10.0
14 20 France Pierre Garcet Motobloc +1:33:23.0
15 21 France Gustave Caillois Renault +1:33:23.4
16 14 Belgium Camille Jenatzy Mors +1:38:11.8
17 31 Landon Mors +1:52:47.4
18 18 United Kingdom JTC Moore-Brabazon Austin +1:56:17.0
19 1 Italy Dario Resta Austin +2:00:17.4
20 29 France Henri Fournier Itala +2:00:47.4
21 10 Germany Friedrich Opel Opel +2:21:38.6
22 17 France François Degrais Germain +2:27:01.0
23 32 France Henry Farman Panhard-Levassor +2:38:07.0
Ret 8 France Léon Théry Brasier 9 Wheel
Ret 41 France Paul Bablot Brasier 9 Magneto
Ret 9 France Emile Stricker Porthos 9
Ret 43 Michel Opel 9 Radiator
Ret 48 France Henri Cissac Panhard-Levassor 8 Fatal crash
Ret 13 Pryce Harrison Weigel 5 Crash
Ret 44 Belgium Lucien Hautvast Clément-Bayard 5 Wheel
Ret 34 United Kingdom Warwick Wright Austin 4 Engine
Ret 33 François Marie Roch-Brault Germain 4
Ret 15 United States Lewis Strang Thomas 4 Clutch
Ret 40 France Louis Wagner Fiat 3 Gearbox
Ret 24 Italy Felice Nazzaro Fiat 3 Engine
Ret 3 Pierron Motobloc 3 Crash
Ret 30 Gregor Laxen Weigel 3 Crash
Ret 25 France Paul Baras Brasier 3 Engine
Ret 38 Italy Ferdinando Minoia Lorraine-Dietrich 3 Magneto
Ret 5 Belgium Arthur Duray Lorraine-Dietrich 2 Clutch
Ret 4 Hungary Ferenc Szisz Renault 2 Wheels
Ret 19 Otto Salzer Mercedes 2 Wheel
Ret 42 Jules Simon Porthos 2 Water pump
Ret 7 Italy Vincenzo Lancia Fiat 1 Engine
Ret 22 France Henri Rougier Lorraine-Dietrich 1 Magneto
Ret 46 Shannon Weigel 1 Steering
Ret 45 Italy Giovanni Piacenza Itala 1 Gearbox
Ret 26 J. Gaubert Porthos 0 Water pump
Grand Prix Race
Previous race:
None		 1908 Grand Prix season
Grandes Épreuves		 Next race:
None
Previous race:
1907 French Grand Prix		 French Grand Prix Next race:
1912 French Grand Prix

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 1908 French Grand Prix.
  1. ↑ 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.
  2. ↑ "Foreign Autoists Eager for Racing" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-01-06. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
  3. ↑ "The American Car in Grand Prix Race" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-05-03. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
  4. ↑ Higham, Peter (1995). The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. Guinness Publishing. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-85112-642-1.
  5. ↑ "1908 Grands Prix". Retrieved 2007-10-29.
  6. ↑ "Motorsport Memorial - Henri Cissac". Retrieved 2014-01-29.