# 1951 French Grand Prix

The 1951 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims-Gueux on 1 July 1951. It was race 4 of 8 in the 1951 World Championship of Drivers and was won by Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli driving an Alfa Romeo. It was the first of three occasions where two drivers would be credited with a Grand Prix win after sharing a car.
The race, which also carried the honorific title of European Grand Prix, saw the World Championship debuts of Aldo Gordini, André Simon and Onofre Marimón. Fagioli's victory, his first in a World Championship race, made him the oldest driver to win a World Championship Grand Prix, a record he still holds. This race also holds the record for the longest Formula One Grand Prix in terms of total distance needed to cover. 77 laps of the 4.856 mile Reims-Gueux circuit totaled to 373.961 miles.

## Report

About 10 laps into the race, the engine in Fangio's car began misfiring, so he stopped at the pits to have the magneto changed, but only completed one further lap before stopping again. Around this time, the gearbox in Ascari's Ferrari had broken, and he retired, although he took over the car of González, who had been pushing very hard. When Fagioli came in for his fuel stop, the team ordered Fagioli and Fangio to swap cars; Fagioli's car was running healthily whereas Fangio's car had multiple mechanical problems. Fuel stops and problems for the Ferraris enabled Fangio to make his way into the lead and win the race, with Ascari in González's original car finishing 2nd, 52 seconds behind. Fagioli, in Fangio's original car, finished 11th, 22 laps behind. Fagioli, a veteran racing driver who had been racing Grand Prix cars since the 1920s and known for his fiery temperament was so furious over handing his car over to Fangio that he quit Grand Prix racing on the spot; he only raced this one championship race in 1951 and had not competed at the previous rounds at Bern and Spa.

## Entries

| No | Driver | Entrant | Constructor | Chassis | Engine | Tyre |
| 2 | Nino Farina | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 159A | Alfa Romeo 1.5 L8s | P |
| 4 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 159A | Alfa Romeo 1.5 L8s | P |
| 6 | Consalvo Sanesi | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 159 | Alfa Romeo 1.5 L8s | P |
| 8 | Luigi Fagioli | Alfa Romeo SpA | Alfa Romeo | Alfa Romeo 159B | Alfa Romeo 1.5 L8s | P |
| 10 | Luigi Villoresi | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | Ferrari 375 | Ferrari Type 375 4.5 V12 | E |
| 12 | Alberto Ascari | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | Ferrari 375 | Ferrari Type 375 4.5 V12 | E |
| 14 | José Froilán González | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | Ferrari 375 | Ferrari Type 375 4.5 V12 | E |
| 16 | Piero Taruffi | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | Ferrari 375 | Ferrari 375 F1 4.5 V12 | E |
| 18 | Toulo de Graffenried | Enrico Platé | Maserati | Maserati 4CLT-50 | Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s | P |
| 20 | Harry Schell | Enrico Platé | Maserati | Maserati 4CLT-48 | Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s | P |
| 22 | Prince Bira | Ecurie Siam | Maserati | Maserati 4CLT-48 | Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s | P |
| 24 | Peter Whitehead | Graham Whitehead | Ferrari | Ferrari 125 | Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12s | D |
| 26 | Reg Parnell | G. A. Vandervell | Ferrari | Ferrari 375 tw | Ferrari Type 375 4.5 V12 | P |
| 28 | Johnny Claes | Ecurie Belge | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C-DA | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 30 | Robert Manzon | Equipe Gordini | Simca-Gordini | Simca-Gordini T15 | Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s | E |
| 32 | Maurice Trintignant | Equipe Gordini | Simca-Gordini | Simca-Gordini T15 | Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s | E |
| 34 | André Simon | Equipe Gordini | Simca-Gordini | Simca-Gordini T15 | Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s | E |
| 36 | Aldo Gordini | Equipe Gordini | Simca-Gordini | Simca-Gordini T11 | Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s | E |
| 38 | Philippe Étancelin | Philippe Étancelin | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C-DA | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 40 | Louis Rosier | Ecurie Rosier | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C-DA | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 42 | Louis Chiron | Ecurie Rosier | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 44 | Eugène Chaboud | Eugène Chaboud | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C-GS | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 46 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 48 | Guy Mairesse | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Talbot-Lago | Talbot-Lago T26C | Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6 | D |
| 50 | Onofre Marimón | Scuderia Milano | Maserati-Milano | Maserati 4CLT-50 | Milano 1.5 L4s | P |
| Sources: |||||||
    ^1 — Juan Manuel Fangio qualified and drove 15 laps of the race in the #4 Alfa Romeo. Luigi Fagioli took over the car for a further 40 laps.
    ^2 — Luigi Fagioli qualified and drove 20 laps of the race in the #8 Alfa Romeo. Juan Manuel Fangio took over the car for the remaining 57 laps of the race.
    ^3 — José Froilán González qualified and drove 35 laps of the race in the #14 Ferrari. Alberto Ascari, whose own vehicle had already retired, took over the car for the remaining 42 laps of the race.
    ^4 — Piero Taruffi and Prince Bira both withdrew from the event prior to practice.
    ^5 — Reg Parnell qualified and drove the entire race in the #26 Ferrari. Brian Shawe-Taylor practiced in the car, but took no part in the race proper.
    ^6 — Eugène Chaboud qualified and drove the entire race in the #44 Talbot-Lago. Lucien Vincent, named substitute driver for the car, was not used during the Grand Prix.

## Classification
### Qualifying

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 4 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo | 2:25.7 | – |
| 2 | 2 | Nino Farina | Alfa Romeo | 2:27.4 | + 1.7 |
| 3 | 12 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 2:28.1 | + 2.4 |
| 4 | 10 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari | 2:28.5 | + 2.8 |
| 5 | 6 | Consalvo Sanesi | Alfa Romeo | 2:28.9 | + 3.2 |
| 6 | 14 | José Froilán González | Ferrari | 2:30.8 | + 5.1 |
| 7 | 8 | Luigi Fagioli | Alfa Romeo | 2:33.1 | + 7.4 |
| 8 | 42 | Louis Chiron | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:43.7 | + 18.0 |
| 9 | 26 | Reg Parnell | Ferrari | 2:44.0 | + 18.3 |
| 10 | 38 | Philippe Étancelin | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:44.8 | + 19.1 |
| 11 | 46 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:45.7 | + 20.0 |
| 12 | 28 | Johnny Claes | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:46.6 | + 20.9 |
| 13 | 40 | Louis Rosier | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:48.0 | + 22.3 |
| 14 | 44 | Eugène Chaboud | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:49.6 | + 23.9 |
| 15 | 50 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati-Milano | 2:49.9 | + 24.2 |
| 16 | 18 | Toulo de Graffenried | Maserati | 2:50.1 | + 24.4 |
| 17 | 36 | Aldo Gordini | Simca-Gordini | 2:50.3 | + 24.6 |
| 18 | 32 | Maurice Trintignant | Simca-Gordini | 2:50.4 | + 24.7 |
| 19 | 48 | Guy Mairesse | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 2:58.4 | + 32.7 |
| 20 | 24 | Peter Whitehead | Ferrari | 2:59.0 | + 33.3 |
| 21 | 34 | André Simon | Simca-Gordini | 2:59.5 | + 33.8 |
| 22 | 20 | Harry Schell | Maserati | 3:02.0 | + 36.3 |
| 23 | 30 | Robert Manzon | Simca-Gordini | 3:06.0 | + 40.3 |
| DNA | 16 | Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | – | – |
| DNA | 22 | Prince Bira | Maserati | – | – |
| Source: ||||||

### Race

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 8 | Luigi Fagioli Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo | 77 | 3:22:11.0 | 7 | 4 5 |
| 2 | 14 | José Froilán González Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 77 | + 58.2 | 6 | 3 3 |
| 3 | 10 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari | 74 | + 3 Laps | 4 | 4 |
| 4 | 26 | Reg Parnell | Ferrari | 73 | + 4 Laps | 9 | 3 |
| 5 | 2 | Nino Farina | Alfa Romeo | 73 | + 4 Laps | 2 | 2 |
| 6 | 42 | Louis Chiron | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 71 | + 6 Laps | 8 | |
| 7 | 46 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 71 | + 6 Laps | 11 | |
| 8 | 44 | Eugène Chaboud | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 69 | + 8 Laps | 14 | |
| 9 | 48 | Guy Mairesse | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 66 | + 11 Laps | 19 | |
| 10 | 6 | Consalvo Sanesi | Alfa Romeo | 58 | + 19 Laps | 5 | |
| 11 | 4 | Juan Manuel Fangio Luigi Fagioli | Alfa Romeo | 55 | + 22 Laps | 1 | |
| Ret | 28 | Johnny Claes | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 54 | Accident | 12 | |
| Ret | 40 | Louis Rosier | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 43 | Transmission | 13 | |
| Ret | 38 | Philippe Étancelin | Talbot-Lago-Talbot | 37 | Engine | 10 | |
| Ret | 36 | Aldo Gordini | Simca-Gordini | 27 | Engine | 17 | |
| Ret | 20 | Harry Schell | Maserati | 23 | Overheating | 22 | |
| Ret | 32 | Maurice Trintignant | Simca-Gordini | 11 | Engine | 18 | |
| Ret | 12 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 10 | Gearbox | 3 | |
| Ret | 34 | André Simon | Simca-Gordini | 7 | Engine | 21 | |
| Ret | 30 | Robert Manzon | Simca-Gordini | 3 | Engine | 23 | |
| Ret | 50 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati-Milano | 2 | Engine | 15 | |
| Ret | 18 | Toulo de Graffenried | Maserati | 1 | Transmission | 16 | |
| Ret | 24 | Peter Whitehead | Ferrari | 1 | Engine | 20 | |
| Source: ||||||||

#### Notes

* ^1 – Includes 1 point for fastest lap

## Shared drives

* Car #8: Fagioli (first 20 laps) then Fangio (57 laps). They shared the points for the win (Fangio scored one extra point for setting the fastest race lap).
* Car #14: Gonzalez (first 35 laps) then Ascari (42 laps). They shared the points for 2nd position.
* Car #4: Fangio (first 15 laps) then Fagioli (40 laps). When Fagioli rejoined the race in Fangio's car he was already 20 laps behind.

## Championship standings after the race
### Drivers' Championship standings

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| 1 | 1 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 15 |
| 1 | 2 | Nino Farina | 14 |
| | 3 | Lee Wallard | 9 |
| | 4 | Alberto Ascari | 9 |
| 2 | 5 | Luigi Villoresi | 8 |
| Source: ||||
* Note: Only the top five positions are listed. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship.