# 1954 French Grand Prix

The 1954 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on 4 July 1954. It was race 4 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. The 61-lap race was won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole position. His teammate Karl Kling finished second and Ferrari driver Robert Manzon came in third.

## Race report

The long-awaited Mercedes W196 with its straight-8 fuel-injection engine made its debut with Juan Manuel Fangio transferring from Maserati to join an otherwise all-German line-up of Hans Herrmann, Karl Kling and pre-war driver Hermann Lang. It was a dominant return with Fangio recording a practice lap of 124.31 mph. He and Kling led away and continued to race side by side around the Rheims track. The Ferrari drivers simply couldn't cope with the pace. José Froilán González retired after 12 laps and Mike Hawthorn's car blew up spectacularly. Former Ferrari double World Champion (1952 and 1953) Alberto Ascari drove a Maserati, as the Lancia D50 was not yet ready for racing, and lasted only 1 lap after starting on the outside of the front row. Herrmann set fastest lap before retiring, but Fangio and Kling continued their duel until the last lap when team orders were put in force and Fangio led Kling over the line by a mere 0.1 seconds-half a car length. Only six cars finished the gruelling race.

## Entries

| Team | No | Driver | Car | Engine | Tyre |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 2 | José Froilán González | Ferrari 553 | Ferrari 554 2.5 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 4 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari 625 F1 | Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 | P |
| Scuderia Ferrari | 6 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari 553 | Ferrari 554 2.5 L4 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 10 | Alberto Ascari | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 12 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 14 | Luigi Villoresi | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | P |
| Officine Alfieri Maserati | 40 | Sergio Mantovani | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | P |
| Roberto Mieres | 16 | Roberto Mieres | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Daimler Benz AG | 18 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes-Benz W196 | Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 | C |
| Daimler Benz AG | 20 | Karl Kling | Mercedes-Benz W196 | Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 | C |
| Daimler Benz AG | 22 | Hans Herrmann | Mercedes-Benz W196 | Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 | C |
| Equipe Gordini | 24 | Jean Behra | Gordini T16 | Gordini 23 2.5 L6 | E |
| Equipe Gordini | 26 | Jacques Pollet | Gordini T16 | Gordini 23 2.5 L6 | E |
| Equipe Gordini | 28 | Paul Frère | Gordini T16 | Gordini 23 2.5 L6 | E |
| Georges Berger | 30 | Georges Berger | Gordini T16 | Gordini 23 2.5 L6 | E |
| HW Motors | 32 | Lance Macklin | HWM 53 | Alta GP 2.5 L4 | D |
| Ecurie Rosier | 34 | Robert Manzon | Ferrari 625 F1 | Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 | D P |
| Ecurie Rosier | 36 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari 625 F1 | Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 | D P |
| Owen Racing Organisation | 42 | Ken Wharton | Ferrari 625 F1 | Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 | D |
| Gilby Engineering | 44 | Roy Salvadori | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | D |
| Birabongse Bhanudej | 46 | Prince Bira | Maserati 250F | Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 | P |
| Harry Schell | 48 | Harry Schell | Maserati A6GCM | Maserati A6 2.0 L6 | P |
| Source: ||||||

## Classification
### Qualifying

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 18 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes | 2:29.4 | — |
| 2 | 20 | Karl Kling | Mercedes | 2:30.4 | + 1.0 |
| 3 | 10 | Alberto Ascari | Maserati | 2:30.5 | + 1.1 |
| 4 | 2 | José Froilán González | Ferrari | 2:30.6 | + 1.2 |
| 5 | 12 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati | 2:31.6 | + 2.2 |
| 6 | 46 | Prince Bira | Maserati | 2:35.1 | + 5.7 |
| 7 | 22 | Hans Herrmann | Mercedes | 2:35.3 | + 5.9 |
| 8 | 6 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | 2:35.6 | + 6.2 |
| 9 | 4 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 2:36.1 | + 6.7 |
| 10 | 44 | Roy Salvadori | Maserati | 2:36.3 | + 6.9 |
| 11 | 16 | Roberto Mieres | Maserati | 2:38.7 | + 9.3 |
| 12 | 34 | Robert Manzon | Ferrari | 2:42.0 | + 12.6 |
| 13 | 36 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari | 2:42.1 | + 12.7 |
| 14 | 14 | Luigi Villoresi | Maserati | 2:42.7 | + 13.3 |
| 15 | 32 | Lance Macklin | HWM-Alta | 2:52.5 | + 23.1 |
| 16 | 42 | Ken Wharton | Maserati | 3:09.3 | + 39.9 |
| 17 | 24 | Jean Behra | Gordini | No time | — |
| 18 | 26 | Jacques Pollet | Gordini | No time | — |
| 19 | 28 | Paul Frère | Gordini | No time | — |
| 20 | 30 | Georges Berger | Gordini | No time | — |
| 21 | 48 | Harry Schell | Maserati | No time | — |
| DNA | 40 | Sergio Mantovani | Maserati | No time | — |
| Source: ||||||

### Race

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
| 1 | 18 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Mercedes | 61 | 2:42:47.9 | 1 | 8 |
| 2 | 20 | Karl Kling | Mercedes | 61 | + 0.1 | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | 34 | Robert Manzon | Ferrari | 60 | + 1 Lap | 12 | 4 |
| 4 | 46 | Prince Bira | Maserati | 60 | + 1 Lap | 6 | 3 |
| 5 | 14 | Luigi Villoresi | Maserati | 58 | + 3 Laps | 14 | 2 |
| 6 | 24 | Jean Behra | Gordini | 56 | + 5 Laps | 17 | |
| Ret | 28 | Paul Frère | Gordini | 50 | Axle | 19 | |
| Ret | 4 | Maurice Trintignant | Ferrari | 36 | Engine | 9 | |
| Ret | 36 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari | 27 | Engine | 13 | |
| Ret | 12 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati | 27 | Gearbox | 5 | |
| Ret | 16 | Roberto Mieres | Maserati | 24 | Engine | 11 | |
| Ret | 42 | Ken Wharton | Maserati | 19 | Transmission | 16 | |
| Ret | 48 | Harry Schell | Maserati | 19 | Fuel Pump | 21 | |
| Ret | 22 | Hans Herrmann | Mercedes | 16 | Engine | 7 | 1 |
| Ret | 44 | Roy Salvadori | Maserati | 15 | Half Shaft | 10 | |
| Ret | 2 | José Froilán González | Ferrari | 13 | Engine | 4 | |
| Ret | 32 | Lance Macklin | HWM-Alta | 10 | Engine | 15 | |
| Ret | 30 | Georges Berger | Gordini | 9 | Engine | 20 | |
| Ret | 6 | Mike Hawthorn | Ferrari | 9 | Engine | 8 | |
| Ret | 26 | Jacques Pollet | Gordini | 8 | Engine | 18 | |
| Ret | 10 | Alberto Ascari | Maserati | 1 | Transmission | 3 | |
| Source: ||||||||

#### Notes

* ^1 – 1 point for fastest lap

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

| | Pos | Driver | Points |
| | 1 | Juan Manuel Fangio | 25 |
| | 2 | Maurice Trintignant | 9 |
| | 3 | Bill Vukovich | 8 |
| | 4 | José Froilán González | 6.5 |
| | 5 | Nino Farina | 6 |
| Source: ||||
* Note: Only the top five positions are included. Only the best 5 results counted towards the Championship.