# 1952 Baule Grand Prix

The 11th Grand Prix de La Baule was a Formula Two motor race held on 24 August 1952 in La Baule-Escoublac, France. It was round 8, and the final round, of Les Grands Prix de France Championship. Race distance was determined by time rather than the number of laps, the result being declared after 3 hours. The race was won from pole position by Alberto Ascari in a Ferrari 500. Ascari's teammate Luigi Villoresi finished second and set fastest lap, and Louis Rosier in his privateer 500 was third.

## Background
### Race history

The Grand Prix of La Baule was a Grand Prix event organized 10 times in La Baule-Escoublac between 1924 and 1952. William Grover-Williams won the event three consecutive years, from 1931 to 1933. Originally raced on the famed beach at La Baule, the 1952 event was moved near the aerodrome of the French coastal town.

## Classification
### Qualifying classification

| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
| 1 | 8 | Alberto Ascari | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:57.5 | — |
| 2 | 2 | Robert Manzon | Gordini | 1:58.5 | +1.0 |
| 3 | 12 | Nino Farina | Ferrari | 1:58.9 | +1.4 |
| 4 | 10 | Luigi Villoresi | Scuderia Ferrari | 1:59.5 | +2.0 |
| 5 | 6 | Maurice Trintignant | Gordini | 2:02.4 | +4.9 |
| 6 | 4 | Jean Behra | Gordini | 2:02.8 | +5.3 |
| 7 | 30 | Élie Bayol | O.S.C.A. | 2:04.0 | +6.5 |
| 8 | 34 | Eric Brandon | Cooper Car Company | 2:05.1 | +7.6 |
| 9 | 36 | Alan Brown | Cooper Car Company | 2:06.4 | +8.9 |
| 10 | 16 | Louis Rosier | Ferrari | 2:06.4 | +8.9 |
| 11 | 32 | Johnny Claes | Simca | 2:06.7 | +9.2 |
| 12 | 22 | Lance Macklin | Hersham and Walton Motors | 2:07.1 | +9.6 |
| 13 | 18 | Emmanuel de Graffenried | Enrico Platé | 2:07.3 | +9.8 |
| 14 | 14 | Harry Schell | Simca | 2:07.9 | +10.4 |
| 15 | 20 | Alberto Crespo | Platé | 2:09.0 | +11.5 |
| 16 | 28 | Peter Whitehead | Alta | 2:09.5 | +12.0 |
| 17 | 24 | Peter Collins | Hersham and Walton Motors | 2:09.8 | +12.3 |
| 18 | 26 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Hersham and Walton Motors | 2:14.2 | +16.7 |
| 19 | 38 | Jean Lucas | Cooper Car Company | 2:17.9 | +20.4 |

### Race

| Pos | No | Driver | Entrant | Car | Time/Retired | Grid |
| 1 | 8 | Alberto Ascari | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | 87 laps, 123.49 kph | 1 |
| 2 | 10 | Luigi Villoresi | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | +1 lap | 4 |
| 3 | 16 | Louis Rosier | Ecurie Rosier | Ferrari 500 | +4 laps | 10 |
| 4 | 24 | Peter Collins | HW Motors Ltd. | HWM-Alta | +5 laps | 17 |
| 5 | 26 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | HW Motors Ltd. | HWM-Alta | +7 laps | 18 |
| 6 | 20 | Alberto Crespo | Scuderia Enrico Platé | Maserati 4CLT/48 | +7 laps | 15 |
| 7 | 30 | Élie Bayol | Élie Bayol | O.S.C.A. Tipo 20 | +8 laps | 7 |
| 8 | 32 | Johnny Claes | Ecurie Belge | Simca Gordini Type 15 | +8 laps | 11 |
| NC | 34 | Eric Brandon | Ecurie Richmond | Cooper T20-Bristol | +11 laps | 8 |
| NC | 36 | Alan Brown | Ecurie Richmond | Cooper T20-Bristol | +16 laps | 9 |
| Ret | 4 | Jean Behra | Equipe Gordini | Gordini Type 16 | 58 laps, rear axle | 6 |
| Ret | 6 | Maurice Trintignant | Equipe Gordini | Gordini Type 16 | 36 laps, rear axle | 5 |
| Ret | 22 | Lance Macklin | HW Motors Ltd. | HWM-Alta | 33 laps, engine | 12 |
| Ret | 14 | Harry Schell | Equipe Gordini | Simca Gordini Type 15 | 29 laps, transmission | 14 |
| Ret | 18 | Emmanuel de Graffenried | Scuderia Enrico Platé | Maserati 4CLT/48 | 7 laps, mechanical | 13 |
| Ret | 2 | Robert Manzon | Equipe Gordini | Gordini Type 16 | 1 lap, crash | 2 |
| Ret | 12 | Giuseppe Farina | Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari 500 | 1 lap, crash | 3 |
| Ret | 28 | Peter Whitehead | Peter Whitehead | Alta F2 | 1 lap, mechanical | 16 |
| Ret | 38 | Jean Lucas | Archie Bryde | Cooper T20-Bristol | 0 laps, mechanical | 19 |