1951 Spanish GP

## Track Facts

* Name – Pedralbes
* Location – Spain
* Corners – 6
* Base (Worst) Lap Time – 2:30.000
* Lap Record (Real Life) – 2:10.590 (Alberto Ascari)
* Lap Record (F1R) – None
* Pit Lane Length – 30 seconds
* Fuel Consumption – Medium
* Tyre Wear – Medium

## Qualifying 1

As the 1st Qualifying Session draws to a close it is Pietsch who is sitting pretty ahead of the Talbots with the Alfa's further back…not much action in the final part of qualifying to report on as most drivers were conscious of improving weather conditions in the coming sessions and so elected not to learn a track that would be changing soon anyway.

This sets things up for Q2 though, as 22 drivers vie for 20 spots on the grid…will it be one of the less experienced drivers, or someone in a slower car who falls from grace? Or could we see an upset and have one of the higher rated drivers dropping out…time will tell…

**Qualifying 1 Results**

* 1st – Paul Pietsch [F] – 2:34.798 (7)
* 2nd – David Murray [T] – 2:39.104 (6)
* 3rd – Onofre Marimon [T] – 2:39.384 (4)
* 4th – Rudi Fischer [AR] – 2:45.577 (6)
* 5th – Bob Gerrard [AR] – 2:47.232 (5)
* 6th – Louis Rosier [E] – 2:50.300 (3)
* 7th – Toulo de Graffenried [EP] – 2:50.550 (5)
* 8th – Georges Grignard [A] – 2:53.550 (4)
* 9th – Luigi Fagioli [O] – 2:55.300 (5)
* 10th – Jose Froilan Gonzalez [SA] – 2:59.259 (3)
* 11th – Piero Taruffi [AR] – 3:00.982 (3)
* 12th – Johnny Claes [T] – 3:01.083 (3)
* 13th – Franco Rol – 3:01.326 (2)
* 14th – Toni Branca [EP] – 3:02.227 (2)
* 15th – Hans Stuck [EG] – 3:02.455 (2)
* 16th – Peter Whitehead [F] – 3:06.289 (2)
* 17th – Yves-Girard Cabantous [AR] – 3:07.305 (1)
* 18th – Philip Fotheringham-Parker [H] – 3:11.300 (4)
* 19th – Alberto Ascari [F] – 3:11.466 (2)
* 20th – Peter Walker [E] – 3:13.046 (2)
* 21st – Juan Jover [H] – 3:15.973 (4)
* 22nd – John James [EG] – 3:46.050 (3)
* 23rd – Giuseppe Farina [ B ] - No Time Set (0)
* 24th – Juan Manuel Fangio [ B ] - No Time Set (0)
* 25th – Reg Parnell [EG] - No Time Set (0)
* 26th – Stirling Moss [ B ] - No Time Set (0)

## Qualifying 2

So Gonzalez and Rol fail to make the grid after not setting a time, and in a late flourish no fewer than 3 drivers hold the Pole Position.

Marimon was in 1st for so long, but seems to have no inclination to do a further run and so Pietsch comes round with the clock having stopped to complete his 2nd lap that earns him 1st place.

But at the death, the Pole and the whole season really, belongs to just 1 man as Bob Gerrard is practically the last man to finish his lap and does so with the fastest time of the day…and indeed the only one under the 2:30.000 mark!

**Qualifying 2 Results**

* 1st – Bob Gerrard [AR] – 2:29.913 (5)
* 2nd – Paul Pietsch [F] – 2:30.315 (4)
* 3rd – Onofre Marimon [T] – 2:30.394 (6)
* 4th – Georges Grignard [A] – 2:30.527 (6)
* 5th – Toulo de Graffenried [EP] – 2:30.654 (6)
* 6th – Peter Whitehead [F] – 2:31.200 (3)
* 7th – Yves-Girard Cabantous [AR] – 2:31.603 (7)
* 8th – Juan Jover [H] – 2:32.492 (5)
* 9th – David Murray [T] – 2:32.500 (2)
* 10th – Peter Walker [E] – 2:33.033 (5)
* 11th – Rudi Fischer [AR] – 2:33.382 (2)
* 12th – Piero Taruffi [AR] – 2:33.588 (5)
* 13th – Luigi Fagioli [O] – 2:35.080 (4)
* 14th – Johnny Claes [T] – 2:35.995 (4)
* 15th – Toni Branca [EP] – 2:36.673 (2)
* 16th – Louis Rosier [E] – 2:37.583 (2)
* 17th – Philip Fotheringham-Parker [H] – 2:37.584 (4)
* 18th – Hans Stuck [EG] – 2:37.758 (2)
* 19th – Alberto Ascari [F] – 2:41.781 (2)
* 20th – John James [EG] – 2:46.501 (3)
* 21st – Jose Froilan Gonzalez [SA] – No Time Set
* 22nd – Franco Rol [ B ] – No Time Set

## Overall Qualifying Results

Gerrard's Pole Position is the 4th of the season for the prolific Brit, but he will face stiff competition from his Alfa Romeo team-mates and all those in front of them during the race…especially Pietsch and Marimon.

With contracts coming up for renewal shortly there is a sense around the paddock that results in this race will be crucial to team's perceptions for the new season…so many drivers will be looking to impress; not least those who have joined mid-way through the season.

## Race Commentary

*Lap 1* - What a start for Pietsch who gets his Ferrari off the line faster than Gerrard, Marimon stalls in 3rd which lets Grignard into a podium position at this early stage from the fast-starting Whitehead and the consistent de Graffenried.

Cabantous is up to 6th from the luckless Marimon and Taruffi, who gets a good get-away from the line to pass his team-mate, Walker and Murray…he is trailed in turn by Branca who gets the best start to the race of all.

Fischer rounds out the Top 10 from the aforementioned Walker and Jover (who somewhat overcooks the 1st corner to lose his hard-fought grid spot)…otherwise everyone gets away from the line without issue in a surprisingly clean beginning to the race!!!

*Lap 7* - Pietsch quickly succumbs to Gerrard as the Englishman claims his place at the front…but he fails to see Grignard bearing down on him and briefly the Frenchman takes the lead of the race in a move that stuns the crowd! But normal order is soon restored with Gerrard back in front, and following him through is none other than fellow Alfa Romeo driver Taruffi who sets the fastest lap in the process of climbing into 2nd position overall as it stands!

That puts Grignard in 3rd with another shock in 4th, as Toni Branca sails past several drivers (including his more illustrious team-mate de Graffenried!) to sit in 4th now from Cabantous and Pietsch, who seems to be drifting back from the lead at a fair rate of knots.

Also dropping back are both Marimon and Jover, who will be disappointed to be this far off the pace at this stage of the race…

*Lap 14* - Grignard gets past Taruffi but the wily Italian forces back past the Frenchman as the Top 3 begin to pull a gap on those behind them…

And in the trailing group we can say something that we have hardly been able to say this season at all, which is that de Graffenried has passed Pietsch for position! The Swiss now sits on the tail of his team-mate Branca as for the 1st time this season both Enrico Plate cars are in the points!!!

Pietsch, Cabantous and Whitehead are unlikely to give up on their chances of achieving a points position yet, though it's beginning to look like a big ask for Fischer, Marimon et al to be involved in that battle, unless reliability becomes a factor of course!

*Lap 21* - Gerrard stamps his authority on the race, as has been his ability this season. He now has 10 seconds over Taruffi in 2nd place, who now has Pietsch on his tail…the defending champion seems determined to do all he can to at least finish on the podium here and is pushing hard to ensure that happens!

Grignard is sitting in 4th place thanks to Branca's early pitstop, though both Cabantous, de Graffenried and Whitehead are still in close attendance at this stage.

Further back a good battle is going on between the two HWMs of Jover (in his home GP) and Fotheringham-Parker and Murray of Talbot, with the younger Englishman in the HWM currently sitting ahead of his rivals…but there is a long way still to go.

*Lap 28* - As most drivers take to the pits to change over their worn-out tyres it falls to Fischer to lead the race, but this only lasts for a couple of laps before Gerrard swoops past to reclaim his lead. Taruffi is now 3rd in an Alfa Romeo 1-2-3 from Branca, Pietsch, Whitehead, Grignard and Cabantous in a very close knit group!

The loser in those stops was de Graffenried who had a poor outlap and a difficult stop also…by not stopping Murray is now into 11th place though past both Walker and Fagioli, whilst Fotheringham-Parker and Jover are left to scrap it out for the honour of being Top HWM.

*Lap 35* - The big mover at the moment is Whitehead who seems to have found a new lease of life as he is last of the late brakers into most of the corners! Grignard follows the Englishman through into 3rd place ahead of Pietsch and Taruffi, as it looks like this pace is a little too much for the Enrico Plates at this point in the race.

Fischer pits and emerges in 9th position ahead of the somewhat erratic Marimon, who does not seem to be able to get his car working as effectively as he did during quali.

Further back Fotheringham-Parker's luckless streak continues as the young Brit's hopes are dashed when a misplaced wheel at the entrance to Viaducto sees him skid off the track and out of the race.

*Lap 42* - WOW! So much action the crowd barely know where to look…! First of all Marimon crashes out at Victoria after his car finally gives up, looks like he was carrying an issue from his final quali run on his suspension that finally weakened and cracked, leaving him with nowhere to go but into the corner and out of the race.

Then Branca pits again whilst his team-mate de Graffenried passes Cabantous for what is then 6th, but quickly becomes 5th as an incredible accident takes place. Too much strain on the suspension means that Whitehead is a mere passenger as one of his wheels sheers off and he arrives backwards into Viaducto, just missing Fotheringham-Parker's stricken HWM.

And to add to the carnage on track Taruffi's Alfa Romeo then gives up the ghost at Girona to leave just 16 drivers remaining, with Gerrard of course still leading from Grignard, Pietsch, de Graffenried, Cabantous, Fischer and Branca at this stage.

*Lap 49* - The race has started to calm down a little, with Pietsch and Cabantous making their respective final stops a little earlier to try and avoid any more laps on their worn out old tyres. Both de Graffenried and Fischer opt to stay out longer and attempt to take advantage of their lighter fuel loads…we shall soon see which strategy is more effective though.

*Lap 56* - And another one bites the dust! This time it is Fischer, who ends up alongside his retired team-mate Taruffi in a cloud of dust at Girona where his race comes to an abrupt end.

That promotes none other than Branca who is now in the points and who sets the fastest lap to heap the pressure on his team-mate in front of him…the battle everyone has their eyes on right now is between Grignard and Pietsch though, with less than 1 second between them after the Frenchman made his final stop this should be an enthralling contest to the finish.

*Lap 63* - Is nobody safe? Just when it seemed that no-one else could possibly crash out of the race we get 2 more on the same lap! Pietsch crashes out at Girona, whilst at the same time Stuck comes unstuck at Viaducto meaning that now just 13 drivers remain in the running.

Of these the main battle is between Branca and Cabantous for 4th position, with Walker in 6th ready to pounce should one of them have a mishap in the final laps…

*Lap 70* - What a race, after the many unexpected accidents to Fotheringham-Parker, Marimon, Whitehead, Taruffi, Fischer, Stuck and Pietsch respectively just 13 drivers have cars on the track as the chequered flag falls. James is some way back, but is at least a classified finisher, behind Ascari and Rosier with Claes scraping into the Top 10 after holding off the Frenchman by less than 10 seconds in the end!

Jover has a great debut at his home race by finishing inside the Top 10, just behind Fagioli, Walker and Murray. Cabantous will be relieved to be one of the 2 surviving Alfa Romeo's at the finish, whilst Branca's performance was nothing short of brilliant to claim the fastest lap point also.

A podium finish for de Graffenried is just reward for a tough season, and many will hope to see the affable Swiss back near the top of the pile next time out. Grignard announces his retirement here with a brilliantly claimed 2nd position that few would argue he did not deserve, even with the retirements all around him.

And finally, the man who made it all look rather too easy, Bob Gerrard confirms his 1951 triumph with the last winner's trophy of the season and the sweet taste of champagne to accompany him home with the F1 title too.