Grande Épreuve
With the term Grande Épreuve (French for "big test") the international events with the highest importance were designated in automobile sport. Traditionally, these were the national Grand Prix of the "core countries" represented in the World Automobile Federation ( AIACR; from 1946 FIA ), i.e. the Grands Prix of France, Italy, Belgium, Spain, the USA, Great Britain, Germany, Monaco, Switzerland and the Netherlands. Their classification in the category of Grandes Épreuves allowed a delimitation of less significant races, some of which also had the title Grand Prix in their name.
Overview
From the 1920s, the above-mentioned events were named as Grandes Épreuves in the sports code of the International Sports Commission (CSI) responsible for regulating Grand Prix sports. Admission to this highest category was associated with corresponding privileges, which primarily related to the allocation of appointments. The organizers of a Grande Épreuve were allowed to reserve the date for their race in the international racing calendar created annually by the CSI right from the start, so that no further race with international participation could be organized around this date without their consent within a blocking period. In addition, in the context of international championships, such as the European championship held between 1931 and 1939 , the first brand world championship from 1925 to 1930, as well as the automobile world championship held since 1950, only the results of Grandes Épreuves were usually evaluated.
Each member country of the World Automobile Federation was allowed to register a maximum of one Grande Épreuve per season . In order for an event to be included in the list, however, its suitability had to be determined beforehand. In particular for countries that were not counted among the classic automobile nations, several attempts were usually necessary, in which the respective national automobile association first had to prove that it was organizationally and economically capable of permanently establishing such a major event.
In the course of development, however, there was apparently a certain leeway in the selection of the event if several sporting events of sufficient importance were held in a country. Instead of a race called Grand Prix , the USA was always represented in the title by the 500-mile race in Indianapolis . Likewise, not all races were carried out exclusively according to the applicable provisions of the international racing formula for Grand Prix races, which was actually introduced for this purpose - which was referred to as Formula 1 from 1948 onwards. The British automobile club RAC, for example, regularly named a sports car race as “its” Grande Épreuve with the Tourist Trophy until 1949 , although a national Grand Prix was also held in 1948 and 1949, as well as the Grand Prix de l´ ACF , des French automobile clubs, from 1928, 1936, 1937 and 1949 were held as sports car races.
Even after the introduction of the automobile world championship in 1950, the FIA made a distinction between Grandes Épreuves , which still consist of the “classic” Grand Prix of Belgium, Germany, France and Great Britain until the conversion of Formula 1 from a pure racing formula to an exclusive racing series in 1981 , Italy, Monaco, the Netherlands, etc., as well as the Indianapolis 500 miles, and other national Grand Prix, whereby this essentially only had the effect described when setting the dates. For the public perception, the quality of a race as a world championship run quickly came to the fore, so that the term Grande Épreuve has largely disappeared from today's international usage.
Use of the term in the early days of automobile racing
Even in the early days of automobile races, the term Grande Épreuve was generally used in the French-speaking world to emphasize the importance of particularly important, usually also particularly demanding, events. The evaluation was initially purely subjective, so that the term was used for a whole range of races.
From its first edition in 1906, “the” Grand Prix of the French Automobile Association ACF was by far the most important automobile race in the world. In addition, efforts were also made in other countries to establish similar formats - in some cases with their own technical regulations. Examples of this are the Kaiserpreis races in Germany, the American Grand Prize and the 500-mile race in Indianapolis in the USA, the Italian Targa Florio or the Tourist Trophy of the British automobile club.
In the 1920s, however, there was also a sharp increase in races with the words “Grand Prix” in the title. Initially, these were only the main events of the national automobile clubs, i.e. the Grand Prix of Italy, Spain, Belgium, etc., in which only official works teams from automobile companies were allowed to compete, but now races were added that were also named by city or region, so z. B. the Grand Prix of Pau, San Remo or Picardy, and which were also or mainly open to private drivers. In order to be able to distinguish between the classic major events in view of this softening of the concept of Grand Prix, the term Grande Épreuve was often used for these in French .
Increasing regulation of Grand Prix sport
In view of such developments, the AIACR, founded in 1904, soon recognized the need to regulate and coordinate Grand Prix sport internationally. In addition to the definition of a so-called International Grand Prix formula , in which the technical regulations for the construction of racing cars were defined, which, however, only represented a recommendation for the individual race organizers and had no binding effect, an international racing calendar was also adopted every year, in which, in turn, some internationally particularly important events were given priority when setting dates.
At its meeting held in London on December 7, 1922 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the British Automobile Club RAC , the AIACR finally founded the International Sports Commission CSI, whose representatives were elected annually from among the delegates of the member associations. The task of the CSI was to relieve the general assembly of the AIACR by preparing appropriate recommendations for the resolutions to be passed there - in particular the adoption of the Grand Prix formula and the international racing calendar.
At the London Congress it was also decided, starting with Italy in 1923, to commission a national automobile club to host a European Grand Prix . The race then had to be held instead of the respective association's own national Grand Prix and was "intended as a kind of world championship for automobiles", ie as an event with a particularly high priority. In a review of the season, however, four races in 1923, the Targa Florio and the Indianapolis (!), France and Europe Grand Prix were referred to as Grandes Épreuves Internationale (in German translation as “very big international competitions”).
When exactly the term Grande Épreuve found its way into the rules of the AIACR is a question that has not yet been finally clarified. In any case, this further important step in the development of international Grand Prix sport from individual races to a “racing series” must have been made by the time the first automobile world championship is held in 1925 at the latest. Only the races with the highest international importance were included in this category, which ran under the title of a Grand Prix of the respective country or the respective organizing national automobile club. Because only official works teams from automobile companies were allowed to take part in these events - private drivers were therefore excluded - Grandes Épreuves were only awarded to countries with a significant automobile industry. In 1925, in addition to the 500-mile race, now known as the Indianapolis Grand Prix , the Grand Prix of Europe (Belgium), France and Italy, the results of which were then also counted towards the World Championship. Germany was excluded from participating in the aftermath of the First World War .
So that the automobile manufacturers had the opportunity to compete at all Grande Épreuves without having to design special racing cars for individual events, the organizers were obliged to comply with the provisions of the International Formula . At the latest in 1925 with the hosting of the first World Cup, this became an essential requirement. In return, these races, named in the CSI's International Sports Regulations, were expressly given priority when the international racing calendar was drawn up. As a procedure for this, it was established that each year at a first meeting of the CSI initially only the dates for these “Grandes Épreuves” were set. There had to be a minimum period of 14 days between two such events to allow all teams participating in the World Cup enough time to prepare the cars and travel. In a further meeting, the other races advertised for international participation were added to the calendar, whereby a minimum of five days had to be observed between each “Grande Épreuve”.
With this regulation, the term Grande Épreuve was introduced for the first time with a fixed meaning in the French-language sports regulations of the CSI. In the German-language reporting, however, paraphrases such as “major events”, “international races of the official first class”, “international grand prizes”, “preferred international events” etc. were initially used, before the French increasingly used from the mid-1930s Term was adopted.
Softening of the term in the crisis of the late 1920s
However, these clear relationships did not last very long. The trigger for this was a deep crisis in Grand Prix sport in the second half of the 1920s. The rapid technical development had led to a veritable “arms race” among racing car manufacturers, which in the end fewer and fewer automobile companies could afford. At the same time, they often switched to withdrawing their own cars before a race and thus avoiding a defeat that would damage the publicity if the superiority of a design of the competition became apparent in advance. So appeared z. For example, at the Grand Prix de l´ACF of 1926, only three cars from the Bugatti team started because the other three manufacturers had withdrawn all nine racing cars they had registered.
On the other hand, formula-free races were experiencing a strong upswing at this time . Here, the organizers of the races usually only specified a few restrictive technical regulations, if at all, so that private drivers with all types of racing cars could compete here and at least fight for class wins. The basis for this was the payment of so-called entry fees , which could be freely negotiated between the race organizers and the participants, depending on the importance and audience interest of an event and the attractiveness and level of awareness of a driver and his racing car. Especially after Bugatti had started to offer series-produced racing cars of various cubic capacities and performance classes for sale, organizers of such races were able to regularly present their audience with attractive and well-filled starting fields.
After all, the organizers of the Grande Épreuves had to bow to sporting and ultimately also economic pressure. Although the CSI had de facto changed over to a free formula with the Grand Prix formula for 1928 by dispensing with a displacement limit, in which only a few dimensions and weights of the racing cars and minimum distances for the races were regulated, there were only a few manufacturers interested in participating. Of the seven Grandes Épreuves originally planned as world championship races, only two remained in the end: the race in Indianapolis, in which the organizers allowed private drivers and also continued to use the 1.5-liter formula from the previous year, and the European Grand Prix in Monza, the only Grande Épreuve that was held this year according to the current international racing formula . However, the CSI had also allowed privately registered racing cars to participate in this race for the first time, but only with the consent of the respective manufacturer. All other grand prizes were either canceled completely due to a lack of participants or - mostly without the title of a national Grand Prix - replaced by races for other vehicle categories. Of course, this also meant that without a sufficient number of competitions, no world championship title could be awarded this year.
In the following years, too, not much changed in this situation, especially since the automobile companies in particular suffered greatly from the influence of the global economic crisis . In their need, the AIACR apparently not only had to accept the participation of private drivers, but also that the national automobile associations authorized to host a Grande Épreuve not only had Grand Prix races based on the international formula , but also formula -free races such as the Grand Prix de l´ACF of 1930, and even events that were only advertised for sports cars, such as the British Tourist Trophy between 1931 and 1949, or again the Grands Prix de l´ACF of 1936, 1937 and 1949. In Indianapolis, too, it was now driven by its own rules, which, with the exception of a brief period from 1938 to 1946, deviated from the rules of the international Grand Prix formula.
Èpreuves a priority and the golden age
After the deregulation, which coincided roughly with the beginning of the economic recovery, the Grand Prix sport experienced a new heyday, which is sometimes also referred to as the Golden Age . In addition to the eight traditional Grandes Èpreuves enshrined in the CSI's sporting code , the Grand Prix of France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, Italy and of course the European Grand Prix, as well as the Tourist Trophy and the 500 miles of Indianapolis , they also applied Increasingly also countries around the organization of international Grands Prix, which like Switzerland, the Netherlands, Hungary, South Africa, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Sweden, Luxemburg or Monaco were not counted among the big automobile nations at that time. In view of the other numerous racing events of these years, however, it became increasingly difficult to accommodate them in the international calendar, especially when more and more dates were to be reserved exclusively for the Grande Épreuves . This led the AIACR to a very restrictive policy, so that until the outbreak of World War II only two more races were awarded this status. In particular, the Monaco Grand Prix, which was held for the first time in 1929 and practically launched a completely new form of racing as a city race, which then spread rapidly across the European continent, has developed so successfully over the years that it started in 1933 the list of Grande Épreuves was permanently included. The Swiss Automobile Club, on the other hand, had to wait until 1936, when the Swiss Grand Prix that it organized was given the same honor, although the race, which was held for the first time in 1934, had already been counted for the European championship introduced that year in 1935. Championship races and Grandes Épreuves were therefore not necessarily absolutely congruent, even if of course the application of the new 750 kg Grand Prix formula introduced in 1934 was a prerequisite for a race to be counted for the championship.
In order to cope better with the overload of the racing calendar and nevertheless to satisfy the automobile clubs of the "smaller" nations to some extent , the CSI introduced another category for 1935 with the Èpreuves a priorité (in English "priority events "). After the dates for the Grande Épreuves had first been fixed in the international calendar , the other automobile clubs then had the right to set a date for an event they organized. However, these had to have “proven themselves” at least one earlier event. Only then was a decision taken on the inclusion of all other registered international events.
Due to the sporting development as well as the worsening of the general political situation, however, the number of Grande Épreuves fell sharply again in the last few years before the outbreak of the Second World War . One reason was the absolute dominance of the German Silver Arrows from Mercedes-Benz and Auto Union in Grand Prix racing. As in the crisis of the 1920s, this meant that private drivers as well as automobile manufacturers in other countries increasingly lost interest in participating in Grand Prix races due to the lack of any prospects of success. In order to keep this competition at bay for their domestic brands in their home races, the automobile clubs of France and Italy began to advertise their events increasingly for sports cars and the Voiturette class, which was on the rise in the 1930s . France returned to the International Formula for its 1938 Grand Prix , but after the French cars had no chance there and Italy finally banned its teams and drivers from participating in races in France due to political tensions, the last Grand -Prix season 1939 on European soil four Grande Épreuves were still held according to the Grand Prix formula (the Grand Prix of France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland), in which the German teams practically stayed to one another. The Spanish Grand Prix had already fallen victim to the outbreak of the Spanish Civil War in 1936 .
post war period
After the end of World War II, the public longed for variety and entertainment, so that motorsport revived within a short time. As early as autumn 1945, another first race, albeit a purely French one, was held in the Bois du Boulogne near Paris. Although the Grand Prix formula introduced in 1938 with its displacement limit of 3.0 liters for turbocharged engines and 4.5 liters for naturally aspirated engines remained in force for 1946, a large number of individual rules and classes were used in the races of that year, which was primarily based on the existing vehicle fleet in the respective country. The only official Grande Èpreuve of the season was the Indianapolis race, which was still held in 1940 and 1941 when the United States was not yet at war. Otherwise, every type of vehicle that was currently available was driven in the European races.
Consequently, the World Automobile Federation , which had now renamed itself the Fédération Internationale de l´Automobile (FIA), also oriented itself towards the available vehicle fleet when adopting the new International Formula for 1947 and combined the Voiturette, which is very popular in Italy and Great Britain. Class with turbocharged 1.5-liter engines with the sports car formula of naturally aspirated engines up to 4.5 liters that is popular in France. For 1948, this was even accompanied by a second “smaller” formula, for which the names Formula 1 and Formula 2 gradually became established in the following years . Here, too, the aim was to achieve further standardization in racing car construction so that the racing teams could start their cars at least anywhere in Europe. With the introduction of the second formula, the organizers of smaller races were offered an alternative, with a view to large starting fields, to have cheaper and thus more numerous racing cars with smaller engines at the start, while the classic Grandes Épreuves - as usual with the exception of the race in Indianapolis and the Tourist Trophy - of course, they continued to run according to the Grand Prix Formula No. 1 .
Since the introduction of the automobile world championship in 1950
From 1950 a new automobile world championship was introduced, which was now no longer advertised for automobile brands, but in the form of a driver's rating. Naturally, the Grande Épreuves were again chosen as championship races, with the race in Indianapolis also remaining part of the rating until 1959, although here only a separate racing formula was used. In contrast, the British Automobile Club, which in 1950 was given the honor of hosting the very first world championship race under the title of a European Grand Prix , turned around and instead of the Tourist Trophy , a race after the official Grand Prix was running here for the first time since 1927 -Formula as Grande Épreuve .
But soon the clear conditions had to be softened again. When Alfa Romeo withdrew from Grand Prix racing at the end of 1951, the Ferrari team remained practically the only competitor. In order to avoid situations like the one of 1926, the FIA made the decision at its traditional autumn meeting to allow the organizers of the Grandes Épreuves to decide which of the two Grand Prix formulas they wanted to use for their race in 1952 . As a result, in 1952/53, with the exception of Indianapolis, all national automobile clubs followed the example of the ACF and switched to Formula 2, in which Ferrari continued to dominate, but could at least offer considerable starting fields with a variety of designs.
Even the rule that only Grande Épreuves should serve as world championship races apparently did not last with the increasing number of such races. So was z. B. as early as 1953 the first world championship run of the season, the Argentine Grand Prix in the international racing calendar published by Automobil Revue was not referred to as Grande Épreuve and even in the mid-1970s, the FIA's rulebook still only contained the “classic” Grand Prix of Belgium, Germany, France, Great Britain, Italy and the Netherlands as well as Indianapolis are listed by name as Grandes Épreuves , but not z. B. the races in South Africa, Spain, Austria, Canada or the USA, which are also part of the World Championship. However, this apparently only had a practical impact on the setting of dates, while otherwise the importance of the Grand Prix races as valuation races for the World Championship came to the fore for broad public reporting, so that the use of the term Grande Épreuve largely out of common parlance disappeared.
statistics
List of Grandes Épreuves from 1925 to 1949
Before 1925 it cannot be stated with any certainty when the term Grande Épreuve officially entered the AIACR regulations. At the latest when the first World Cup was held, such a classification of the events was an indispensable basis.
| date | event | route | status | comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 05/31/1925 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI; WM | |
| 06/28/1925 | GP Europe (Belgium) | Spa Francorchamps | FI; WM | |
| 07/26/1925 | GP France | Montlhéry | FI; WM | |
| 09/06/1925 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; WM | Participation in the Italian GP was a compulsory event for the World Cup |
| 05/30/1926 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI; WM | |
| 06/27/1926 | GP France | Circuit de Miramas | FI; WM | |
| 07/18/1926 | GP Europe (Spain) | Circuito Lasarte | FI; WM | |
| 08/07/1926 | GP Great Britain | Brooklands | FI; WM | |
| 09/05/1926 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; WM | Compulsory event for the World Cup |
| 05/30/1927 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI; WM | |
| 07/03/1927 | GP France | Montlhéry | FI; WM | |
| 07/31/1927 | GP Europe (Spain) | Circuito Lasarte | FI; WM | |
| 09/04/1927 | GP Europe (Italy) | Monza | FI; WM | Compulsory event for the World Cup |
| 10/01/1927 | GP Great Britain | Brooklands | FI; WM | |
| 05/30/1928 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY (FI ?; WM) | It was held according to the old international racing formula from 1927, so the race could not be counted as a World Championship run as originally planned; it is unclear whether it was ever intended to advertise the race according to the current formula |
| (07/01/1928) | ( GP France ) | ( St. Gaudens ) | (FI; WM) | The race was canceled in December 1927; instead, a handicap race for sports cars was held with the Coupe de la Commission Sportive , although it is questionable whether the status as Grande Épreuve was transferred to this |
| 07/15/1928 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | SW (FI; WM) | In the end, the race was advertised for sports cars, so it could not be counted for the World Cup; it is unclear whether the status as Grande Épreuve could still be maintained |
| 07/29/1928 | GP Spain | Circuito Lasarte | SW-H (FI; WM) | In the end it was held as a handicap race for sports cars, therefore no competition for the World Cup; it is unclear whether the Grande Épreuve status was retained |
| (08/12/1928) | (GP Europe (Belgium)) | ( Spa-Francorchamps ) | (FI; WM) | The race was canceled, instead a 24-hour sports car race was held on the same date, it is questionable whether the status as Grande Épreuve was transferred to this |
| 09/02/1928 | GP Europe (Italy) | Monza | FI; (WM) | After the UK GP had been canceled, the event was subsequently awarded the title European GP; The only Grande Épreuve held in 1928 according to the International Formula , so the World Championship had to be canceled in the end |
| (09/22/1928) | (European GP (Great Britain)) | (FI; WM) | Race was canceled; the title "Grand Prix of Europe" was transferred to the race in Italy | |
| May 30, 1929 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY; (WM) | The race was held again according to the old 1.5 liter formula and lost its World Championship status; it is unclear whether the International Formula was ever intended to be used |
| 06/30/1929 | GP France | Le Mans | FI; (WM) | The only Grande Épreuve held in 1929 according to the International Formula , so ultimately no world championship title could be awarded |
| (07/07/1929) | (GP Belgium) | ( Spa-Francorchamps ) | (FI; WM) | The event was held as a 24-hour race for sports cars, although it is unclear whether the title and status as Grande Épreuve were transferred to this race |
| 07/14/1929 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | SW; (FI; WM) | Event was held as a sports car race; it is unclear whether the status as Grande Épreuve was retained |
| 07/31/1929 | GP Spain | Circuito Lasarte | SW; (FI; WM) | Event was held as a sports car race; it is unclear whether the status as Grande Épreuve was retained |
| (08/17/1929) | (GP Great Britain) | (FI; WM) | Race canceled, instead the Tourist Trophy was held as a sports car race on the same date ; it is unclear whether this could take over the status of Grande Épreuve | |
| (09/08/1929) | (GP Europe (Italy)) | ( Monza ) | (FI; WM) | Race was canceled; instead, the Monza GP was held as a sports car race on September 15, 1929 |
| 05/30/1930 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY; (FI ?; WM) | The race was carried out according to its own formula and lost its World Championship status; it is unclear whether the International Formula was ever intended to be used |
| (07/13/1930) | (GP Germany) | ( Nürburgring ) | (FI; WM) | Race was canceled |
| July 20, 1930 | GP Europe (Belgium) | Spa Francorchamps | FI; WM | The only Grande Épreuve held in 1930 according to the International Formula , so ultimately no world championship title could be awarded |
| July 27, 1930 | GP Spain | Circuito Lasarte | SW; (FI; WM) | Event was held as a sports car race; it is unclear whether the status as Grande Épreuve was retained for it |
| (23.08.1930) | (GP Great Britain) | (FI; WM) | Race canceled, instead the Tourist Trophy was held as a sports car race on the same date ; it is unclear whether this could take over the status of Grande Épreuve | |
| (07.09.1930) | (GP Italy) | ( Monza ) | (FI; WM) | Race canceled, instead the Monza GP was held as a formula-free race on the same date; it is unclear whether the status as Grande Épreuve was transferred to this |
| 09/21/1930 | GP France | Pau | FL; (FI; WM) | Event was held as a formula-free race; it is unclear whether this could maintain the status of Grande Épreuve |
| 05/24/1931 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; EM | The race was initially scheduled for September 6, 1931, but was moved to a date with longer daylight due to the long duration of the race; the Monza GP took place instead on the original date |
| 05/30/1931 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula and, due to the location, would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway, but it was still entered in the racing calendar as Grande Épreuve |
| 06/21/1931 | GP France | Montlhéry | FI; EM | |
| 07/12/1931 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI; EM | |
| 07/19/1931 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FL | The race was carried out according to the free formula, therefore not intended as a European Championship run, but entered in the racing calendar as Grande Épreuve |
| 08/22/1931 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Ards Circuit | SW | Sports car races, therefore not intended as a European Championship run, but entered as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| (04.10.1931) | (GP Spain) | (FI; EM) | Race was canceled | |
| 05/30/1932 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula and, due to the location, would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway, but it was still entered in the racing calendar as Grande Épreuve |
| 06/05/1932 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; EM | |
| 07/03/1932 | GP France | Reims-Gueux | FI; EM | |
| (07/10/1932) | (GP Belgium) | ( Spa-Francorchamps ) | (FI; EM) | Race was canceled |
| 07/17/1932 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI; EM | Although the race was counted as a European Championship run, the race distance covered was below the minimum time of five hours specified in the international formula |
| 08/20/1932 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Ards Circuit | SW | Sports car races, therefore not a European Championship run, but entered as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| (??. 09.1932) | (GP Spain) | (FI; EM) | The race was initially declared as a replacement for the Belgian GP for the European Championship, but was then also canceled | |
| 04/23/1933 | GP Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | FI | First recorded as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar; Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| 05/30/1933 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was held according to its own racing formula, but was still entered in the racing calendar as Grande Épreuve |
| 06/11/1933 | GP France | Montlhéry | FI | |
| 07/09/1933 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI | |
| (07/23/1933) | (GP Germany) | ( Nürburgring ) | (FI) | Race was canceled |
| 09/02/1933 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Ards Circuit | SW | Sports car races, but registered as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 09/10/1933 | GP Italy | Monza | FI | |
| 09/24/1933 | GP Spain | Circuito Lasarte | FI | |
| 04/02/1934 | GP Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | FI | Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| 05/30/1934 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own racing formula, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 07/01/1934 | GP France | Montlhéry | Montlhéry | FI |
| 07/15/1934 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI | |
| 07/29/1934 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI | |
| 09/01/1934 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Ards Circuit | SW | Sports car races, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 09.09.1934 | GP Italy | Monza | FI | |
| 09/23/1934 | GP Spain | Circuito Lasarte | FI | |
| 04/22/1935 | GP Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | FI; EM | Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| 05/30/1935 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula and, due to the location, would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway, but still listed as a Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 06/23/1935 | GP France | Montlhéry | FI; EM | The original date was June 20, 1935 |
| 07/14/1935 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI; EM | |
| 07/28/1935 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI; EM | |
| 08/25/1935 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI; EM | The event did not yet have the status of Grande Épreuve , but was still rated for the European Championship this year |
| 07.09.1935 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Ards Circuit | SW | Sports car races, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar; originally planned for August 31, 1935 |
| 09/08/1935 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; EM | |
| 09/22/1935 | GP Spain | Circuito Lasarte | FI; EM | |
| 04/13/1936 | GP Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | FI; EM | Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| 05/30/1936 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula and, due to the location, would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway, but still listed as a Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 06/28/1936 | GP France | Montlhéry | SW | Planned from the beginning as a sports car race, but the race calendar as Grande Épreuve out |
| (??. ??. 1936) | (GP Belgium) | ( Spa-Francorchamps ) | (FI; EM) | Race was canceled |
| 07/26/1936 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI; EM | |
| 08/23/1936 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI; EM | In the list of first Grande Épreuves added |
| 09/05/1936 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Ards Circuit | SW | Sports car races, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar; originally planned for August 31, 1935 |
| 09/13/1936 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; EM | |
| (9/27/1936) | (GP Spain) | (FI; EM) | Race had to because of the Spanish Civil War to be canceled | |
| 05/30/1937 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula and, due to the location, would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway, but still listed as a Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 07/04/1937 | GP France | Montlhéry | SW | Planned from the beginning as a sports car race, but the race calendar as Grande Épreuve out |
| 07/11/1937 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI; EM | |
| 07/25/1937 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI; EM | |
| 08/08/1937 | GP Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | FI; EM | Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| 08/22/1937 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI; EM | Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| 09/04/1937 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Donington Park | SW | Sports car races, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 09/12/1937 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; EM | Due to a special permit, the race could be held over a shorter distance than the 500 km specified by the international formula |
| (??. ??. 1937) | (GP Spain) | (FI; EM) | Due to the Spanish Civil War canceled | |
| 05/30/1938 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI? INDY? | It is not entirely clear whether the regulations exactly corresponded to the International Racing Formula . Because of the venue, the race would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway; nevertheless listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 07/03/1938 | GP France | Reims-Gueux | FI; EM | |
| 07/24/1938 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI; EM | |
| 08/21/1938 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI; EM | The minimum distance and duration of the races were no longer regulated in the international formula |
| 09/03/1938 | RAC Tourist Trophy | Donington Park | SW | Sports car races, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 09/11/1938 | GP Italy | Monza | FI; EM | |
| (04/16/1939) | (GP Monaco) | ( Circuit de Monaco ) | (FI; EM) | Race was canceled |
| 05/30/1939 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI? INDY? | It is not entirely clear whether the regulations exactly corresponded to the International Racing Formula . Because of the venue, the race would not have been considered a European Championship run anyway; nevertheless listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar. |
| 06/25/1939 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI; (EM) | |
| 07/09/1939 | GP France | Reims-Gueux | FI; (EM) | |
| 07/23/1939 | GP Germany | Nürburgring | FI; (EM) | |
| 08/20/1939 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI; (EM) | Because of the subsequent outbreak of World War II , no European title was awarded |
| (02.09.1939) | (RAC Tourist Trophy) | (SW) | Sports car races, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar; Event was no longer held due to the outbreak of World War II | |
| (09/10/1939) | (GP Italy) | (FI; EM) | Race was canceled | |
| 05/30/1940 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI? INDY? | It is not entirely clear whether the regulations exactly corresponded to the International Racing Formula . Since the CSI no longer met due to the outbreak of World War II , no international racing calendar was created. It is unclear whether the race therefore officially the status Grande Épreuve could carry |
| 05/30/1941 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI? INDY? | Since the CSI no longer met due to the outbreak of World War II , no international racing calendar and no international racing formula for 1941 were adopted. It is unclear whether the race therefore officially the status Grande Épreuve could carry |
| 05/30/1946 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | FI? INDY? | It is not entirely clear whether the regulations exactly corresponded to the International Racing Formula . |
| 05/30/1947 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| 06/08/1947 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI | |
| 06/29/1947 | GP Europe (Belgium) | Spa Francorchamps | FI | |
| (23.08.1947) | (RAC Tourist Trophy) | (SW) | planned as a sports car race, it was canceled | |
| 07.09.1947 | GP Italy | Parco Sempione | FI | |
| 09/21/1947 | GP France | Lyon-Parilly | FI | |
| May 16, 1948 | GP Monaco | Circuit de Monaco | FI-1 | |
| 05/31/1948 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| (06/20/1948) | (GP Belgium) | ( Spa-Francorchamps ) | (FI-1) | Race was canceled |
| 07/04/1948 | GP Europe (Switzerland) | Bremgarten | (FI-1) | |
| 07/18/1948 | GP France | Reims-Gueux | FI-1 | |
| (08/21/1948) | (RAC Tourist Trophy) | (SW) | planned as a sports car race, it was canceled | |
| 09/05/1948 | GP Italy | Parco del Valentino | FI-1 | |
| May 14, 1949? | GP Great Britain? | Silverstone | FI-1 | Not listed as Grande Épreuve in the original calendar , but possibly “promoted” after the Tourist Trophy was canceled |
| 05/30/1949 | Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis | INDY | The race was carried out according to its own formula, but still listed as Grande Épreuve in the racing calendar |
| (06/05/1949) | (GP Monaco) | ( Circuit de Monaco ) | (FI-1) | Race was canceled |
| 06/19/1949 | GP Belgium | Spa Francorchamps | FI-1 | |
| 07/03/1949 | GP Switzerland | Bremgarten | FI-1 | |
| 08/07/1949 | GP France | Saint-Gaudens | SW | Held as a sports car race; unclear whether the race actually had the status of Grande Épreuves ; even the Grand Prix de France held after Formula 1 was not a Grande Épreuve |
| (08/27/1949) | (RAC Tourist Trophy) | (SW) | planned as a sports car race, it was canceled | |
| 09/11/1949 | GP Europe (Italy) | Monza | FI-1 |
- Legend
- FI = Formule Internationale (the international racing formula for Grande Épreuves established by the CSI)
- FI-1 = Formule Internationale 1 ("first" international racing formula for which the term "Formula 1" has been established over time)
- FL = Formule Libre ("formula-free" race; race that was held either entirely without or according to the racing formula freely chosen by the organizer)
- INDY = Race according to the racing formula that applies to the Indianapolis 500
- SW = sports car racing
- SW-H = sports car race with handicap formula
- WM = run to the official world championship
- EM = run to the official European championship
- (in brackets) = originally intended status (changed later or race canceled)
- Italic = No Grande Épreuve, but included in the list due to its importance
See also
literature
- Paul Sheldon: A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 1 1900-1925 . St. Leonards Press, Bradford 1987, ISBN 0-9512433-0-6 .
- Paul Sheldon: A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 2 1926-1931 . St. Leonards Press, Bradford 1990, ISBN 0-9512433-3-0 .
- Paul Sheldon, Duncan Rabagliati: A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 3 1932-1936 . St. Leonards Press, Bradford 1992, ISBN 0-9512433-7-3 .
- Paul Sheldon, Duncan Rabagliati: A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 1 1937-1949 . St. Leonards Press, Bradford 1993, ISBN 0-9512433-8-1 .
Web links
- Hans Etzrodt: GRAND PRIX WINNERS 1895-1949. www.kolumbus.fi, April 13, 2011, accessed May 8, 2015 .
- Overview of the automobile world and European championships from 1925 to 1939: Hans Etzrodt, Leif Snellman: CHAMPIONSHIP TABLES. www.kolumbus.fi, May 9, 2013, accessed on May 22, 2015 (English).
Sources and explanations
- ^ Automobil Revue , issue of December 22, 1922
- ^ Automobil Revue , issue of January 1, 1924
- ↑ a b Automobil Revue , issue of September 29, 1931
- ↑ Leif Snellman, Hans Etzrodt: The Golden Era - Gran Premio d'Europa 1928 (accessed on 27 July 2016)
- ↑ Automobil Revue , issue 79/1935 of 1 October 1935
- ^ Automobil Revue , issue of September 25, 1934
- ↑ Automobil Revue , issue 78/1936 of 28 September 1936
- ↑ Automobil Revue , issue of January 16, 1952
- ^ Automobil Revue , October 1st 1952 issue