1908 French Grand Prix

Race winner Christian Lautenschlager in the mighty 140 hp Mercedes

Christian Lautenschlager at the refueling stop just before the end of the race

Third placed René Hanriot in a Benz 150 PS

Fritz von Opel in his own construction

List of vehicles at the start of the race

The route

The third - according to today's counting method XI. French Grand Prix ( XI Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France ) took place on July 7, 1908 at the Circuit de Dieppe . The race was held according to the so-called Ostend formula (limitation of the cylinder bore to 155 mm for four-cylinders, 123 mm for six-cylinders, minimum weight 1100 kg, maximum width 175 cm) over 10 laps of 76.989 km, which corresponded to a total distance of 769.889 km.

The winner was Christian Lautenschlager on Mercedes .

run

Despite the disappointing outcome for the French in the end, the 1907 Grand Prix was a success as an event. The field of participants was an attractive mix, the race was exciting and Dieppe as the venue was a suitable backdrop, so that the prospects for 1908 were the best. With the Grand Prix des Voiturettes held the day before the main race as a supporting program, the event was even further enhanced. As a result, this category of “light” cars, which was located below the “big” racing cars and whose races have enjoyed increasing popularity since 1906, now also has “real” Grand Prix status. With representatives of the three dominant brands in this class, Albert Guyot in Delage ahead of Louis Naudin in Sizaire-Naudin and Jules Goux in the Lion-Peugeot , the result in the end was befitting.

But also for the main race, the actual Grand Prix de l'ACF , the number of participants could even be increased significantly. The participation from France remained largely constant with 23 cars from eight manufacturers, but for the first time they were faced with a slight superiority of 26 representatives from a total of nine brands from five nations. From Germany in particular, the number of participants had exploded from three to nine; In addition to Mercedes, Benz and Opel , the other two traditional brands, have now sent complete three-car teams into the race. Italy and Great Britain were now also represented by two manufacturers each ( Fiat and Itala as well as Weigel and Austin ), plus, as in the previous year, three cars from the Belgian manufacturer Germain Only from Switzerland this time no car was reported and also from the United States, where the cars for the Vanderbilt Cup were built according to a different racing formula, with the Thomas only a single modified touring car was entered into the race.

The fact that, for the first time, a new racing formula was not adopted by the ACF alone, but at a joint congress of delegates from all national automobile clubs in Ostend , Belgium , certainly contributed to this international expansion . This first truly international Grand Prix formula, also known as the Ostend formula after its place of origin, saw a limitation of the cylinder bore to 155 mm (for cars with four-cylinder engines; for six-cylinder engines, a limit of 127 mm applied analogously in order to maintain the same piston area ) in connection with a minimum weight of 1100 kg and a maximum permitted trolley width of 175 cm. In a further provision, a horizontal run of the exhaust pipes was regulated in order to limit the dust swirl. This meant that the idea of ​​a consumption formula that had failed in 1907 was abandoned after just one year and instead returned to a specification of constructive parameters. The limitation of the bore with the piston stroke still free at the same time was deliberately chosen in order to leave the manufacturers constructive freedom when deciding between slow-running long-stroke cylinders with a large displacement and short-stroke cylinders with low volume but high speed. The limiting factor was the fact that with the cylinder volume increasing with the third power, the surface area available for the dissipation of the heat of combustion only grows quadratically, so that under the state of the art at the time, the pistons began to glow from a certain ratio of displacement and speed which in turn caused the mixture to ignite prematurely.

After most of the manufacturers had tested different variants of up to 15 liters displacement, the engine size finally leveled off at 12 to 13 liters, which - in the spirit of the originators of the regulations - meant in most cases a considerable reduction compared to the respective previous year's models . The designers were no longer able to achieve ever higher engine outputs simply by increasing the displacement, but instead were forced to advance engine technology. The use of engines with overhead valves was now practically state-of-the-art and the cars from Fiat, Darracq , Lorraine , Mors and Grand Prix newcomer Benz were equipped with them. Most manufacturers turned to the so-called Désaxé design, in which the crankshaft was arranged somewhat off-center in relation to the cylinders in order to reduce internal friction. Clément-Bayard and Weigel have also already brought racing engines with overhead camshafts to the start, and finally Austin and Porthos with six-cylinders provided further diversity in the field.

Of all things, Mercedes, the epitome of Grand Prix sport in Germany, continued to stick to the side-controlled engine . After separating from the designer Wilhelm Maybach , the necessary know-how was missing for the development of a new engine concept. Instead, they made a virtue out of necessity and subjected the existing models to a complete overhaul, with the focus on fine-tuning, weight savings and the optimization of weight distribution to match the characteristics of the route. This also included a new type of detachable rim that now only had to be fixed with a single screw.

To everyone's surprise, the Mercedes cars turned out to be much faster than expected in the race. Otto Salzer set a new course record on the very first lap, a full two minutes faster than the best time of a Mercedes driver in the previous year, and put the competitors under pressure right from the start. However, he had overwhelmed the machine and the tires so that he lost a lot of time on the second lap and finally had to give up completely. Now Nazzaro was in the lead on Fiat, but behind him another Mercedes driver followed in Christian Lautenschlager . Like many of his fellow racing drivers, Lautenschlager had started his career as a mechanic and, on Salzer's recommendation, had now been given one of the team's three cars. Already in his first big race the whole hope of the team rested on him. Nazzaro also had to give up shortly afterwards due to a defect and after Lautenschlager stopped to change tires, Nazzaro's brand companion Louis Wagner took over the lead. Again a German make was in second place, but now a Benz with Victor Hémery at the wheel, and Lautenschlager was now in third place. At this point in time, the French cars were already a bit behind, the best participant was Léon Théry , who had wrested the Gordon Bennett Cup from the Germans in 1904, in sixth place. Shortly afterwards, Wagner, the last Fiat with a broken crankshaft, said goodbye to the race - apparently a material defect - and when Hémery stopped at the depot after the fifth lap, Lautenschlager took the lead again. A little later, a tragic incident when the occurred Panhard by Henri Cissac burst a tire and the car was thrown against a tree. Cissac and his mechanic died at the scene of the accident, the first to die during a Grand Prix race. There weren't many changes in the rest of the race, Lautenschlager continuously extended his lead and was even able to afford a safety stop to refuel at the end. His victory time at the end was 6:55:44 hours, an average of 111.107 km / h, a little slower than Nazzaro last year. Behind him, Hémery and René Hanriot , two Benz drivers, 8:41 and 9:30 minutes behind, crossed the finish line in second and third in the Grand Prix debut of this brand. The first Frenchman, Victor Rigal on Clément-Bayard, followed in fourth place , albeit more than half an hour behind. Behind them, Willy Pöge in a Mercedes, Carl Jörns in an Opel - who was also a big surprise - and finally Fritz Erle in Benz in fifth to seventh place completed the overwhelming success of the German brands.

The French automotive industry, on the other hand, was deeply shaken by the outcome of the race. Out of the 23 cars that took part, ten crossed the finish line and only one of them was less than an hour behind. If you had at least been able to fight for the top last year, the renewed defeat was so clear that no Grand Prix was held for a few years and many of the traditional brands such as Panhard, Mors, Brasier , Renault , or Clément-Bayard finally left farewell to the Grand Prix stage.

Results

Registration list

team	No.	driver	chassis	engine	tires
Austin Motor Co	01	Dario Resta	Austin
	18th	John Moore-Brabazon
	34	Warwick Wright
Daimler Motor Company	02	Willy Pöge	Mercedes 140 hp	Mercedes 12.8L I6
	19th	Otto Salzer
	35	Christian Lautenschlager
Automobiles Motobloc	03	Louis Pierron	Motobloc
	20th	Pierre Garcet
	36	Jean-Pierre Courtade
Renault Frères	04th	Ferenc Szisz	Renault
	15th	Gustave Caillois
	37	Sergey Dimitriévitch
De Dietrich et Cie	05	Arthur Duray	Lorraine-Dietrich
	22nd	Henri Rougier
	38	Ferdinando Minoia
Benz engines	06th	Victor Hémery	Benz 150 hp	Benz 15.6L I4
	23	René Hanriot
	39	Fritz Alder
Fiat	07th	Vincenzo Lancia	Fiat
	24	Felice Nazzaro
	40	Louis Wagner
Automobiles Brasier	08th	Léon Théry	Brasier
	25th	Paul Baras
	41	Paul Bablot
Société General des Automobiles Porthos	09	Emile Stricker	Porthos
	26th	Jean Gaupert
	42	Jules Simon
Friedrich Opel	10	Friedrich Opel	Opel
	27	Carl Jörns
	43	Christian Michel
Automobiles Clément-Bayard	11	Victor Rigal	Clement-Bayard
	28	Fernand Gabriel
	44	Lucien Hautvast
Itala	12	Alessandro Cagno	Itala
	29	Henri Fournier
	45	Giovanni Piacenza
Weigel Motors	13	Pryce Harrison	Weigel
	30th	Gregor Laxen
	46	Roger Shannon
Automobiles Mors	14th	Camille Jenatzy	Mors
	31	Emilé Landon
	47	Jules Robin
ER Thomas Motor Co	15th	Lewis Strand	Thomas
Automobiles Panhard et Levassor	16	George Heath	Panhard & Levassor
	32	Henri Farman
	48	Henri Cissac
Ateliers Germain	17th	François Degrais	Germain
	33	François Marie Roch-Brault
	49	Claude Perpère

Race result

Item	driver	constructor	Round	Stops	time	begin	Fastest lap	Failure reason
01	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes	10	2	6: 55: 43.8 h
02	Victor Hémery	Benz	10	1	+ 8: 40.2 min
03	René Hanriot	Benz	10	1	+ 9: 29.2 min
04th	Victor Rigal	Clement-Bayard	10	1	+ 34: 52.8 min
05	Willy Pöge	Mercedes	10	1	+ 36: 47.2 min
06th	Carl Jörns	Opel	10	1	+ 43.56.2 min
07th	Fritz Alder	Benz	10	1	+ 56: 48.0 min
08th	Sergey Dimitriévitch	Renault	10	1	+1: 07: 39.0 h
09	George Heath	Panhard & Levassor	10	1	+ 1: 09: 03.0 h
10	Claude Perpère	Germain	10	1	+1: 12: 34.4 h
11	Alessandro Cagno	Itala	10	1	+1: 21: 23.0 h
12	Fernand Gabriel	Clement-Bayard	10	1	+1: 25: 11.2 h
13	Jean-Pierre Courtade	Motobloc	10	1	+1: 26: 10.0 h
14th	Pierre Garcet	Motobloc	10	1	+1: 33: 23.0 h
15th	Gustave Caillois	Renault	10	1	+1: 33: 23.4 h
16	Camille Jenatzy	Mors	10	1	+1: 38: 11.8 h
17th	Emilé Landon	Mors	10	1	+1: 52: 47.4 h
18th	John Moore-Brabazon	Austin	10	1	+1: 56: 17.0 h
19th	Dario Resta	Austin	10	1	+ 2: 00: 17.4 h
20th	Henri Fournier	Itala	10	1	+ 2: 00: 47.4 h
21st	Friedrich Opel	Opel	10	1	+ 2: 21: 38.6 h
22nd	François Degrais	Germain	10	1	+ 2: 27: 01.0 h
23	Henri Farman	Panhard & Levassor	10	1	+ 2: 38: 07.0 h
-	Léon Théry	Brasier	9		DNF			lost wheel
-	Paul Bablot	Brasier	9		DNF			Magneto
-	Emile Stricker	Porthos	9		DNF
-	Georges Michel	Opel	9		DNF			Radiator damage
-	Henri Cissac	Panhard & Levassor	8th		DNF			deadly accident
-	Pryce Harrison	Weigel	5		DNF			accident
-	Lucien Hautvast	Clement-Bayard	5		DNF			lost wheel
-	Warwick Wright	Austin	4th		DNF			Mortor damage
-	François Marie Roch-Brault	Germain	4th		DNF
-	Lewis Strand	Thomas	4th		DNF			Clutch damage
-	Louis Wagner	Fiat	3		DNF			crankshaft
-	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	3		DNF			Engine failure
-	Louis Pierron	Motobloc	3		DNF			accident
-	Gregor Laxen	Weigel	3		DNF			accident
-	Paul Baras	Brasier	3		DNF			Engine failure
-	Ferdinando Minoia	Lorraine-Dietrich	3		DNF			Magneto
-	Arthur Duray	Lorraine-Dietrich	2		DNF			Clutch damage
-	Ferenc Szisz	Renault	2		DNF			lost wheel
-	Otto Salzer	Mercedes	2		DNF		36: 31,000	Tire damage
-	Jules Simon	Porthos	2		DNF			water pump
-	Vincenzo Lancia	Fiat	1		DNF			Engine failure
-	Henri Rougier	Lorraine-Dietrich	1		DNF			Magneto
-	Roger Shannon	Weigel	1		DNF			Steering damage
-	Giovanni Piacenza	Itala	1		DNF			Gearbox damage
-	Jean Gaupert	Porthos	1		DNF			water pump
-	Jules Robin	Mors			DNS			not started

literature

• Robert Dick: Mercedes and Auto Racing in the Belle Epoque 1895–1915 , MacFarland & Co, Jefferson, 2005, ISBN 0-7864-1889-3 (English)
• Adriano Cimarosti: Car races - The great prices of the world, cars, tracks and pilots from 1894 to today , Hallwag AG, Bern, 1986, ISBN 3-444-10326-3
• Paul Sheldon with Yves de la Gorce & Duncan Rabagliati: A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing, Volume 1 1900–1925 , St. Leonard's Press, Bradford, 1987, ISBN 0-9512433-0-6 (English)
• Karl Ludvigsen: Classic Grand Prix Cars - The front-engined Formula 1 Era 1906–1960 , Sutton Publishing, Stroud, 2000, ISBN 0-7509-2189-7
• Hodges, David: A – Z of Grand Prix Cars , The Crowood Press, Ramsbury, 2001, ISBN 1-86126-339-2

Web links

Commons : 1908 French Grand Prix  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual references / comments

1. ↑ The first race organized as the Grand Prix de l'ACF took place in 1906. In the 1920s, however, the “great” city-to-city races of the early days between 1895 and 1903 were also awarded these titles, although the ACF was founded after the Paris-Bordeaux-Paris race in 1895. This counting method subsequently made the event from 1908 the official eleventh Grand Prix de l'ACF
2. ↑ Robert Dick writes "probably for the last time the representatives of an entire industry fought for their highest award, the Grand Prix"
3. ↑ After the company's founder and automobile pioneer Carl Benz had long resisted excessive car speeds, the two French had taken over the running there in the meantime.