Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli, driving an Alfa Romeo, claimed victory at the 1951 French Grand Prix, finishing ahead of Ferrari drivers Jose Froilan Gonzalez and Alberto Ascari in second. Luigi Villoresi finished in third place for Ferrari. It was the first of three occasions where two drivers would be credited with a Grand Prix win after sharing a car.
Race Guide
Season: 1951 F1 World Championship
Race date: Sunday, 1 July 1951
Race start time: Start time unconfirmed local time (UTC+01:00)
Circuit: Reims-Gueux
Laps: 77 laps
Circuit length: 7.816 km
1950 winner: Juan Manuel Fangio
Previous race: 1951 Belgian Grand Prix
Next race: 1951 British Grand Prix
Luigi Fagioli’s victory in this race marked his first and only World Championship win, making him the oldest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix—a record that still stands.
This race is also the longest Formula One Grand Prix in F1 History in terms of total distance covered. The 77 laps around the 4.856-mile Reims-Gueux circuit added up to a gruelling 373.961 miles.
| Pole position | ||
|---|---|---|
| Driver | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo |
| Time | 2:25.700 | |
| Fastest lap | ||
| Driver | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo |
| Time | 2:27.800 on lap 32 | |
| Podium | ||
| First | Luigi Fagioli | Alfa Romeo |
| Second | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari |
| Third | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari |
Weekend Schedule
| Date | Session | Local Time |
|---|---|---|
| 29 June 1951 | Friday timed practice | Time unconfirmed |
| 30 June 1951 | Saturday final qualifying | Time unconfirmed |
| 1 July 1951 | Race | Time unconfirmed |
Championship background
Nino Farina arrived at round 4 leading the 1951 F1 World Championship on 12 points, with Juan Manuel Fangio on 10.
Race entries
Fagioli returned to Alfa Romeo alongside Fangio and Farina. Ferrari‘s challenge included González, while Parnell drove the Thin Wall entry. Aldo Gordini, Simon and Marimón made their championship debuts, adding new names to the established field.
Friday timed practice
Intense heat accompanied the opening session, in which Ascari set the pace for Ferrari. The fast circuit placed a premium on power, but Ferrari‘s early speed suggested it could challenge Alfa Romeo despite the Alfetta’s outright performance advantage.
Saturday final qualifying
Alfa Romeo responded decisively, with Fangio taking pole ahead of Farina. The late-arriving Gordinis had little time to prepare, yet newcomer Aldo Gordini compared favourably with his experienced team-mates. Chiron was the strongest private entrant, although the Talbots remained well behind the leading Italian cars.
Qualifying Classification
Two days of timed practice set the grid. Shared drives were permitted, and finishing points were divided between the drivers of a shared car. The seventy-seven-lap race covered just over six hundred kilometres.
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Best Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo | 2:25.700 |
| 2 | 2 | Nino Farina | Alfa Romeo | 2:27.4 |
| 3 | 12 | Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 2:28.1 |
| 4 | 10 | Luigi Villoresi | Ferrari | 2:28.5 |
| 5 | 6 | Consalvo Sanesi | Alfa Romeo | 2:28.9 |
| 6 | 14 | José Froilán González | Ferrari | 2:30.8 |
| 7 | 8 | Luigi Fagioli | Alfa Romeo | 2:33.1 |
| 8 | 42 | Louis Chiron | Talbot-Lago | 2:43.7 |
| 9 | 26 | Reg Parnell | Ferrari | 2:44.0 |
| 10 | 38 | Philippe Étancelin | Talbot-Lago | 2:44.8 |
| 11 | 46 | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Talbot-Lago | 2:45.7 |
| 12 | 28 | Johnny Claes | Talbot-Lago | 2:46.6 |
| 13 | 40 | Louis Rosier | Talbot-Lago | 2:48.0 |
| 14 | 44 | Eugène Chaboud | Talbot-Lago | 2:49.6 |
| 15 | 50 | Onofre Marimón | Maserati | 2:49.9 |
| 16 | 18 | Toulo de Graffenried | Maserati | 2:50.1 |
| 17 | 36 | Aldo Gordini | Simca-Gordini | 2:50.3 |
| 18 | 32 | Maurice Trintignant | Simca-Gordini | 2:50.4 |
| 19 | 48 | Guy Mairesse | Talbot-Lago | 2:58.4 |
| 20 | 24 | Peter Whitehead | Ferrari | 2:59.0 |
| 21 | 34 | André Simon | Simca-Gordini | 2:59.5 |
| 22 | 20 | Harry Schell | Maserati | 3:02.0 |
| 23 | 30 | Robert Manzon | Simca-Gordini | 3:06.0 |
| DNA | 16 | Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | – |
| DNA | 22 | Prince Bira | Maserati | – |
What happened in the 1951 French Grand Prix?
Ascari’s Ferrari developed gearbox trouble, while Fangio’s Alfa Romeo suffered ignition problems. Both leading drivers returned to the race in team-mates’ cars: Ascari replaced González, and Fangio took over Fagioli’s healthier Alfa Romeo.
Fangio worked into the lead as pit stops and further problems reshaped the contest. Fagioli continued in the troublesome car originally started by Fangio, finishing far behind. The enforced exchange left him deeply unhappy.
Fangio and Fagioli shared the win, with González and Ascari sharing second. Villoresi finished third, Parnell fourth and Farina fifth. Fangio also set fastest lap. Fagioli became the oldest winner of a World Championship Grand Prix.
After the race, Juan Manuel Fangio headed the drivers’ standings with 15 points, followed by Nino Farina on 14.
1951 French Grand Prix race results
The 1951 French Grand Prix was held on 1 July 1951.
Includes 1 point for fastest lap
1951 French Grand Prix Fastest Laps
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Team | Lap | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | Juan Manuel Fangio | Alfa Romeo | 32 | 2:27.800 |
Only drivers with a recorded lap time appear. One championship point was awarded for fastest lap, divided equally when shared.
1951 Post-Race F1 Championship Standings
Championship standings after the 1951 French Grand Prix.
1951 Post-Race F1 Drivers’ Championship Standings
There was no constructors’ championship in this season; the manufacturers’ competition began in 1958.
Drivers counted their best 4 results. The first five places earned 8–6–4–3–2 points, with one further point for fastest lap, shared equally when necessary. Points from shared drives were divided between the eligible drivers; individual allocations are shown in driver order.
1951 Formula 1 Race Calendar
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