The 1908 French Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at Dieppe on 7 July 1908.
1908 French Grand Prix | |||
---|---|---|---|
Race details | |||
Date | July 7, 1908 | ||
Official name | Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France | ||
Location | Dieppe, France | ||
Course | Public roads | ||
Course length | 76.989 km (47.840 miles) | ||
Distance | 10 laps, 769.889 km (478.400 miles) | ||
Fastest lap | |||
Driver | ![]() | Mercedes | |
Time | 36:31.0 | ||
Podium | |||
First | Mercedes | ||
Second | Benz | ||
Third | Benz |
Formula Changes
editThe race was run under a new formula agreed in Ostend in 1907. There was no fuel consumption limit, but the cars had a minimum weight of 1100 kilograms, and a maximum cylinder bore of 155 millimetres.[1]This formula differed from the regulations in place for the American Vanderbilt Cup series, which discouraged American manufacturers from entering the race.[2] Lewis Strang drove the single American entrant, the Thomas Flyer.[3] D. Napier & Son cars were disqualified from the race due to their use of Rudge-Whitworth center locking hubs, which the organizers believed were unsafe.[4]
The Race
edit![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Christian_Lautenschlager_Mercedes_1908_French_Grand_Prix.jpg/220px-Christian_Lautenschlager_Mercedes_1908_French_Grand_Prix.jpg)
Christian Lautenschlager won the race in his Mercedes finishing nearly nine minutes ahead of Victor Hémery's Benz. Lautenschlager's average speed for the race was 69.045 mph (111.117 km/h). Otto Salzer set fastest lap in his Mercedes, with an average speed of over 78 mph (126 km/h).[5][6] The race was notable for tragic reasons. Henri Cissac's car lost a tyre and rolled, killing Cissac and Jules Schaube, his riding mechanic.This was the first fatal accident in Grand Prix history.[7]
Classification
editReferences
edit![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- ^ Etzrodt, Hans (2007-06-19). "Grand Prix Winners 1895-1949. History and Formulae". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ "Foreign Autoists Eager for Racing" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-01-06. Retrieved 2007-10-18.
- ^ "The American Car in Grand Prix Race" (PDF). The New York Times. 1908-05-03. Retrieved 2007-10-27.
- ^ Matteucci, Marco (1976). History of the Motor Car. New York, NY: Crown Publishers, Inc. p. 250. ISBN 978-0706400007. OCLC 4168687.
- ^ Higham, Peter (1995). The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing. Guinness Publishing. pp. 194–195. ISBN 0-85112-642-1.
- ^ a b "1908 Grands Prix". Archived from the original on 2008-08-21. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
- ^ "Motorsport Memorial - Henri Cissac". Retrieved 2014-01-29.