Belgian Grand Prix

Spa-Francorchamps, 18 Jun 1950

All cars are 1.5-litre s/c F1 or 4.5-litre F1^† unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Talbot T26C-DA [110 051] (Louis Rosier): Originally a works car Rosier in 1950 and then for Fangio in Argentina that December. Raced by Grignard 1951-56 (mainly in hillclimbs), then possibly in in Clères Museum before appearing in UK historic racing with Bob Roberts 1970-71. Via two other UK owners until bought by Jim Hull (US) in 1988. Retained 1991.
2. Ferrari 275 (Alberto Ascari): Two new two-stage supercharged, long-wheelbase Tipo 125s were built for the 1949 Italian GP with the internal designation 'GP49'. These were numbered either 125-C-00 and 125-C-01 or 125-C-01 and 125-C-02 and it is unclear which car Ascari drove. However, it was normal practice that he would have kept the same car thereafter. At Spa in 1950, Ascari's car was fitted with a Tipo 275 (3.3-litre) sports car Lampredi engine. It is not clear whether Ascari's car was even present at the French GP. One of these two 'GP49' cars became the Thin Wall Special while the other was renumbered 0114 and sold to Peter Whitehead for 1951.
3. Ferrari 125 (Luigi Villoresi): This car was one of the new two-stage supercharged, long-wheelbase Tipo 125s built for the 1949 Italian GP and now known to have had the internal designation 'GP49'. These were numbered either 125-C-00 and 125-C-01 or 125-C-01 and 125-C-02 and it is unclear which serial applies to the car that Villoresi drove. However, it is probable that he had the same car throughout. Villoresi's car was fitted with a Tipo 275 (3.3-litre) sports car Lampredi engine at Albi. At the French GP, Villoresi was to have a 275 engine but it is not clear whether his car was even present. One of these two cars became the Thinwall Special while the other was renumbered 0114 and sold to Peter Whitehead for 1951.
4. Talbot T26C [110 005] (Pierre Bouillin ("Levegh")): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 005' was raced by 'Levegh' from 1948 to 1951 and by Grignard once in 1951. Retained by the works until it was sold to Otto Zipper in the US in 1957. Then to the Briggs Cunningham museum via two other US owners to Tony Wang 1988.
5. Talbot T26C [110 011] (Johnny Claes): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 011' was Johnny Claes car in 1948-50 and then sold to Duncan Hamilton (and Fotheringham-Parker) and raced 1951-53. Stored in France until 1955 when Hamilton sold it to Allan Freeman in New Zealand who raced it through to 1961. It was bought by Joe Hepworth in 1963 and returned to England; then via other UK and French owners until sold to Bernie Ecclestone 1996. Retained 2002.
6. Alta GP [No 2] (Geoffrey Crossley): This car was built for Geoffrey Crossley and raced until 1951. Then broken up to create a special. (Source: Directory of Historic Racing Cars, Jenkinson)
7. Maserati 4CL [1582] (Toni Branca): Delivered 31 July 1946 to Guido Barbieri from Reggio Emilia, and raced in the 1946 Turin and Milan GPs. It is possible that the chassis was then used by Barbieri in his 1.5 litre Maserati 6C Sports Special, which first appeared in October 1946. The car reappeared in normal 4CL form in 1949 in the hands of Swiss Anton Branca, who raced it throughout 1949 and 1950. The car then passed through a variety of Swiss owners’ hands, at one stage fitted with a Ford V8 engine, before being campaigned in historic racing by Dan Margulies for more than 20 years, and being owned most recently by Klaus Edel and then Oliver Maierhofer. The car was for sale in early 2007.
8. Talbot T26C-DA [110 053] (Eugène Chaboud): Built in 1950 using parts from '110 003' and raced for the works by Martin, Chaboud and Giraud-Cabantous in 1950 then by Rosier as a private entry in 1951. Driven by Trintignant for Ecurie Rosier in 1952, then Giraud-Cabantous 1952-53. Owned by Marceau Hauret 1955 and Houdayer (Paris) 1981. Raced from 1987-2000 by François d'Huart (Belgium) as '100105'.
9. Talbot T26C [110 009] (Raymond Sommer): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 009' was Raymond Sommer's 1949 car and then passed to Yves Giraud-Cabantous for 1950. Driven by Giraud-Cabantous and Pierre Meyrat 1951 and next seen with Louis Girardot 1953-56 and then possibly via Serge Pozzoli to Fritz Schlumpf 1957. In Musée de l'Automobile in Mulhouse 2001, possibly numbered 110002.
10. Talbot T26C-DA [110 054] (Philippe Étancelin): Built for 1950 and raced for the works by Etancelin and Rosier, then Etancelin as a private entry 1951-54. To Terry Hall (US) 1955-57 (also driven by Ernie McAfee and Ignazio Lozano) before conversion to sportscar 1957 and then via a chain of US owners to Peter Giddings who had restored and rebodied by Steve Griswold. Raced by Giddings 1978-96 (and possibly later).
11. Talbot T26C-DA [110 052] (Yves Giraud-Cabantous): Built in 1950 using parts from '110 012' and raced for the works by Giraud-Cabantous, Sommer and, in Argentina, Gonzalez. To Claes for 1951 and then Ecurie Belgique (Claes and Pilette) 1952. Some differences of opinion over its ownership in the 1950s but then via UK and German owners until 1987. Next seen with Peter Mullin (USA) in 2001. Raced by Mullin at 2007 Monterey Historics.
12. Talbot T26C [110 008] (Philippe Étancelin): Talbot-Lago T26C chassis '110 008' was Philippe Etancelin's car in 1948 and then passed to Jean Achard November 1950. Achard moved to Brazil, taking the car, and sold it there to Pinheiro Pires who raced it in Brazil from 1951 to 1954. Remains to UK via Colin Crabbe in the 1980s and then via other UK owners to Tony Bianchi c1999. Has been raced in historics up to 2005.

Formula 1 events 1948-1953

The results published here were compiled by David McKinney and Adam Ferrington from a range of sources including Autocourse, Motor Sport and Autosport, as well as the F1 Register's A Record of Grand Prix and Voiturette Racing Volume 5 covering 1950 and 1951. Individual car identities were then meticulously checked against their enormous libraries of books and photographs, notably Talbot-Lago de Course by Pierre Abeillon, Les Gordini by Robert Jarraud, Gordini – Un Sorcier, Une Equipe by Christian Huet and The History of English Racing Automobiles by David Weguelin.

David has also contributed extensively from his notes on car identities compiled over 40 years of research, Michael Müller has contributed immaculately researched histories of all the 1948-1950 Ferrari 125s, and Doug Nye, both through his books and his personal assistance on HWM, has also been of great help.

Please note that since David's sad death in 2014, Adam and Allen have agreed that these pages will remain unaltered from now on, as a lasting testimony to David's expertise.