1950 Italian Grand Prix

  1950 Italian Grand Prix

Race details
Race 7 of 7 in the 1950 Formula One season
Date	3 September 1950
Official name	XXI GRAN PREMIO D'ITALIA
Location	Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	6.300 km (3.915 mi)
Distance	80 laps, 504.000 km (313.171 mi)
Weather	Warm, hot and sunny
Pole position
Driver	Juan Manuel Fangio[1]	Alfa Romeo
Time	1:58.6
Fastest lap
Driver	Juan Manuel Fangio[2]	Alfa Romeo
Time	2:00.0 on lap 7[3]
Podium
First	Nino Farina	Alfa Romeo
Second	Dorino Serafini Alberto Ascari	Ferrari
Third	Luigi Fagioli	Alfa Romeo
Lap leaders

The 1950 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held on 3 September 1950 at Monza. It was the seventh and final event of the 1950 World Drivers' Championship. In this race, Nino Farina became the first World Drivers' Champion, and the only driver to win the title in his home country.

Background

After Juan Manuel Fangio's win at the French Grand Prix, Fangio had obtained 26 points, two ahead of team mate Luigi Fagioli and four ahead of another team mate, Giuseppe Farina. Having already finished four times in the points (all second places), Fagioli would only be able to drop six points or not gain at all, while Fangio and Farina had only finished three times. All three of Fangio's finishes were wins.

To win the championship,

• For Fangio:
  • Win or come 2nd to guarantee the title.
  • Come 3rd, 4th or 5th with Farina 2nd or lower.
  • With the fastest lap only, Farina 3rd or lower.
  • Scoring no points, Farina would have to finish 3rd or lower without the fastest lap, 4th with; and Fagioli not to win with the fastest lap.
• For Fagioli:
  • Win the race with the fastest lap, with Farina 3rd or lower, and Fangio not to score any points.
• For Farina:
  • Win with the fastest lap, and Fangio 3rd or lower.
  • 3rd with fastest lap, and Fangio not to score.

Entries

No	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyre
2	Johnny Claes	Ecurie Belge	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
4	Franco Rol	Officine Alfieri Maserati	Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-48	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	P
6	Louis Chiron		Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-48	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	P
8	Peter Whitehead	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari	Ferrari 125	Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12s	D
10	Nino Farina	Alfa Romeo SpA	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 159	Alfa Romeo 159 LBC 1.5 L8s	P
12	Raymond Sommer	Raymond Sommer	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
14	Giovanni Bracco1	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari	Ferrari 125	Ferrari 125 F1 1.5 V12s	P
16	Alberto Ascari		Ferrari	Ferrari 375	Ferrari 375 F1 4.5 V12	P
18	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo SpA	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 159	Alfa Romeo 159 LBC 1.5 L8s	P
20	Luigi de Filippis1	De Filippis	Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-48	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	P
22	Clemente Biondetti	Clemente Biondetti	Ferrari-Jaguar	Ferrari 166T	Jaguar XK 3.4 L6	?
24	Philippe Étancelin	Philippe Étancelin	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
26	Reg Parnell1	Scuderia Ambrosiana	Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-48	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	D
28	Paul Pietsch	Paul Pietsch	Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-48	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	P
30	Prince Bira	Enrico Platé	Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-50	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	P
32	Cuth Harrison	Cuth Harrison	ERA	ERA B	ERA 1.5 L6s	D
34	Luigi Platé1	Enrico Platé	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago 700	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
36	Luigi Fagioli	Alfa Romeo SpA	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 158	Alfa Romeo 159 LBC 1.5 L8s	P
38	Toulo de Graffenried	Enrico Platé	Maserati	Maserati 4CLT-48	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	P
40	Guy Mairesse	Guy Mairesse	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
42	Maurice Trintignant	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini	Simca-Gordini T15	Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s	E
44	Robert Manzon		Simca-Gordini	Simca-Gordini T15	Simca-Gordini 15C 1.5 L4s	E
46	Consalvo Sanesi	Alfa Romeo SpA	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 158	Alfa Romeo 159 LBC 1.5 L8s	P
48	Dorino Serafini2	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari	Ferrari 375	Ferrari 375 F1 4.5 V12	P
50	David Murray	Scuderia Ambrosiana	Maserati	Maserati 4CL	Maserati 4 CL 1.5 L4s	D
52	Felice Bonetto	Scuderia Milano	Milano-Speluzzi	Milano 1	Speluzzi 1.5 L4s	P
56	Pierre Levegh	Pierre Levegh	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
58	Louis Rosier	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
60	Piero Taruffi3	Alfa Romeo SpA	Alfa Romeo	Alfa Romeo 158	Alfa Romeo 159 LBC 1.5 L8s	P
62	Franco Comotti	Scuderia Milano	Maserati-Milano	Maserati 4CLT-50	Milano 1.5 L4s	P
64	Henri Louveau	Ecurie Rosier	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago T26C-GS	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
66	Franco Bordoni1	Enrico Platé	Talbot-Lago	Talbot-Lago 700	Talbot 23CV 4.5 L6	D
Sources:[4][5]

^1 — Giovanni Bracco, Luigi de Filippis, Reg Parnell, Luigi Platé and Franco Bordoni all withdrew from the event prior to practice.^[6]

^2 — Dorino Serafini qualified and drove 47 laps of the race in the #48 Ferrari. Alberto Ascari, whose own vehicle had already retired, took over Serafini's car for the remaining 33 laps of the race.^[7]

^3 — Piero Taruffi qualified and drove 25 laps of the race in the #60 Alfa Romeo. Juan Manuel Fangio, whose own Alfa had already retired, took over Taruffi's car for a further 9 laps before again being forced to retire.^[7]

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Lap	Gap
1	18	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	1:58.6	–
2	16	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	1:58.8	+ 0.2
3	10	Nino Farina	Alfa Romeo	2:00.2	+ 1.6
4	46	Consalvo Sanesi	Alfa Romeo	2:00.4	+ 1.8
5	36	Luigi Fagioli	Alfa Romeo	2:04.0	+ 5.4
6	48	Dorino Serafini	Ferrari	2:05.6	+ 7.0
7	60	Piero Taruffi	Alfa Romeo	2:05.8	+ 7.2
8	12	Raymond Sommer	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:08.6	+ 10.0
9	4	Franco Rol	Maserati	2:10.0	+ 11.4
10	44	Robert Manzon	Simca-Gordini	2:12.4	+ 13.8
11	40	Guy Mairesse	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:13.2	+ 14.6
12	42	Maurice Trintignant	Simca-Gordini	2:13.4	+ 14.8
13	58	Louis Rosier	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:13.4	+ 14.8
14	64	Henri Louveau	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:13.8	+ 15.2
15	30	Prince Bira	Maserati	2:14.0	+ 15.4
16	24	Philippe Étancelin	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:14.4	+ 15.8
17	38	Toulo de Graffenried	Maserati	2:14.4	+ 15.8
18	8	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari	2:16.2	+ 17.6
19	6	Louis Chiron	Maserati	2:17.2	+ 18.6
20	56	Pierre Levegh	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:17.2	+ 18.6
21	32	Cuth Harrison	ERA	2:18.4	+ 19.8
22	2	Johnny Claes	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	2:18.6	+ 20.0
23	52	Felice Bonetto	Milano-Speluzzi	2:19.8	+ 21.2
24	50	David Murray	Maserati	2:22.0	+ 23.4
25	22	Clemente Biondetti	Ferrari-Jaguar	2:30.6	+ 32.0
26	62	Franco Comotti	Maserati-Milano	2:33.6	+ 35.0
27	28	Paul Pietsch	Maserati	No time	–
DNA	14	Giovanni Bracco	Ferrari	–	–
DNA	26	Reg Parnell	Maserati	–	–
DNA	34	Luigi Platé	Talbot	–	–
Source:[8]

Report

Ferrari pulled out all the stops to impress at their home circuit, producing a new unsupercharged 4½ litre engine to try to end the Alfa Romeo monopoly. Alberto Ascari used it to achieve second place on the grid to Juan Manuel Fangio's Alfa Romeo 158 and then in the race behind the fast starting Nino Farina (Alfa Romeo 158) before briefly leading. Sadly, the pace was too punishing for the new car and a porous block broke on lap 20 and the battle returned as usual to the Alfas. Fangio retired twice; once in his own Alfa Romeo 158 and a second time after taking over Piero Taruffi's. Farina led to the finish from Ascari who was now in team-mate Dorino Serafini's Ferrari 375 with Luigi Fagioli finishing third in his Alfa Romeo 158. Louis Rosier finish fourth in his Talbot-Lago T26C with Philippe Étancelin fifth in his Lago-Talbot. Étancelin would become the oldest driver to ever score a world championship point with that finish. Only seven cars finished out of the 26 starters and with Farina's win and Fangio's failure to score and Fagioli's third place points removed as his worst scoring finish, Farina became the first recipient of the World Driver's Championship crown.

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	10	Nino Farina	Alfa Romeo	80	2:51:17.4	3	8
2	48	Dorino Serafini Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	80	+ 1:18.6	6	3 3
3	36	Luigi Fagioli	Alfa Romeo	80	+ 1:35.6	5	4
4	58	Louis Rosier	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	75	+ 5 Laps	13	3
5	24	Philippe Étancelin	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	75	+ 5 Laps	16	2
6	38	Toulo de Graffenried	Maserati	72	+ 8 Laps	17
7	8	Peter Whitehead	Ferrari	72	+ 8 Laps	18
Ret	50	David Murray	Maserati	56	Gearbox	24
Ret	32	Cuth Harrison	ERA	51	Radiator	21
Ret	12	Raymond Sommer	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	48	Gearbox	8
Ret	40	Guy Mairesse	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	42	Oil Pipe	11
Ret	4	Franco Rol	Maserati	39	Retirement	9
Ret	60	Piero Taruffi Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	34	Engine	7
Ret	56	Pierre Levegh	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	29	Gearbox	20
Ret	18	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo	23	Gearbox	1	1
Ret	2	Johnny Claes	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	22	Overheating	22
Ret	16	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari	21	Engine	2
Ret	22	Clemente Biondetti	Ferrari-Jaguar	17	Engine	25
Ret	64	Henri Louveau	Talbot-Lago-Talbot	16	Brakes	16
Ret	62	Franco Comotti	Maserati-Milano	15	Retirement	26
Ret	42	Maurice Trintignant	Simca-Gordini	13	Water Pipe	12
Ret	6	Louis Chiron	Maserati	13	Oil Pressure	19
Ret	46	Consalvo Sanesi	Alfa Romeo	11	Engine	4
Ret	44	Robert Manzon	Simca-Gordini	7	Transmission	10
Ret	30	Prince Bira	Maserati	1	Engine	15
Ret	28	Paul Pietsch	Maserati	0	Engine	27
DNS	52	Felice Bonetto	Milano-Speluzzi	0	Non Starter	23
Source:[9]

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

	Pos	Driver	Points
2	1	Nino Farina	30
1	2	Juan Manuel Fangio	27
1	3	Luigi Fagioli	24 (28)
	4	Louis Rosier	13
1	5	Alberto Ascari	11

• Note: Only the top five positions are listed. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship. Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.

References