The 1949 Zandvoort Grand Prix was a non-championship Formula One race held on 31 July 1949 at Circuit Zandvoort.
Report
The event consisted of two 25-lap heats and a 40-lap final. The cars were split based on their racing numbers, the lower numbers (1-9) competing in Heat 1 and the higher numbers (14-21) in Heat 2. A qualifying session determined the grid for each heat.
Giuseppe Farina secured pole position for Heat 1 at 1:54.8, the fastest time of the weekend. However, Luigi Villoresi beat him at the start and took the heat unchallenged, setting the fastest lap at 1:59.3.[1] Farina could not challenge due to a misfire, but still finished second. Reigning race winner Prince Bira was third. St John Horsfall finished sixth but chose not to start the final due to a stiff piston.
Alberto Ascari secured pole position for Heat 2 at 1:55.0. Reg Parnell led the first lap but Ascari retook the lead and steadily pulled away. The race complexion changed in the middle phase: heavy rain began to fall, which better suited Parnell, and at the same time Ascari developed minor engine issues. Parnell closed a 23-second gap to Ascari and won the heat. Ascari set the fastest lap at 2:01. Geoffrey Crossley finished sixth; he handed his Alta over to George Abecassis for the final.[2] Peter Whitehead retired with a broken magneto and Raymond Sommer suffered a broken throttle control.
The final was hotly contested between Ascari and Villoresi, the two Ferrari drivers trading the lead until lap 34 when a wheel fell off Ascari's car. Farina and Parnell had jumped the start and were handed a one minute post-race time penalty after respectively finishing second and fifth on the road.[3]
Entries
Classification
Heat 1
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 |  Luigi Villoresi
|
Ferrari | 25 | 51:29.2 | 2 |
| 2 | 2 | Giuseppe Farina
|
Maserati | 25 | +20.6 | 1 |
| 3 | 3 |  Prince Bira
|
Maserati | 25 | +1:11.7 | 5 |
| 4 | 9 |  Louis Rosier
|
Talbot-Lago | 25 | +1:33.8 | 4 |
| 5 | 5 |  Cuth Harrison
|
ERA | 24 | +1 lap | 3 |
| 6 | 4 | St John Horsfall
|
ERA | 24 | +1 lap | 7 |
| 7 | 6 |  Johnny Claes
|
Talbot-Lago | ? | 6 | |
| 8 | 7 | David Hampshire
|
ERA | ? | 8 | |
| Sources:[1][3] | ||||||
Heat 2
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 | Reg Parnell
|
Maserati | 25 | 52:30.2 | 3 |
| 2 | 14 | Alberto Ascari
|
Ferrari | 25 | +10.7 | 1 |
| 3 | 16 |  Emmanuel de Graffenried
|
Maserati | 25 | +10.9 | 4 |
| 4 | 21 | Philippe Étancelin
|
Talbot-Lago | 25 | +1:11.2 | 2 |
| 5 | 17 | Bob Gerard
|
ERA | 24 | +1 lap | 6 |
| 6 | 20 | Geoffrey Crossley
|
Alta | 22 | +3 laps | 8 |
| Ret | 19 | Raymond Sommer
|
Simca Gordini | ? | Throttle | 7 |
| Ret | 18 | Peter Whitehead
|
Ferrari | ? | Magneto | 5 |
| Sources:[1][3] | ||||||
Final
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/retired | Grid |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Luigi Villoresi
|
Ferrari | 40 | 1:21.06.9 | 1 |
| 2 | 16 | Emmanuel de Graffenried
|
Maserati | 40 | +30.3 | |
| 3 | 3 | Prince Bira
|
Maserati | 40 | +41.9 | |
| 4 | 2 | Giuseppe Farina
|
Maserati | 40 | +1:23.7 | |
| 5 | 21 | Philippe Étancelin
|
Talbot-Lago | 40 | +1:52.7 | |
| 6 | 15 | Reg Parnell
|
Maserati | 40 | +2:00.3 | 2/3 |
| 7 | 17 | Bob Gerard
|
ERA | 39 | +1 lap | |
| 8 | 9 | Louis Rosier
|
Talbot-Lago | 39 | +1 lap | |
| 9 | 6 | Johnny Claes
|
Talbot-Lago | 38 | +2 laps | |
| 10 | 7 | David Hampshire
|
ERA | 35 | +5 laps | |
| Ret | 14 | Alberto Ascari
|
Ferrari | 34 | Wheel lost | 2/3 |
| Ret | 5 | Cuth Harrison
|
ERA | 26 | Mechanical | |
| Ret | 20 | George Abecassis
|
Alta | 24 | Overheating | |
| DNS | 4 | St John Horsfall
|
ERA | Engine | ||
| DNQ | 19 | Raymond Sommer
|
Simca Gordini | Ret Heat 2 | ||
| DNQ | 18 | Peter Whitehead
|
Ferrari | Ret Heat 2 | ||
| DNA | 8 | Joe Ashmore
|
Maserati | |||
| DNA | 10 |  Louis Chiron
|
Talbot-Lago | |||
| DNA | 22 | Leslie Brooke
|
Maserati | |||
| DNA | 23 | Guy Mairesse
|
Talbot-Lago | |||
| Sources:[4][5][1][3][6] | ||||||
References
- ^ a b c d "II Zandvoort Grand Prix". silhouet.com. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "LeonardasF1.narod.ru: II Grote Prijs van Zandvoort". leonardasf1.narod.ru. Archived from the original on 24 April 2017. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ a b c d "VILLORESI WINS AT ZANDVOORT IN THE INEVITABLE FERRARI". Motor Sport. September 1949. p. 358. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
- ^ a b "II Zandvoort Grand Prix • STATS F1". statsf1.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ a b "1949 Zandvoort GP - ChicaneF1.com". chicanef1.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
- ^ "1949 Zandvoort Grand Prix | Motorsport Database". motorsportmagazine.com. Retrieved 28 August 2021.
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