British GP 1951

British GP, 1951

Two weeks after the French Grand Prix the teams gathered at Silverstone for another round of the World Championship with Alfa Romeo and Ferrari being joined by the long-awaited BRM team with drivers Reg Parnell and Peter Walker. Giuseppe Farina and Juan-Manuel Fangio were joined in the Alfa team by Consalvo Sanesi and Felice Bonetto

Ferrari gave Froilan Gonzalez another run alongside Gigi Villoresi and Alberto Ascari although the Argentine had an older chassis and engine than his teammates. It did not seem to make any difference as he was fastest in practice with Fangio, Farina and Ascari alongside him on the front row. Villoresi, Sanesi and Bonetto shared row two. The BRMs failed to make practice but were allowed to start at the back of the grid.

Bonetto made the best start and was in the lead at the end of the first lap but then Gonzalez took over with Fangio chasing. On lap 10 Fangio took the lead but the Alfa was no longer the dominant force and Gonzalez held on in the Ferrari.

On lap 39 Gonzalez went back into the lead but Fangio attacked again and retook the position. Both men stopped soon afterwards and Ascari - who had retired - allowed Gonzalez to continue. He rejoined in the lead and, despite pressure from Fangio, he was able to stay ahead to win an historic victory - the first non-Alfa Romeo win in the World Championship (Indianapolis exempted). In the end he had pulled out a lead of 50secs. Villoresi - the established Ferrari star - was third two laps behind.

POSNODRIVERENTRANTLAPSTIME/RETIREMENTQUAL POS
1 12 Froilan Gonzalez Ferrari 375 90 2h42m18.200s  1 
2 2 Juan-Manuel Fangio Alfa Romeo 159 90 2h43m09.200s  2 
3 10 Luigi Villoresi Ferrari 375 88  5 
4 4 Felice Bonetto Alfa Romeo 159 87  7 
5 6 Reg Parnell BRM P15 85  20 
6 3 Consalvo Sanesi Alfa Romeo 159 84  6 
7 7 Peter Walker BRM P15 84  19 
8 9 Brian Shawe-Taylor ERA B 84  12 
9 14 Peter Whitehead Thin Wall Ferrari-Ferrari 375 TW 83  8 
10 22 Louis Rosier Talbot Lago-Talbot T26C-DA 83  9 
11 8 Bob Gerard ERA B/C 82  10 
12 18 Duncan Hamilton Talbot Lago-Talbot T26C 81  11 
13 25 Johnny Claes Talbot Lago-Talbot T26C-DA 80  14 
r 1 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo 159 75 Clutch 3 
nc 5 Joe Kelly Alta GP 75  18 
r 11 Alberto Ascari Ferrari 375 56 Gearbox 4 
r 17 Philip Fotheringham-Parker Maserati 4CL 46 Mechanical 16 
r 15 David Murray Maserati 4CLT/48 45 Engine 15 
r 23 Louis Chiron Talbot Lago-Talbot T26C 41 Brakes 13 
r 16 John James Maserati 4CLT/48 23 Radiator 17