1908 French Grand Prix

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**1908 French Grand Prix**
Race details
1908 Grand Prix season
Date	July 7, 1908
Official name	Grand Prix de l'Automobile Club de France
Location	Dieppe, France
Course	Public roads 47.840 mi / 76.989 km
Distance	10 laps, 478.400 mi / 769.889 km

Fastest lap
Driver	Otto Salzer	Mercedes
Time	36:31.0
Podium
First	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes
Second	Victor Hémery	Benz
Third	René Hanriot	Benz

The 1908 French Grand Prix took place at Dieppe on 7th July 1908.

1 Formula Changes
2 The Race
3 Classification
4 References

[edit] Formula Changes

The race was ran 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]

[edit] The Race

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).^[4]^[5] The race was notable for tragic reasons. Henri Cissac's car lost a tyre and rolled, killing Cissac and Schaube, his riding mechanic.^[6] This was the first fatal accident in Grand Prix history.^[7]

[edit] Classification

Pos	No	Driver	Car	Laps	Time/Retired
1	35	Christian Lautenschlager	Mercedes	10	6:55:43.8
2	6	Victor Hémery	Benz 150 hp		+8:40.2
3	23	René Hanriot	Benz 150 hp		+9:29.2
4	11	Victor Rigal	Clément-Bayard		+34:52.8
5	2	Willy Pöge	Mercedes		+36:47.2
6	27	Carl Jörns	Opel		+43.56.2
7	39	Fritz Erle	Benz		+56:48.0
8	37	Sergey Dimitriewich	Renault		+1:07:39.0
9	16	George Heath	Panhard-Levassor		+1:09:03.0
10	49	Perpère	Germain		+1:12:34.4
11	12	Alessandro Cagno	Itala		+1:21:23.0
12	28	Fernand Gabriel	Clément-Bayard		+1:25:11.2
13	36	Courtade	Motobloc		+1:26:10.0
14	20	Pierre Garcet	Motobloc		+1:33:23.0
15	21	Gustave Caillois	Renault		+1:33:23.4
16	14	Camille Jenatzy	Mors		+1:38:11.8
17	31	Landon	Mors		+1:52:47.4
18	18	JTC Moore-Brabazon	Austin		+1:56:17.0
19	1	Dario Resta	Austin		+2:00:17.4
20	29	Henri Fournier	Itala		+2:00:47.4
21	10	Fritz von Opel	Opel		+2:21:38.6
22	17	François Degrais	Germain		+2:27:01.0
23	32	Henry Farman	Panhard-Levassor		+2:38:07.0
Ret	8	Leon Théry	Brasier	9	Wheel
Ret	41	Paul Bablot	Brasier	9	Magneto
Ret	9	Emile Stricker	Porthos	9
Ret	43	Michel	Opel	9	Radiator
Ret	48	Henri Cissac	Panhard-Levassor	8	Fatal crash
Ret	13	Pryce Harrison	Weigel	5	Crash
Ret	44	Lucien Hautvast	Clément-Bayard	5	Wheel
Ret	34	Warwick Wright	Austin	4	Engine
Ret	33	François Marie Roch-Brault	Germain	4
Ret	15	Lewis Strang	Thomas	4	Clutch
Ret	40	Louis Wagner	Fiat	3	Gearbox
Ret	24	Felice Nazzaro	Fiat	3	Engine
Ret	3	Pierron	Motobloc	3	Crash
Ret	30	Gregor Laxen	Weigel	3	Crash
Ret	25	Paul Baras	Brasier	3	Engine
Ret	38	Ferdinando Minoia	Lorraine-Dietrich	3	Magneto
Ret	5	Arthur Duray	Lorraine-Dietrich	2	Clutch
Ret	4	Ferenc Szisz	Renault	2	Wheels
Ret	19	Otto Salzer	Mercedes	2	Wheel
Ret	42	Jules Simon	Porthos	2	Water pump
Ret	7	Vincenzo Lancia	Fiat	1	Engine
Ret	22	Henri Rougier	Lorraine-Dietrich	1	Magneto
Ret	46	Shannon	Weigel	1	Steering
Ret	45	Giovanni Piacenza	Itala	1	Gearbox
Ret	26	J. Gaubert	Porthos	0	Water pump

Grand Prix Race
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