Circuit des Nations

The Circuit des Nations ("Circuit of the Nations") is a long street circuit of 4.110 km (2.554 mi) between Lake Geneva and the Place des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. It hosted the Grand Prix de Nations, similar to a Formula One race; the Grand Prix de Genève, similar to a Formula Two race; and various championship events. The first Grand Prix de Genève was held in Meyrin in 1931 and won by Marcel Lehoux, racing for Bugatti.

Geneva race-track (Switzerland)

The Geneva race-track^[1] was established between the lake (Geneva) and the Nations square. Its length was 4.110 km (2.554 mi). Grand-Prix races were organised after World War II, on this track, similar to Formula 1 or Formula 2 races, as well as non championship ones. In total 5 major events happened on this track between 1946 and 1950. Key pilots came here to compete: among them Giuseppe Farina, Raymond Sommer, Maurice Trintignant, Juan Manuel Fangio, Prince Bira (who had established residency, in Geneva).

The closest race-tracks were Aix les Bains – France (Circuit du Lac) and Lausanne (Circuit du Léman or Blécherette). All were temporary urban race-tracks that disappeared shortly after the Le Mans accident in 1955, or before.

Date	Race	Race track	Category	Lap length
July 21, 1946	1st Grand Prix des Nations	Circuit des Nations	Grand Prix FIA	2.900 km (1.802 mi)
May 2, 1948	2nd Grand Prix de Genève	Circuit des Nations	Formula 2 FIA, non-championship	2.900 km (1.802 mi)
May 2, 1948	2nd Grand Prix des Nations	Circuit des Nations	Formula 1 FIA, non-championship	2.900 km (1.802 mi)
July 30, 1950	3rd Grand Prix de Genève	Circuit des Nations	Formula 2 FIA, non-championship	3.990 km (2.479 mi)
July 30, 1950	3rd Grand Prix des Nations	Circuit des Nations	Formula 1 FIA, non-championship	3.990 km (2.479 mi)

Note: contradictory information about the length of the track have been witnessed. Measurement on maps indicate that the shorter length is more likely.

1st Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Grand Prix, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 21, 1946

44 laps of the urban race track (short version) of 2.965 km (1.842 mi), or 130 km (81 mi), at an average speed of 103.9 km/h (64.6 mph).

Position	Pilot	Car
1	Giuseppe Farina	Alfa Romeo 158
2	Carlo Felice Trossi	Alfa Romeo 158
3	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Alfa Romeo 158
4	Tazio Nuvolari	Maserati 4CL
5	Emmanuel de Graffenried	Maserati 4CL
6	Prince Bira	ERA B
7	Achille Varzi	Alfa Romeo 158
8	Raymond Sommer	Maserati 4CL
DNF	George Abecassis	Alta
DNF	Reg Parnell	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Luigi Villoresi	Maserati 4CL

2nd Grand Prix de Genève

FIA Formula 2, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 1948

70 laps of the urban race-track (short version) 2.945 km (1.830 mi), or 206 km (128 mi), at an average speed of 98.15 km/h (60.99 mph).^[2]

 

Talbot Lago T26

Position	Pilot	Team	Car
1	Raymond Sommer	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T11
2	Prince Bira	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T11
3	Robert Manzon	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T11
4	Harry Schell	Ecurie Bleue	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
5	"Robert"	Ecurie Pano	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
6	Claude Bernheim	Ecurie Autosport	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF	Raymond de Saugé	Raymond de Saugé Destrez	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF	Carlo Pesci	Carlo Pesci	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF	Roger Loyer	Ecurie de Paris	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF	Maurice Trintignant	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T11
DNF	Hans Stuck	Hans Stuck	Cisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF	Rudolf Fischer	Ecurie Espadon^[3]	Simca-Gordini T11
DQ	Walter Triverio	Ecurie Pano	Cisitalia D46-Fiat

2nd Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Formula 1, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 1948

80 laps of the urban race-track (short version) 2,945 m (1.830 mi) or 236 km (147 mi), at an average speed of 98.18 km/h (61.01 mph).

 

Delahaye 135S

Position	Pilot	Car
1	Giuseppe Farina	Maserati 4CLT
2	Emmanuel de Graffenried	Maserati 4CL
3	Raymond Sommer	Ferrari 166SC
4	Eugène Chaboud	Delahaye 135S
5	Henri Louveau	Delage D6.70
6	Clemar Bucci	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Jean-Pierre Wimille	Simca-Gordini T15
DNF	Charles Pozzi	Talbot-Lago T150C
DNF	Louis Rosier	Talbot-Lago 150SS
DNF	Yves Giraud-Cabantous	Talbot-Lago 150C
DNF	Nello Pagani	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Luigi Villoresi	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Luigi Fagioli	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Maurice Trintignant	Simca-Gordini T15
DNF	Prince Bira	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Richard Ramseyer	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Louis Chiron	Talbot-Lago T26 SS

3rd Grand Prix de Genève

FIA Formula 2, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 30, 1950

45 laps of the urban race-track 6,325 m (3.930 mi) or 253 km (157 mi), at an average speed of 120.93 km/h (75.14 mph).

 

Veritas Meteor

Position	Pilot	Team	Car
1	Maurice Trintignant	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T15
2	André Simon	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T15
3	Dorino Serafini	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari 166F2
4	Roberto Mieres	Automovil Club Argentina	Maserati 4CLT/48
5	André Canonica	André Canonica	Simca-Gordini T11
6	Lance Macklin	HW Motors Ltd.	HWM/Alta
7	Alfred Dattner	Alfred Dattner	Simca-Gordini T11
8	Luigi Villoresi	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari 166F2
9	Toni Branca	Mme. Walckiers	Simca-Gordini T15
10	"Robert"	Ecurie Paris	Cisitalia D46/Fiat
DNF	Mario Tadini	Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari 166F2
DNF	Aldo Gordini	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T15
DNF	Roger Loyer	Ecurie Paris	Simca-Gordini T16
DNF	Paul Glauser	Ecurie Suisse	Veritas Meteor
DNF	Alexander Orley	Alexander Orley	Veritas Meteor
DNF	George Abecassis	HW Motors Ltd.	HWM/Alta
DNF	Ernesto Tornqvist	Equipe Gordini	Simca-Gordini T11
DNF	Harry Schell	Horschell Racing Corporation	Cooper T12/JAP

3rd Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Formula 1, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 30, 1950

68 laps of the urban race-track 6.325 km (3.930 mi) or 430 km (270 mi), at an average speed of 127.60 km/h (79.29 mph).

 

Alfa Romeo 159

Position	Pilot	Car
1	Juan Manuel Fangio	Alfa Romeo 158
2	Emmanuel de Graffenried	Alfa Romeo 158
3	Piero Taruffi	Alfa Romeo 158
4	Alberto Ascari	Ferrari 125
5	Yves Giraud-Cabantous	Talbot-Lago T26C
6	Giuseppe Farina	Alfa Romeo 158
7	Robert Manzon	Simca-Gordini T15
8	Louis Chiron	Maserati 4CLT-48
9	Luigi Villoresi	Ferrari 125
10	Johnny Claes	Talbot-Lago T26C
11	Felice Bonetto	Maserati Milano 4CLT-50
12	Franco Rol	Maserati 4CLT-48
13	Toni Branca	Maserati 4CL
DNF	Raymond Sommer	Talbot-Lago T26C
DNF	Reg Parnell	Maserati 4CLT-48
DNF	Prince Bira	Maserati 4CLT-48
DNF	David Murray	Maserati 4CLT-48
DNF	Gianfranco Comotti	Maserati Milano 4CLT-50
DNF	Harry Schell	Maserati 4CLT-48
DNF	José Froilán González	Maserati 4CLT-48

A tragic end

Towards the end of the third Grand Prix des Nations (1950), the engine of Alberto Ascari's Ferrari 340 blew up, pouring oil onto the corner at the end of the Avenue de la Paix. Behind him Luigi Villoresi, in a Ferrari 275, could not avoid the oil, his car skidded, went over the security barrier and ploughed into the crowd. Three spectators were killed,^[4] another twenty were injured. Villoresi survived with a severely fractured leg.

After this tragedy, stemming like others from the use of street circuits ill-adapted to increasingly high-speed motor racing, the organisers cancelled the following year's event. Geneva would never again host a Grand Prix race.

In 1958 motor racing was banned altogether by the Swiss government as an unsafe spectator sport following the death of 80 people at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

References

1. [1] 2008-04-10 at the Wayback Machine Map
2. "Formula 2 1948 - Geneve". Formula2.net. Retrieved 2012-06-10.
3. . Archived from the original on 2008-04-10. Retrieved 2016-03-04.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (en) présentation
4. [2] (en) Circuit des Nations – détails of the accident

• Ultimate Racing History
• 8W Forix.com
• (es) 3ème Grand Prix des Nations 1950