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The 1956 French Grand Prix was held on July 1. It was the fifth race of the 1956 Formula One Season, and was held at the Reims-Gueux circuit. A race of attrition led to an exciting battle between the two surviving Lancia-Ferraris of Peter Collins and Eugenio Castellotti, which was thwarted 10 laps from the end when the team ordered the drivers to hold place with Collins in front, eventually winning by 0.3 seconds. Almost a minute and a half later came third place finisher Jean Behra in a Maserati, the only other car on the lead lap.

Background[]

This race was notable for the only appearance of the Bugatti 251. Powered by an oversquare Inline eight engine, mounted transversely behind the driver. The car was entrusted to Maurice Trintignant, but the lack of development and funding was painfully obvious, and he retired it after 18 laps.


Entry List[]

The full entry list for the 1956 French Grand Prix is outlined below:

No. Driver Entreat Constructor Chassis Engine Model Tyre
2 United Kingdom Stirling Moss Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
4 France Jean Behra Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
6 Italy Cesare Perdisa Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
8 Italy Piero Taruffi Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
10 Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio Italy Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 V8 2.5 E
12 Italy Eugenio Castellotti Italy Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 V8 2.5 E
14 United Kingdom Peter Collins Italy Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 V8 2.5 E
16 Spain Alfonso de Portago Italy Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 V8 2.5 E
22 United States Harry Schell United Kingdom Vandervell Products Vanwall VW 2 Vanwall 254 L4 2.5 P
24 United Kingdom Mike Hawthorn United Kingdom Vandervell Products Vanwall VW 2 Vanwall 254 L4 2.5 P
26 United Kingdom Colin Chapman United Kingdom Vandervell Products Vanwall VW 2 Vanwall 254 L4 2.5 P
28 France Maurice Trintignant France Automobiles Bugatti Bugatti T251 Bugatti L8 2.5 E
30 France Robert Manzon France Equipe Gordini Gordini T32 Gordini 25 L8 2.5 E
32 Brazil Hermano da Silva Ramos France Equipe Gordini Gordini T32 Gordini 25 L8 2.5 E
34 Belgium André Pilette France Equipe Gordini Gordini T16 Gordini 23 L6 2.5 E
36 France Louis Rosier France Ecurie Rosier Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
38 Italy Luigi Villoresi Italy Luigi Piotti Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
40 Spain Francisco Godia-Sales Italy Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
42 France André Simon France Privateer Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 L6 2.5 P
44 Belgium Olivier Gendebien Italy Scuderia Ferrari Lancia-Ferrari D50 Ferrari DS50 V8 2.5 E

Practice Overview[]

Qualifying[]

Report[]

Qualifying Results[]

The full qualifying results for the 1956 French Grand Prix are outlined below:

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Time Gap
1 10 Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio Italy Lancia-Ferrari 2:23.3
2 12 Italy Eugenio Castellotti Italy Lancia-Ferrari 2:24.6 +1.3s
3 14 United Kingdom Peter Collins Italy Lancia-Ferrari 2:24.9 +1.6s
4 22 United States Harry Schell United Kingdom Vanwall 2:26.1 +2.8s
5* 26 United Kingdom Colin Chapman United Kingdom Vanwall 2:26.8 +3.5s
6 24 United Kingdom Mike Hawthorn United Kingdom Vanwall 2:27.0 +3.7s
7 4 France Jean Behra Italy Maserati 2:27.8 +4.5s
8 2 United Kingdom Stirling Moss Italy Maserati 2:29.9 +6.6s
9 16 Spain Alfonso de Portago Italy Lancia-Ferrari 2:32.8 +9.5s
10 38 Italy Luigi Villoresi Italy Maserati 2:33.3 +10.0s
11 44 Belgium Olivier Gendebien Italy Lancia-Ferrari 2:34.5 +11.2s
12 36 France Louis Rosier Italy Maserati 2:34.5 +11.2s
13 8 Italy Piero Taruffi Italy Maserati 2:35.3 +12.0s
14 32 Brazil Hermano da Silva Ramos France Gordini 2:35.9 +12.6s
15 30 France Robert Manzon France Gordini 2:36.0 +12.7s
16 6 Italy Cesare Perdisa Italy Maserati 2:36.4 +13.1s
17 40 Spain Francisco Godia-Sales Italy Maserati 2:40.4 +17.1s
18 28 France Maurice Trintignant France Bugatti 2:41.9 +18.6s
19 34 Belgium André Pilette France Gordini 2:46.8 +23.5s
20 42 France André Simon Italy Maserati 2:57.9 +34.6s
  • * Colin Chapman qualified 5th as he crashed and injured and did not take the start of the race.

Grid[]

Pos Pos Pos
Driver Driver Driver
______________
______________ 1
______________ 2 Juan Manuel Fangio
3 Eugenio Castellotti
Peter Collins
______________
______________ 4
5 Harry Schell
______________
______________ 6
______________ 7 Mike Hawthorn
8 Jean Behra
Stirling Moss
______________
______________ 9
10 Alfonso de Portago
Luigi Villoresi
______________
______________ 11
______________ 12 Olivier Gendebien
13 Louis Rosier
Piero Taruffi
______________
______________ 14
15 Hermano da Silva Ramos
Robert Manzon
______________
______________ 16
______________ 17 Cesare Perdisa
18 Francisco Godia-Sales
Maurice Trintignant
______________
______________ 19
20 André Pilette
André Simon




Race[]

Report[]

Results[]

The full results for the 1956 French Grand Prix are outlined below:

Pos. No. Driver Constructor Laps Time/Retired Grid Points
1 14 United Kingdom Peter Collins Italy Lancia-Ferrari 61 2:34:23.4 3 8
2 12 Italy Eugenio Castellotti Italy Lancia-Ferrari 61 + 0.3 2 6
3 4 France Jean Behra Italy Maserati 61 + 1:29.8 7 4
4 10 Argentina Juan Manuel Fangio Italy Lancia-Ferrari 61 + 1:35.1 1 4
5 6 Italy Cesare Perdisa Italy Maserati 39 + 2 Laps 16 1
United Kingdom Stirling Moss 20 1
6 36 France Louis Rosier Italy Maserati 58 + 3 Laps 12
7 40 Spain Francisco Godia-Sales Italy Maserati 57 + 4 Laps 17
8 32 Brazil Hermano da Silva Ramos France Gordini 57 + 4 Laps 14
9 30 France Robert Manzon France Gordini 56 + 5 Laps 15
10 24 United Kingdom Mike Hawthorn United Kingdom Vanwall 10 + 5 Laps 16
United States Harry Schell 46
11 34 Belgium André Pilette France Gordini 55 + 6 Laps 19
Ret 42 France André Simon Italy Maserati 41 Engine 20
Ret 8 Italy Piero Taruffi Italy Maserati 40 Engine 13
Ret 44 Belgium Olivier Gendebien Italy Lancia-Ferrari 38 Clutch 11
Ret 38 Italy Luigi Villoresi Italy Maserati 23 Brakes 10
Ret 16 Spain Alfonso de Portago Italy Lancia-Ferrari 20 Gearbox 9
Ret 28 France Maurice Trintignant France Bugatti 18 Throttle 18
Ret 2 United Kingdom Stirling Moss Italy Maserati 12 Gearbox 8
Ret 22 United States Harry Schell United Kingdom Vanwall 5 Engine 4
DNS 26 United Kingdom Colin Chapman United Kingdom Vanwall Practice accident

Milestones[]

  • Colin Chapman's first and only race entry, but did not start due to an accident in practice.

Standings[]

V T E 1956 Formula One Season
Constructors BRM • Bugatti • Connaught • Cooper • Emeryson • Ferrari • Gordini • Maserati • Vanwall
Engines Alta • Bristol • BRM • Bugatti • Ferrari • Gordini • Maserati • Vanwall
Drivers Bayol • Behra • Bonnier • Brabham • Brooks • Castellotti • Chapman • Collins • Emery • Fairman • Fangio • Flockhart • Frère • Gendebien • Gerard • Gerini • Godia-Sales • J. F. González • O. González • Gould • de Graffenried • Halford • Hawthorn • Landi • Leston • Maglioli • Manzon • Menditeguy • Milhoux • S. Moss • Musso • Perdisa • Pilette • Piotti • Portago • Rosier • Salvadori • Scarlatti • Schell • Scott Brown • Scotti • Silva Ramos • Simon • Taruffi • Titterington • Trintignant • von Trips • Uria • Villoresi • Volonterio
Cars BRM P25 • Bugatti T251 • Connaught B • Cooper T23 • Emeryson 56 • Ferrari 555 • Ferrari D50 • Gordini T16 • Gordini T32 • Maserati 250F • Maserati A6GCM • Vanwall VW2
Tyres Avon • Dunlop • Englebert • Pirelli
Races Argentina • Monaco • Indianapolis • Belgium • France • Britain • Germany • Italy
See also 1955 Formula One Season • 1957 Formula One Season • Category
V T E France French Grand Prix
Circuits Le Mans (1906, 1921, 1929)
Dieppe (1907-1908, 1912)
Amiens (1913)
Lyon (1914, 1924)
Strasbourg (1922)
Tours (1923)
Montlhéry (1925, 1927, 1931, 1933-1937)
Reims-Gueux (1932, 1938-1939, 1948–1951, 1953–1954, 1956, 1958–1961, 1963, 1966)
Lyon-Parilly (1947)
Rouen-Les-Essarts (1952, 1957, 1962, 1964, 1968)
Charade Circuit (1965, 1969–1970, 1972)
Bugatti Circuit (1967)
Circuit Paul Ricard (1971, 1973, 1975–1976, 1978, 1980, 1982–1983, 1985–1990, 2018–2019, 2021-2022)
Dijon-Prenois (1974, 1977, 1979, 1981, 1984)
Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours (1991–2008)
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European Championship Races 193119321933–193719381939
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