1931 Monaco Grand Prix

43°44′4.74″N 7°25′16.8″E / 43.7346500°N 7.421333°E / 43.7346500; 7.421333

1931 Monaco Grand Prix
Race details
Date 19 April 1931
Official name III Grand Prix de Monaco
Location Circuit de Monaco
Monte Carlo
Course Street circuit
Course length 3.180 km (1.976 miles)
Distance 100 laps, 318.0 km (197.6 miles)
Weather Sunny
Pole position
Driver Maserati
Fastest lap
Drivers Monaco Louis Chiron Bugatti
Fastest lap Italy Luigi Fagioli Maserati
Fastest lap Italy Achille Varzi Bugatti
Time 2:07
Podium
First Bugatti
Second Maserati
Third Bugatti

The 1931 Monaco Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held at the Circuit de Monaco on 19 April 1931.

With 16 Bugattis in a field of 23 cars, the event was close to being a single-make race. Among the 16 were four factory-team Type 51s driven by the Monegasque Louis Chiron, the Italian Achille Varzi and the French Albert Divo and Guy Bouriat. The real challenge came from the Maserati 8C 2500's driven by René Dreyfus, the Italian Luigi Fagioli and Clemente Bondietti. Rudolf Caracciola with his huge Mercedes SSKL (Super Sport Short Light-Weight) was uncompetitive as his larger car performed poorly around the tight Monaco track.

The race was between the blue cars from Molsheim and the red ones from Modena. When the start flag dropped it was Rene Dreyfus in his red Maserati who led into St. Devote, only to be passed by 'Williams' on the hill to the Casino, but his lead was short-lived as the Brit was sidelined by a broken valve spring, and his race was over. Achille Varzi and Caracciola started closing on Dreyfus and Varzi managed to overtake the Frenchman on the 7th lap. Caracciola struggled with a slipping clutch that gave in on lap 53.

Starting slowly, Louis Chiron eventually displayed his talents; gaining back ground with a new lap record time. He caught up with all his opponents and left them behind. Chiron, a native of Monaco, finished the race some 5 minutes ahead of Luigi Fagioli.

Jean Bugatti could not control his joy and jumped over the parapet of the bleachers and fell into Louis Chiron's arms. For the Monegasque, this Monaco Grand Prix victory really confirmed his reputation.

Louis Chiron's victory at Monaco would be the last for a Monegasque for 93 years until Charles Leclerc won the 70th edition of the event. [1]

Entries

edit
No Driver Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine
2   Ernst-Günther Burggaller German Bugatti Team Bugatti Bugatti T35B 2.3 L8
4   Hermann zu Leiningen German Bugatti Team Bugatti Bugatti T35C 2.0 L8
6   Heinrich-Joachim von Morgen German Bugatti Team Bugatti Bugatti T35B 2.3 L8
8   Rudolf Caracciola Private entry Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz SSKL 7.1 L6
10   Earl Howe Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T51 2.3 L8
12   Clifton Penn-Hughes Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35 2.0 L8
14   Henry Birkin Private entry Maserati Maserati 26M 2.5 L8
16   Bernhard Ackerl Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T37 1.5 L4
18   Juan Zanelli Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35B 2.3 L8
20   Guy Bouriat Automobiles Ettore Bugatti Bugatti Bugatti T51 2.3 L8
22   Louis Chiron Automobiles Ettore Bugatti Bugatti Bugatti T51 2.3 L8
24   Albert Divo Automobiles Ettore Bugatti Bugatti Bugatti T51 2.3 L8
26   Achille Varzi Automobiles Ettore Bugatti Bugatti Bugatti T51 2.3 L8
28   Philippe Étancelin Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35C 2.0 L8
30   Stanisław Czaykowski Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35B 2.3 L8
32   Marcel Lehoux Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35B 2.3 L8
34   William Grover-Williams Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35C 2.0 L8
36   Boris Ivanowski Private entry Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz SSK 7.1 L6
38   André Boillot Private entry Peugeot Peugeot 174S 4.0 L4
40   Luigi Arcangeli SA Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 1.8 L6
42   Baconin Borzacchini SA Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 1.8 L6
44   Tazio Nuvolari SA Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 8C-2300 2.3 L8
46   Goffredo Zehender Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 GS 1.8 L6
48   Clemente Biondetti Officine A. Maserati Maserati Maserati 26M 2.5 L8
50   René Dreyfus Officine A. Maserati Maserati Maserati 26M 2.5 L8
52   Luigi Fagioli Officine A. Maserati Maserati Maserati 26M 2.5 L8
54   Carlo Pedrazzini Private entry Maserati Maserati 26B 2.0 L8
56   Hans Stuber Private entry Bugatti Bugatti T35C 2.0 L8

Starting grid

edit
Starting grid — 1931 Monaco Grand Prix
  Dreyfus
Maserati
  Stuber
Bugatti
  Ackerl
Bugatti
  Grover-Williams
Bugatti
  Caracciola
Mercedes-Benz
  Divo
Bugatti
  Lehoux
Bugatti
  Boillot
Peugeot
  Biondetti
Maserati
  Varzi
Bugatti
  Chiron
Bugatti
  von Morgen
Bugatti
  Zehender
Alfa Romeo
  Fagioli
Maserati
  Penn-Hughes
Bugatti
  Étancelin
Bugatti
  Howe
Bugatti
  Burggaller
Bugatti
  Zanelli
Bugatti
  Bouriat
Bugatti
  Czaykowski
Bugatti
  zu Leiningen
Bugatti
  Pedrazzini
Maserati

Note: grid slots were determined by drawing lots (Birkin and Ivanowski had provisionally been due to start on the first and seventh row, respectively).[2]

Classification

edit
 
Soon after the start
 
Louis Chiron winning

Race

edit
Pos No Driver Car Laps Time/Retired Grid
1 22   Louis Chiron Bugatti T51 100 3:39:09.2 11
2 52   Luigi Fagioli Maserati 26M 100 +3:55.4 14
3 26   Achille Varzi Bugatti T51 100 +4:04.0 10
4 20   Guy Bouriat Bugatti T51 98 +2 laps 20
5 46   Goffredo Zehender Alfa Romeo 6C-1750 GS 97 +3 laps 13
6 38   André Boillot Peugeot 174S 96 +4 laps 8
Ret 50   René Dreyfus Maserati 26M 91 Magneto 1
7 48   Clemente Biondetti Maserati 26M 91 +9 laps 9
8 12   Clifton Penn-Hughes Bugatti T35 89 +11 laps 15
9 30   Stanislas Czaykowski Bugatti T35B 85 +15 laps 21
Ret 24   Albert Divo Bugatti T51 66 Engine 6
Ret 10   Earl Howe Bugatti T51 62 Oil pipe/engine 17
Ret 56   Hans Stuber Bugatti T35C 59 Drive shaft 2
Ret 16   Bernhard Ackerl Bugatti T37A 55 Transmission 3
Ret 8   Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz SSKL 53 Clutch/engine 5
Ret 18   Juan Zanelli Bugatti T35B 47 Piston 19
Ret 4   Hermann zu Leiningen Bugatti T35C 31 Gearbox 22
Ret 6   Heinrich-Joachim von Morgen Bugatti T35B 28 Transmission 12
Ret 2   Ernst-Günther Burggaller Bugatti T35B 26 Engine 18
Ret 32   Marcel Lehoux Bugatti T35B 15 Transmission 7
Ret 54   Carlo Pedrazzini Maserati 26B 13 Ignition 23
Ret 28   Philippe Étancelin Bugatti T35C 6 Piston 16
Ret 34   William Grover-Williams Bugatti T35C 5 Valve 4
DNS 14   Henry Birkin Maserati 26M
DNS 36   Boris Ivanowski Mercedes-Benz SSK
DNA 40   Luigi Arcangeli Alfa Romeo 6C-1750
DNA 42   Baconin Borzacchini Alfa Romeo 6C-1750
DNA 44   Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C-2300
Sources:[2][3]


References

edit
  1. ^ "Best facts and stats after the Grand Prix in Monaco". Formula 1® – The Official F1® Website. Retrieved August 20, 2024.
  2. ^ a b "III GRAND PRIX DE MONACO". kolumbus.fi. Archived from the original on 18 September 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  3. ^ "III Grand Prix de Monaco 1931". driverdb.com. Archived from the original on 4 January 2015. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
edit
Grand Prix Race
1931 Grand Prix season
Previous race:
1930 Monaco Grand Prix
Monaco Grand Prix Next race:
1932 Monaco Grand Prix