1952 German Grand Prix
{{Infobox Grand Prix race report
| Type = F1
| Country = West Germany
| Grand Prix = German
| Fulldate = {{Start date|1952|8|3|df=y}}
| Year = 1952
|Previous_round = 1952 British Grand Prix
|Next_round = 1952 Dutch Grand Prix
| Image = Circuit Nürburgring-1927-Nordschleife.svg
| Official name = XV Großer Preis von Deutschland
| Location = Nürburgring, Nürburg, West Germany
| Course_km = 22.810
| Course_mi = 14.173
| Distance_laps = 18
| Distance_km = 410.580
| Distance_mi = 255.123
| Weather = Sunny
| Pole_Driver = Alberto Ascari
| Pole_Country = Italy
| Pole_Team = Ferrari
| Pole_Time = 10:04.4
| Fast_Driver = Alberto Ascari
| Fast_Team = Ferrari
| Fast_Time = 10:05.1
| Fast_Lap = 5
| Fast_Country = Italy
| First_Driver = Alberto Ascari
| First_Country = Italy
| First_Team = Ferrari
| Second_Driver = Giuseppe Farina
| Second_Country = Italy
| Second_Team = Ferrari
| Third_Driver = Rudi Fischer
| Third_Country = Switzerland
| Third_Team = Ferrari
| Lapchart = {{F1Laps1952|GER}}
}}
The 1952 German Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 3 August 1952 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It was race 6 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 18-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from pole position. His teammates Giuseppe Farina and Rudi Fischer finished in second and third places.
Report
The Maserati factory team finally appeared with their new car, the A6GCM, which was driven by Felice Bonetto. Also racing A6GCMs were the Escuderia Bandeirantes drivers Bianco and Cantoni. Ferrari once again entered the successful trio of Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina and Piero Taruffi, while there were privateer Ferrari entries for Rudi Fischer and Rudolf Schoeller of Ecurie Espadon, Roger Laurent of Ecurie Francorchamps, and Piero Carini of Scuderia Marzotto. Jean Behra returned to action for the Gordini team, having recovered from his shoulder injury. He replaced Prince Bira, and was partnered by teammates Robert Manzon and Maurice Trintignant. HWM entered three cars, with regular Peter Collins joined by the Belgian pairing of Paul Frère and Johnny Claes, while Australian Tony Gaze drove a privateer HWM. Bill Aston drove an Aston Butterworth, and the field was completed by a plethora of privateer German cars (Veritas, AFM and BMW).
Ferrari were once again fastest in qualifying, with Ascari and Farina being joined on the front row of the grid by the Gordinis of Trintignant and Manzon. The remaining works Ferrari driver, Taruffi, started from the second row, alongside the Ecurie Espadon-entered Ferrari of Fischer and Paul Pietsch in a Veritas. Bonetto's works Maserati made the third row, along with the Gordini of Jean Behra, and a pair of local entrants: Hans Klenk's Veritas, and Willi Heeks in an AFM.
The race turned out to be rather a processional event, with Ascari leading Farina all the way in the first 16 laps. Two laps from home, he had to dive into the pits for oil, emerging 10 seconds behind Farina-which he rattled off on the next lap, catching Farina just a mile from home to win by several seconds after an otherwise dull race. Piero Taruffi had been running in third behind his teammates, but he lost the position to Rudi Fischer towards the end of the race when he encountered problems due to his suspension breaking. Fischer's podium and Taruffi's fourth place-finish ensured that it was a Ferrari 1-2-3-4. Manzon, who had been running in fourth for much of the first half of the race, between Taruffi and Fischer, was forced to retire when a wheel fell off his car. This meant that his teammate Behra was left to take the final points in fifth position in his Gordini, ahead of Roger Laurent's Ferrari. Felice Bonetto, of the factory Maserati team, was disqualified for receiving a push start after his first lap spin.
Ascari, who had taken his fourth consecutive victory, along with a fourth consecutive fastest lap, had now scored the maximum of 36 points for the season, as only a driver's four best results counted. As a result, he clinched the world championship, making him the first driver to win the championship with two races left to go.{{cite web|url=http://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr021.html|title=German GP, 1952 Race Report|publisher=Grandprix.com|access-date=3 February 2013}} The date was 3 August, the earliest anyone would claim the Championship until Jim Clark seized the crown on 1 August in 1965, also at the Nürburgring. Ascari's teammates, Taruffi and Farina, remained in second and third, respectively, in the Drivers' Championship, while Swiss driver Fischer's second podium of the season raised him up to fourth in the standings.
Entries
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" | ||||||
| No | Driver | Entrant | Constructor | Chassis | Engine | Tyre |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101
| {{flagicon|Italy}} Alberto Ascari | rowspan=3| Scuderia Ferrari | Ferrari | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 102
| {{flagicon|Italy}} Nino Farina | Ferrari | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 103
| {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 104
| {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Carini | Scuderia Marzotto | Ferrari | Ferrari 166F2-50 | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 105
| {{flagicon|Italy}} Felice Bonetto | Maserati | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 107
| {{flagicon|France}} Robert Manzon | rowspan=3| Equipe Gordini | Gordini | Gordini T16 | align="center"| {{Englebert}} | ||||||
| 108
| {{flagicon|France}} Jean Behra | Gordini | Gordini T16 | align="center"| {{Englebert}} | ||||||
| 109
| {{flagicon|France}} Maurice Trintignant | Gordini | Gordini T16 | align="center"| {{Englebert}} | ||||||
| 110
| {{flagicon|France}} Marcel Balsa | Marcel Balsa | Balsa Spécial | align="center"| {{Englebert}} | ||||||
| 111
| {{flagicon|UK}} Peter Collins | rowspan=3| HW Motors | HWM 52 | align="center"| {{Dunlop}} | ||||||
| 112
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} Paul Frère | HWM 52 | align="center"| {{Dunlop}} | ||||||
| 113
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} Johnny Claes | HWM 52 | align="center"| {{Dunlop}} | ||||||
| 114
| {{flagicon|UK}} Bill Aston | W.S. Aston | Aston NB41 | Aston Butterworth F4 2.0 F4 | align="center"| {{Dunlop}} | ||||||
| 115
| {{flagicon|Brazil|1889}} Gino Bianco | rowspan=2| Escuderia Bandeirantes | Maserati | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 116
| {{flagicon|Uruguay}} Eitel Cantoni | Maserati | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 117
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudi Fischer | rowspan=2| Ecurie Espadon | Ferrari | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 118
| {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudolf Schoeller | Ferrari | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 119
| {{flagicon|Belgium}} Roger Laurent | Ferrari | align="center"| {{Pirelli}} | ||||||
| 120
| {{flagicon|Australia}} Tony Gaze | Tony Gaze | HWM 52 | align="center"| {{Dunlop}} | ||||||
| 121
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Fritz Riess | Fritz Riess | Veritas RS | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 122
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Theo Helfrich | Theo Helfrich | Veritas RS | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 123
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Willi Heeks | Willi Heeks | AFM 50 (M8) | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 124
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Helmut Niedermayr | Helmut Niedermayr | AFM 50 (M6) | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 125
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Toni Ulmen | Toni Ulmen | Veritas Meteor | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 126
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Adolf Brudes | Adolf Brudes | Veritas RS | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 127
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Paul Pietsch | Motor Presse Verlag | Veritas | Veritas Meteor | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 128
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Hans Klenk | Hans Klenk | Veritas | Veritas Meteor | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 129
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Josef Peters | Josef Peters | Veritas RS | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 130
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Günther Bechem | Bernd Nacke | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 131
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Ludwig Fischer | Ludwig Fischer | AFM 49 | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 133
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Willi Krakau | rowspan=2| Willi Krakau | AFM 50 (M3) | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 134
| {{flagicon|West Germany}} Harry Merkel | Krakau Eigenbau | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 135
| {{flagicon|East Germany|1949}} Ernst Klodwig | Ernst Klodwig | Heck Eigenbau | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| 136
| {{flagicon|East Germany|1949}} Rudolf Krause | Rudolf Krause | Reif Eigenbau | align="center"| ? | ||||||
| style="background-color:#E5E4E2" align="center"
! colspan=7| Sources:{{cite web|url=http://www.manipef1.com/results/1952/germany/entries/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509150351/http://www.manipef1.com/results/1952/germany/entries/|archive-date=9 May 2012|title=1952 German Grand Prix - Race Entries|publisher=manipef1.com|url-status=usurped|access-date=6 January 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://chicanef1.com/race.pl?year=1952&gp=German%20GP&r=1&type=ent|title=1952 German GP - Entry List|publisher=chicanef1.com|access-date=2 January 2014}}{{cite web|url=http://8w.forix.com/df2-ebeg.html|title=Phoenix from the flames, part 6: East German BMW specials|work=forix|access-date=October 11, 2017}} |
Classification
=Qualifying=
Only the lap times from the 7 best placed drivers are known.
| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size: 95%;" | |||||
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Time | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1
| 101 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 10:04.4 | – | |||||
| 2
| 102 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Nino Farina | Ferrari | 10:07.3 | + 2.9 | |||||
| 3
| 109 | {{flagicon|France}} Maurice Trintignant | Gordini | 10:19.1 | + 14.7 | |||||
| 4
| 107 | {{flagicon|France}} Robert Manzon | Gordini | 10:25.3 | + 20.9 | |||||
| 5
| 103 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | 10:26.3 | + 21.9 | |||||
| 6
| 117 | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudi Fischer | Ferrari | 10:41.9 | + 37.5 | |||||
| 7
| 127 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Paul Pietsch | Veritas | 10:56.3 | + 51.9 | |||||
| 8
| 128 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Hans Klenk | Veritas | | | |||||
| 9
| 123 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Willi Heeks | | | |||||
| 10
| 105 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Felice Bonetto | Maserati | | | |||||
| 11
| 108 | {{flagicon|France}} Jean Behra | Gordini | | | |||||
| 12
| 121 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Fritz Riess | | | |||||
| 13
| 112 | {{flagicon|Belgium}} Paul Frère | | | |||||
| 14
| 120 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Tony Gaze | | | |||||
| 15
| 125 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Toni Ulmen | | | |||||
| 16
| 115 | {{flagicon|Brazil|1889}} Gino Bianco | Maserati | | | |||||
| 17
| 119 | {{flagicon|Belgium}} Roger Laurent | Ferrari | | | |||||
| 18
| 122 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Theo Helfrich | | | |||||
| 19
| 126 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Adolf Brudes | | | |||||
| 20
| 129 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Josef Peters | | | |||||
| 21
| 114 | {{flagicon|UK}} Bill Aston | | | |||||
| 22
| 124 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Helmut Niedermayr | | | |||||
| 23
| 136 | {{flagicon|East Germany|1949}} Rudolf Krause | | | |||||
| 24
| 118 | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudolf Schoeller | Ferrari | | | |||||
| 25
| 110 | {{flagicon|France}} Marcel Balsa | | | |||||
| 26
| 116 | {{flagicon|Uruguay}} Eitel Cantoni | Maserati | | | |||||
| 27
| 104 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Carini | Ferrari | | | |||||
| 28
| 133 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Willi Krakau | | | |||||
| 29
| 135 | {{flagicon|East Germany|1949}} Ernst Klodwig | | | |||||
| 30
| 130 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Günther Bechem | | | |||||
| 31
| 131 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Ludwig Fischer | | | |||||
| 32
| 113 | {{flagicon|Belgium}} Johnny Claes | | | |||||
| 33
| 111 | {{flagicon|UK}} Peter Collins | | | |||||
| 34
| 134 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Harry Merkel | | |
=Race=
| class="wikitable" style="font-size:95%" | |||||||
| Pos | No | Driver | Constructor | Laps | Time/Retired | Grid | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1
| 101 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Alberto Ascari | Ferrari | 18 | 3:06:13.3 | 1 | 9{{ref|1|1}} | |||||||
| 2
| 102 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Nino Farina | Ferrari | 18 | +14.1 | 2 | 6 | |||||||
| 3
| 117 | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudi Fischer | Ferrari | 18 | +7:10.1 | 6 | 4 | |||||||
| 4
| 103 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Taruffi | Ferrari | 17 | +1 lap | 5 | 3 | |||||||
| 5
| 108 | {{flagicon|France}} Jean Behra | Gordini | 17 | +1 lap | 11 | 2 | |||||||
| 6
| 119 | {{flagicon|Belgium}} Roger Laurent | Ferrari | 16 | +2 laps | 17 | | |||||||
| 7
| 121 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Fritz Riess | 16 | +2 laps | 12 | | |||||||
| 8
| 125 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Toni Ulmen | 16 | +2 laps | 15 | | |||||||
| 9
| 124 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Helmut Niedermayr | 15 | +3 laps | 22 | | |||||||
| 10
| 113 | {{flagicon|Belgium}} Johnny Claes | 15 | +3 laps | 32 | | |||||||
| 11
| 128 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Hans Klenk | Veritas | 14 | +4 laps | 8 | | |||||||
| 12
| 135 | {{flagicon|East Germany|1949}} Ernst Klodwig | 14 | +4 laps | 29 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 107 | {{flagicon|France}} Robert Manzon | Gordini | 8 | Accident | 4 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 123 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Willi Heeks | 7 | Engine | 9 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 120 | {{flagicon|Australia}} Tony Gaze | 6 | Gearbox | 14 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 126 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Adolf Brudes | 5 | Engine | 19 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 110 | {{flagicon|France}} Marcel Balsa | 5 | Engine | 25 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 130 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Günther Bechem | 5 | Ignition | 30 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 116 | {{flagicon|Uruguay}} Eitel Cantoni | Maserati | 4 | Axle | 26 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 136 | {{flagicon|East Germany|1949}} Rudolf Krause | 3 | Engine | 23 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 118 | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudolf Schoeller | Ferrari | 3 | Suspension | 24 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 114 | {{flagicon|UK}} Bill Aston | 2 | Oil pressure | 21 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 109 | {{flagicon|France}} Maurice Trintignant | Gordini | 1 | Accident | 3 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 127 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Paul Pietsch | Veritas | 1 | Gearbox | 7 | | |||||||
| DSQ
| 105 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Felice Bonetto | Maserati | 1 | Push start | 10 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 112 | {{flagicon|Belgium}} Paul Frère | 1 | Gearbox | 13 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 122 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Theo Helfrich | 1 | Engine | 18 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 129 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Josef Peters | 1 | Engine | 20 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 104 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Carini | Ferrari | 1 | Brakes | 27 | | |||||||
| Ret
| 115 | {{flagicon|Brazil|1889}} Gino Bianco | Maserati | 0 | Engine | 16 | | |||||||
| DNS
| 133 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Willi Krakau | 0 | Non starter | | | |||||||
| DNS
| 131 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Ludwig Fischer | 0 | Non starter | | | |||||||
| DNS
| 134 | {{flagicon|West Germany}} Harry Merkel | 0 | Non starter | | | |||||||
| DNS
| 111 | {{flagicon|UK}} Peter Collins | 0 | Engine | | | |||||||
| style="background-color:#E5E4E2" align="center" |
;Notes
- {{Note|1|1}} – Includes 1 point for fastest lap
Championship standings after the race
;Drivers' Championship standings
| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%;" |
| ! Pos
! Driver ! Points |
|---|
| align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 1 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Alberto Ascari |align="left"| 36 |
| align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 2 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Piero Taruffi |align="left"| 22 |
| align="left"| 10px
|align="center"| 3 | {{flagicon|Italy}} Nino Farina |align="left"| 18 |
| align="left"| 10px 3
|align="center"| 4 | {{flagicon|Switzerland}} Rudi Fischer |align="left"| 10 |
| align="left"| 10px 1
|align="center"| 5 | {{flagicon|USA|1912}} Troy Ruttman |align="left"| 8 |
| colspan=4|Source: {{Cite web|url=https://www.statsf1.com/en/1952/allemagne/championnat.aspx|title=Germany 1952 - Championship • STATS F1|website=www.statsf1.com|access-date=1 March 2019}} |
- Note: Only the top five positions are included. Only the best 4 results counted towards the Championship.
References
{{Reflist | 30em}}
{{F1 race report
| Name_of_race = German Grand Prix
| Year_of_race = 1952
| Previous_race_in_season = 1952 British Grand Prix
| Next_race_in_season = 1952 Dutch Grand Prix
| Previous_year's_race = 1951 German Grand Prix
| Next_year's_race = 1953 German Grand Prix
}}
{{F1GP 50-59}}