European Championship (auto racing)

The European Championship was the top honour in auto racing prior to the establishment of the World Championship for Drivers after World War II. It was awarded from 1935 through 1939, based on the results of selected Grand Prix races, the Grandes Epreuves, one for each country, each the most important Grand Prix race in that country.

Related Topics:
Auto racing - World Championship for Drivers - World War II - 1935 - 1939 - Grand Prix

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It started out in 1935 with five races, the original participants being the Belgian, German, Italian, Spanish and Swiss Grands Prix. (The French Grand Prix, at that time the most important motor race of all, was left out to begin with because of French pique - it was the Germans who had suggested the Championship!) In 1936, the Belgian and Spanish races were dropped, and the Monaco Grand Prix added. For 1937, Belgium was added back. In 1938, the Monaco race was cancelled, and the Belgian race turned into a sports car race, but the French Grand Prix was finally added. Finally, in 1939 the Italian race was dropped after it was run for cars of 1.5 litre engine displacement, but the Belgian race returned.

Related Topics:
Belgian - German - Italian - Spanish - Swiss Grands Prix - French Grand Prix - 1936 - Monaco Grand Prix - 1937 - 1938 - Sports car - Engine displacement

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Unlike the later Formula One championship system, the European Championship used a system where drivers got more points for poorer finishes, and at the end of the year the driver with the least points was the Champion. In 1938, the points awarded for each race were:

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• Win - 1 point
• 2nd place - 2 points
• 3rd place - 3 points
• 4th place through all drivers who complete at least 3/4 of the race distance - 4 points
• All drivers who complete at least 1/2 of the race distance - 5 points
• All drivers who complete at least 1/4 of the race distance - 6 points
• All drivers who complete less than 1/4 of the race distance - 7 points
• All drivers who did not start in the race - 8 points

A driver could only score points in the car in which he started (an important consideration in those days, when drivers often swapped cars during a race).

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Note 1: There is something of a mystery here, as the published numbers in contemporary reports do not match the numbers calculated using the points scheme given above; e.g. the published reports for 1935 show Caracciola with 16 points.

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European Championship (auto racing): Further reading ►