Grand Prix motor racing

Grand Prix motor racing has its roots in organized automobile racing that began in France as far back as 1894. It quickly evolved from a simple road race from one town to the next, to endurance tests for car and driver. Innovation and the drive of competition soon saw speeds exceeding 100 mph, but because the races were held on open roads there were frequent accidents with the resulting fatalities of both drivers and spectators.

Grand Prix drivers

Some of the notable drivers of the Grand Prix motor racing era included a few women who competed equally with the men:

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• Antonio Ascari - Italy
• Robert Benoist - France
• Clemente Biondetti - Italy
• Georges Boillot - France
• Manfred von Brauchitsch - Germany
• Malcolm Campbell - Great Britain
• Rudolf Caracciola - Germany
• Louis Chiron - Monaco
• Albert Divo - Italy
• René Dreyfus - France
• Philippe Étancelin - France
• Luigi Fagioli - Italy
• Giuseppe Farina - Italy; he became the first Formula One champion
• Enzo Ferrari - Italy
• Jules Goux - France
• Elizabeth Junek - Czechoslovakia
• Hermann Lang - Germany
• Christian Lautenschlager - Germany
• Emilio Materassi - Italy
• Felice Nazzaro - Italy
• Hellé Nice - France
• Tazio Nuvolari - Italy
• Kay Petre - Great Britain
• Charles Pozzi - France
• Georges Philippe (Baron Philippe de Rothschild) - France
• Bernd Rosemeyer - Germany
• Richard Seaman - Great Britain
• Henry Segrave - Great Britain
• Raymond Sommer - France
• Whitney Willard Straight - Great Britain
• Hans Stuck - Germany
• Ferenc Szisz - France
• Achille Varzi - Italy
• Emilio Villoresi - Italy
• Luigi Villoresi - Italy
• William Grover-Williams - France
• Jean-Pierre Wimille - France