The 1938 Grand Prix season was the sixth AIACR European Championship season. It saw the introduction of new rules that limited engine size to 3 liter (if supercharged), and added about 100 kg weight, thus some less competitive cars automatically complied to the new rules. The Mercedes-Benz W125 and Auto Union C with their large engines in low weight chassis had to be retired, and Mercedes-Benz W154 and Auto Union D appeared during the season.
The championship was once again won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team. Caracciola won only one of the four events that counted towards the championship, but always finished on the podium.
Teams and drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 1938 AIACR European Championship.
Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Driver Rounds Talbot Darracq Talbot T150C Talbot 4.5 L6 Philippe Étancelin 1 René Carrière 1 Societé des Études et de Fabrication d’Automobile de Course SEFAC GP SEFAC 3.0 U8 s Eugène Chaboud 1 Auto Union AG Auto Union C/DD Auto Union 3.0 V12 s Christian Kautz 1, 3-4 Hermann Paul Müller All Rudolf Hasse 1-2 Tazio Nuvolari 2-4 Hans Stuck 2-4 Automobiles Ettore Bugatti Bugatti T59/50B3 Bugatti 3.0 L8 s Jean-Pierre Wimille 1 Daimler-Benz AG Mercedes-Benz W154 Mercedes-Benz M154 3.0 V12 s Rudolf Caracciola All Manfred von Brauchitsch All Hermann Lang All Richard Seaman 2-4 Walter Bäumer 2-3 Écurie Bleue Delahaye Delahaye 145 Delahaye 4.5 V12 René Dreyfus 2-3 Franco Comotti 2 "Raph" 3 Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo Tipo 312Tipo 316 Alfa Romeo 3.0 V12 sAlfa Romeo 3.0 V16 s Giuseppe Farina 2-4 Clemente Biondetti 2, 4 Jean-Pierre Wimille 3-4 Piero Taruffi 4 Scuderia Torino Alfa Romeo Tipo 3088C 2900 Alfa Romeo 3.0 L8 sAlfa Romeo 2.9 L8 s Piero Taruffi 2-3 Pietro Ghersi 2, 4 Écurie Du Puy de Graffenried Maserati 6C 34 Maserati 3.0 L6 s Toulo de Graffenried 2-3 Count Ernõ Festetics Alfa Romeo P3 Alfa Romeo 3.0 L8 s Ernõ Festetics 2 A. B. Hyde Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s A. B. Hyde 2 Écurie Helvetia Maserati 6CM Maserati 1.5 L6 s Herbert Berg 2 Paul Pietsch Maserati 6CM Maserati 1.5 L6 s Paul Pietsch 2 Renato Balestrero Alfa Romeo Tipo 308 Alfa Romeo 3.0 L8 s Renato Balestrero 2 Vittorio Belmondo 4 Scuderia Ambrosiana Maserati 6CM Maserati 1.5 L6 s Franco Cortese 2 Giovanni Minozzi Alfa Romeo Monza Alfa Romeo 2.6 L8 s Giovanni Minozzi 3 Emilio Romano Alfa Romeo Monza Alfa Romeo 2.6 L8 s Emilio Romano 3 Squadra Subauda Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s Edoardo Teagno 3 Prince Bira 3 Auto-Agence SA Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s Adolfo Mandirola 3 Max Christen Maserati Tipo 26 Maserati 2.0 L8 s Max Christen 3 István de Sztriha Alfa Romeo Monza Alfa Romeo 2.6 L8 s István de Sztriha 3 Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 8CTF Maserati 3.0 L8 s Luigi Villoresi 4 Carlo Felice Trossi 4 Goffredo Zehender 4
Power for 1938 Manufacturer Model Engine PowerOutput Max. Speed (km/h) Dry Weight (kg)
Season review
European Championship Grands Prix
Rd Date Name Circuit Winning drivers Winning constructor Report 1 3 July French Grand Prix Reims-Gueux Manfred von Brauchitsch Mercedes-Benz Report 2 24 July German Grand Prix Nürburgring Richard Seaman Mercedes-Benz Report 3 21 August Swiss Grand Prix Bremgarten Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Report 4 11 September Italian Grand Prix Monza Tazio Nuvolari Auto Union Report
Non-championship Grands Prix
Grandes Épreuves are denoted by a yellow background.
Date Name Circuit Winning driver Winning constructor Report 10 April Pau Grand Prix Pau René Dreyfus Delahaye Report 18 April Campbell Trophy Brooklands Prince Bira ERA Report 23 April Cork Grand Prix Carrigrohane René Dreyfus Delahaye Report 15 May Tripoli Grand Prix Mellaha Hermann Lang Mercedes-Benz Report 29 May Gávea Nacional Circuit Gávea Arthur Nascimento Jr Alfa Romeo Report 5 June Grand Prix des Frontières Chimay Maurice Trintignant Bugatti Report 12 June Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix Gávea Carlo Maria Pintacuda Alfa Romeo Report 7 August Coppa Ciano Montenero Hermann Lang Mercedes-Benz Report 14 August Coppa Acerbo Pescara Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Report 27 August Junior Car Club 200 mile race Brooklands Johnny Wakefield ERA Report 15 October Mountain Championship Brooklands Raymond Mays ERA Report 22 October Donington Grand Prix Donington Park Tazio Nuvolari Auto Union Report
Championship final standings Pos Driver FRA GER SUI ITA Pts 1 Rudolf Caracciola 2 2 1 3 8 2 Manfred von Brauchitsch 1 Ret 3 Ret 15 3 Hermann Lang 3 Ret 10 Ret 17 4 Richard Seaman 1 2 Ret 18 5 Tazio Nuvolari Ret 9 1 20 = Hans Stuck 3 4 Ret 20 = Hermann Paul Müller 4 Ret Ret 20 8 Giuseppe Farina Ret 5 2 21 9 René Dreyfus 5 8 24 = Pietro Ghersi 8 5 24 11 Jean-Pierre Wimille Ret 7 Ret 25 12 Piero Taruffi Ret 6 Ret 26 13 Clemente Biondetti Ret 4 27 14 René Carrière 4 28 = Christian Kautz Ret Ret Ret 28 = Rudolf Hasse Ret Ret 28 = Paul Pietsch 6 28 = Renato Balestrero 7 28 = Franco Cortese 9 28 = "Raph" 11 28 = Emilio Romano 12 28 = Max Christen 13 28 = Edoardo Teagno 14 28 24 Philippe Étancelin Ret 29 = A. B. Hyde Ret 29 26 Adolfo Mandirola Ret 30 = Giovanni Minozzi Ret 30 = Luigi Villoresi Ret 30 = Goffredo Zehender Ret 30 = Vittorio Belmondo Ret 30 31 Eugène Chaboud Ret 31 = Toulo de Graffenried Ret 31 = Franco Comotti Ret 31 = Herbert Berg Ret 31 = István de Sztriha Ret 31 36 Carlo Felice TrossiDSQ 32 Pos Driver FRA GER SUI ITA Pts
References