The 1926 Grand Prix season was the second AIACR World Manufacturers' Championship season and the first running to new 1.5-litre regulations. The championship was won by Bugatti and its Type 35 was the dominant car of the year.
The schedule was increased from four to five championship races. The Belgian round was dropped but the British Grand Prix and San Sebastián Grand Prix were added. Many races had promising entry lists, but when a number of cars did not arrive, it led to farcical races with just a handful of starters and only a couple of finishers.
The leading French teams of Bugatti, Delage and Peugeot arrived for the Targa Florio as, once again, the major Italian teams did not enter. The race was marred by the death of two-time winner Giulio Masetti, crashing his privateer Delage on the first lap. Once again it was the small, nimble Bugatti of Bartolomeo Costantini that held off the rest of the pack. When the works Delage team was withdrawn following Masetti's death, it left Costantini led his team to a 1-2-3 victory.
The opening race of the championship was the Indianapolis 500. Frank Lockhart was a young rookie who substituted in to race for an ill Pete Kreis. Starting from back in the pack he soon joined the leaders and took the front on lap 60. On lap 71, rain forced a stop to the race for over an hour. Upon the restart, Lockhart built up his lead again, so at the 400-mile mark he had a 2-lap lead over the field. At that point rain returned, and he became the first rookie winner since 1914, in the rain-shortened race.
The European rounds of the championship were plagued by entry withdrawals of the works teams, leaving just a handful of starters to contest the races. The most embarrassing was the premier French Grand Prix where only the three Bugatti works cars started, and Jules Goux won, being the only classified finisher. The Delages were fast but poorly designed with the exhaust system placed right beside the drivers’ legs causing burns and exhaustion so that the team lost race-winning opportunities from numerable pit-stops to rest and recover. They did win the inaugural British Grand Prix as Bugatti did not enter and the new Talbots were still too under-developed. In the end, by virtue of being the only team to run the mandatory three races, Bugatti won the second Constructor's Championship.
Outside the championship, Formula Libre races (literally, open formula) were very popular across France and Italy and a number were staged with large fields of local drivers. Germany held its first Grand Prix, won by the young Rudolf Caracciola in difficult wet conditions that caused several serious accidents.
Manufacturers' World Championship Sources:Rendall 1993, p.360
Rnd Date Name Circuit RaceRegulations Weather RaceDistance Winner'sTime Winning driver Winningconstructor Fastestlap Report 1 31 May XIV International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis AAA rain (500 miles)400 miles* 4h 15m Frank Lockhart Miller Type 91 not recorded Report 2 27 Jun XX French Grand Prix Miramas AIACR hot 510 km 4h 39m Jules Goux Bugatti Type 39A Jules GouxBugatti Report 3 18 Jul IV Gran Premio de San Sebastián /IV European Grand Prix Lasarte AIACR hot 780 km 6h 52m Jules Goux Bugatti Type 39A Louis WagnerDelage Report 4 7 Aug I RAC Grand Prix Brooklands AIACR fine 460 km 4h 01m Robert Sénéchal Louis Wagner Delage 15S8 Henry SegraveTalbot Report 5 5 Sep VI Italian Grand Prix Monza AIACRVoiturette sunny 600 km 4h 20m “Sabipa”(Louis Charavel) Bugatti Type 39A Meo ConstantiniBugatti Report Note: *Race stopped because of weather
The Indianapolis 500 also counted towards the 1926 AAA Championship Car season held in the United States
Other races Major non-championship races are in bold Sources:Rendall 1993, p.360
Date Name Circuit RaceRegulations Weather RaceDistance Winner'sTime Winning driver Winningconstructor Report 21 Mar I Circuito del Pozzo Verona Formula LibreVoiturette cloudy then rain 250 km 2h 15m Alessandro Consonno Bugatti Type 35 Report A28 Mar II Premio Reale di Roma Valle Giulia Formula Libre fine 300 km 3h 01m Conte Aymo Maggi Bugatti Type 35 Report II Grand Prix de Provence Miramas Formula LibreVoiturette cloudy 250 km 1h 55m Henry Segrave Talbot 70 Report B25 Apr IX Coppa FlorioMedio MadonieTarga Floriosunny thencloudy 540 km 7h 21m Meo Constantini Bugatti Type 35TReport XVII Targa FlorioThe Targa Florio and the Coppa Florio were run simultaneously over the same route. 540 km 7h 21m Meo Constantini Bugatti Type 35T 29 Apr 2 May II Gran Premio di Tripoli Tagiura Formula Libre sunny 390 km 3h 31m François Eysermann Bugatti Type 35 Report 2 May III Circuito di Alessandria Alessandria Formula Libre fine 260 km 2h 49m Giovanni Alloatti Bugatti Type 22 Brescia Report II Coppa Vinci Messina Formula Libre sunny 260 km 3h 42m Renato Balestrero OM 665 S Report 9 May I Coppa Etna Catania Formula Libre sunny 350 km 3h 54m Conte Aymo Maggi Bugatti Type 35A Report 23 May IV Circuito del Savio Ravenna Formula LibreCyclecar sunny 290 km 2h 21m Conte Gastone Brilli-Peri Ballot Indianapolis 1919 Report 30 May III Coppa della Perugina Perugia Formula Libre sunny 300 km 2h 38m Emilio Materassi Itala Special 5.8L Report 12 Jun V Eifelrennen Nideggen Formula LibreSports Cars sunny 400 km 6h 07m Gustav Münz Ford 3.0L Spezial Report 27 Jun I Coppa del Marchese Ginori Florence Formula Libre ? 240 km 2h 03m Emilio Materassi Itala Special 5.8L Report 11 Jul I German Grand Prix AVUS Formula LibreSports Cars fine thenheavy rain 390 km 2h 54m Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes 1924 GP Report 18 Jul I Circuito di Camaiore Lucca Formula LibreCyclecar ? 190 km 2h 40m Baconin Borzacchini Salmson VAL Report C25 Jul II Spanish Grand Prix Lasarte Formula Libre fine then showers 690 km 5h 36m Meo Constantini Bugatti Type 35 Report II Grand Prix de la Marne Reims-Gueux Formula Libre fine then rain 320 km 2h 50m François Lescot Bugatti Type 35 Report 1 Aug II Grand Prix du Comminges Saint-Gaudens Formula Libre 410 km 3h 58m Louis Chiron Bugatti Type 35 Report 7 Aug III Coppa Acerbo Pescara Formula Libre hot 510 km 5h 03m Luigi Spinozzi Bugatti Type 35 Report D 15 Aug VI Coppa Montenero Montenero Formula Libre sunny 225 km 2h 55m Emilio Materassi Itala Special 5.8L Report E 27 Aug28 Aug VI Grand Prix de Boulogne Boulogne-sur-Mer Voiturette sunny 450 km 4h 21m Capt George Eyston Bugatti Type 39 Report 28 Aug III Grand Prix de la Baule La Baule Formula Libre ? 100 km 51m Louis Wagner Delage 2LCV Report 5 Sep IV Gran Premio del Vetturette Monza Voiturette sunny 400 km 3h 01m André Morel Amilcar 6C Report F12 Sep I Gran Premio di Milano Monza Formula Libre fine 400 km 2h 36m Meo Constantini Bugatti Type 35C Report II Grand Prix du Moto Club de Marseille La Baule Formula Libre ? 50 km 29m “Foc” Bugatti Type 37 Report II Solituderennen Solitude Formula Libre rain 450 km 4h 50m Otto Merz Mercedes 1924 GP Report 20 Sep I Circuito Ligure-Piemontese Novi Ligure Formula LibreTouring sunny 270 km 2h 15m Federico Valpreda Chiribiri Monza C Report G 25 Sep VI Junior Car Club 200 Brooklands AIACRVoiturette cold 200 miles 2h 40m Henry Segrave Talbot 700 GPLB Report 17 Oct VI Circuito del Garda Salò Formula Libre sunny 250 km 2h 50m Conte Aymo Maggi Bugatti Type 35C Report I Grand Prix du Salon Montlhéry AIACR rain 200 km 1h 59m Albert Divo Talbot 700 GPLB Report
Teams and drivers Sources: Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre Driver Rounds Alfa Corse Alfa Romeo P2 8C/2000 Alfa Romeo 2.0L S8 s/c Conte Gastone Brilli-Peri A Conte Giovanni Bonmartini A Usines Bugatti Bugatti Type 39AType 35Type 35C Bugatti 1.5L S8 s/c Bugatti 2.0L S8 Bugatti 2.0L S8 s/c Meo Constantini 2, 3, 5; B, C, F Jules Goux 2, 3, 5; B. C, F Pierre de Vizcaya 2 Ferdinando Minoia 3; B, C Louis Dutilleux 3* “Sabipa” (Louis Charavel) 5 Automobiles Delage Delage 15 S82LCV Delage 1.5L S8 s/c Delage 2.0L V12 s/c Robert Benoist , 3, 4; B, C Edmond Bourlier , 3 André Morel 3; C Louis Wagner 3*, 4; C Robert Sénéchal 3*, 4 André Dubonnet 4 Albert Divo B René Thomas B Duesenberg Bros Duesenberg Type 91 Duesenberg 1.5L S8 s/c Peter DePaolo 1 Ben Jones 1 Miller Automobiles Miller Type 91 Miller 1.5L S8 s/c Earl Cooper 1 Bennett Hill 1 Dave Lewis 1 Chevrolet Bros Ford-Frontenac Model T Frontenac 1.5L Jack McCarver 1 Locomobile Junior 8 Fengler Junior 8 Locomobile 1.5L Cliff Durant 1 “Leon Duray” 1 Eddie Hearne 1* Harry Hartz Miller Type 91 Miller 1.5L S8 s/c Harry Hartz 1 Fred Comer 1 Tony Gulotta 1 Wade Morton 1* Albert Schmidt Schmidt Argyle 1.5L Lora L. Corum 1 Steve Nemesh 1 Ste Industrielle de MaterielAutomobile SIMA Violet 1.5L F4 2-strokeViolet 750cc F2 2-stroke Marcel Violet , , ; [C], E Michel Doré , , ; [C], [E] Max Fourny , , ; [C] Maurice Benoist ; E . Stanton E STD Motors Ltd TalbotSunbeamSunbeam 700 GPLB GP. Talbot 1.5L S4 s/cSunbeam 2.0L S4 s/c Sunbeam 4.0L V12 s/c Henry Segrave , , 4, ; C, D, G Albert Divo , , 4, ; A, [E], G Jules Moriceau , , 4, ; E*, G Hugo Urban-Emmerich E SA des Automobiles Jean Graf Jean Graf Spéciale CIME 1.5L S4 Jean Graf , ; [C], F William Grover-Williams ? . Maleterre F ? . Coudray [F] Officine Meccaniche O.M. Tipo 865 GP Tipo 665 S O.M. 1.5L S8 O.M. 2.2L S6 Ferdinando Minoia , , [G] Giuseppe Morandi , , [G] Renato Balestrero , [D] ? Dick Oates [G] Alvis Car & Engineering Co Alvis GP Alvis 1.5L S8 s/c Maurice Harvey ; G Earl of Cottenham G Bamford & Martin Ltd Aston Martin GP Aston Martin 1.5L S8 George Eyston 4 Basil Eyston G Fab. Torinese VelivoliChiribiri & Cie Chiribiri 12/16 Monza Chiribiri 1.5L S4 s/c Umberto Serboli 5 Luigi Platé Officine Alfieri Maserati SpA Maserati Tipo 26 Maserati 1.5L S8 s/c Ernesto Maserati 5; F Emilio Materassi 5; F Guido Meregalli Alfieri Maserati B SA des Autos et Cycles Peugeot Peugeot Type 174 Sport Peugeot 3.8L S4 André Boillot B Louis Wagner B Sta CeiranoAutomobili Torino Ceirano N150S Ceirano 1.5L Luigi Beccaria D Paolo Pavesio D Gusmano Pieranzi D Pietro Cattaneo [D] ? Aldo Colombo [D] Société des Moteurs Salmson Salmson VAL Salmson 1.1L S4 George Duller E ? . Bourdan E George Newman E Georges Casse G Pierre Goutte G Lionel de Marmier G Société Nouvelle del'Automobile Amilcar Amilcar C6 Amilcar 1.1L S6 André Morel [D], G Charles Martin G Arthur Duray G ? Bill Humphreys [G]
Significant Privateer drivers Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Driver Rounds Private Entrant Eldridge Special Anzani 1.5L S4 Ernest Eldridge 1, 3; [C] Private Entrant Guyot Spéciale Schmid 2.0L S6sleeve-valve supercharged Albert Guyot 1, 3; [C] Private Entrant Miller Type 122 Miller 2.0L S8 s/c Ralph Hepburn 1 Private Entrant Miller Type 122 Miller 2.0L S8 s/c Frank Lockhart 1 Private Entrant Bugatti Type 39A Bugatti 1.5L S8 s/c Capt Malcolm Campbell 4; [E], G Private Entrant Halford Special Halford 1.5L S6 s/c Maj Frank Halford 4; G Private Entrant Itala Special 55 Hispano-Suiza 5.8L S4 Emilio Materassi A, B, D Private Entrant SunbeamDelage GP2LCV Sunbeam 2.0L S4 s/cDelage 2.0L V12 s/c Conte Giulio Masetti A, B Private Entrant Bugatti Type 35Type 35C Bugatti 2.0L S8Bugatti 2.0L S8 s/c Conte Aymo Maggi A, D Private Entrant Bugatti Type 35 Bugatti 2.0L S8 Franco Mazzotti A, D Private Entrant Salmson VAL Salmson 1.1L S4 Baconin Borzacchini B, D Private Entrant Bugatti Type 35T Bugatti 2.3L S8 William Grover-Williams C, [E] Private Entrant Alfa Romeo RL Targa Florio Alfa Romeo 3.0L S6 Bruno Presenti D Private Entrant Bugatti Type 35 Bugatti 2.0L S8 Louis Chiron F Note: * was raced as a relief driver. Those in brackets show, although entered, the driver did not race
Regulations and Technical