The XV Grand Prix de l'Albigeois was a combined Formula One and Formula Two motor race held on 31 May 1953 at Circuit Les Planques, Albi, France. The race was held over two heats of 10 laps; one for Formula One and one for Formula Two, and a final of 18 laps in which both classes took part. The top four finishers in each heat qualified for the final, plus another four based on finishing position.
Élie Bayol in an O.S.C.A. Tipo 20 qualified in pole position for the Formula Two heat but finished second behind Louis Rosier's Ferrari 500. Peter Whitehead was third in a Cooper T24-Alta. Roberto Mieres set fastest lap in his Gordini Type 16.
In the Formula One heat, Juan Manuel Fangio qualified on pole, set fastest lap and won in a BRM Type 15. José Froilán González was second in another Type 15 and Louis Rosier was third in a Ferrari 375.
Rosier won the final in the Ferrari 375. González was second and Maurice Trintignant third in a Gordini Type 16. Ken Wharton set fastest lap in another BRM Type 16.
Classification Heat One - Formula Two cars Pos No Driver Entrant Car Time/Retired Grid 1 2 Louis Rosier Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 500 33:41.4, 158.19 kph 3 2 8 Élie Bayol Élie Bayol O.S.C.A. Tipo 20 +24.5s 1 3 10 Peter Whitehead Graham Whitehead Cooper T24-Alta +52.7s 5 4 6 Roberto Mieres Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 +54.0s 4 5 12 Tom Cole Atlantic Stable Cooper T23-Bristol +1:31.2 6 6 16 Charles de Tornaco Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari 500 +2:26.3 8 7 14 Johnny Claes Ecurie Belge Connaught Type A-Lea Francis +3:00.4 7 8 18 John Lyons Connaught Engineering Connaught Type A-Lea Francis +3:12.1 9 Ret. 4 Harry Schell Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 8 laps, spark plugs 2 DNA 20 Rodney Nuckey Rodney Nuckey Cooper T23-Bristol
Heat Two - Formula One cars
Pos No Driver Entrant Car Time/Retired Grid 1 7 Juan Manuel Fangio BRM Ltd. BRM Type 15 29:57.8, 178.15 kph 1 2 9 Ken Wharton BRM Ltd. BRM Type 15 +1:11.5 4 3 5 Louis Rosier Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 375 +2:06.6 10 4 15 Maurice Trintignant Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 +2:10.5 6 5 11 José Froilán González BRM Ltd. BRM Type 15 +2:52.5 3 6 17 Yves Giraud-Cabantous Ecurie Rosier Talbot-Lago T26C +1 lap 7 7 21 Giovanni de Riu Giovanni de Riu Maserati 4CLT/48 +1 lap 9 Ret. 19 Duncan Hamilton Duncan Hamilton Talbot-Lago T26C 8 laps, gearbox 8 Ret. 3 Giuseppe Farina G.A. Vandervell Ferrari 375 5 laps, engine 5 Ret. 1 Alberto Ascari Ferrari Ferrari 375 3 laps, gearbox 2
Final
Formula One competitors highlighted in blue.
Pos No Driver Entrant Car Time/Retired Grid 1 5 Louis Rosier Ecurie Rosier Ferrari 375 56:36.8, 169.72 kph 3 2 11 José Froilán González BRM Ltd. BRM Type 15 +31.0s 2 3 15 Maurice Trintignant Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 +1:53.8 4 4 6 Roberto Mieres Equipe Gordini Gordini Type 16 +1 lap 7 5 10 Peter Whitehead Graham Whitehead Cooper T24-Alta +1 lap 6 6 14 Johnny Claes Ecurie Belge Connaught Type A-Lea Francis +1 lap 11 7 12 Tom Cole Atlantic Stable Cooper T23-Bristol +1 lap 8 Ret. 16 Charles de Tornaco Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari 500 11 laps, engine 10 Ret. 9 Ken Wharton British Racing Motors BRM Type 15 11 laps, accident 2 Ret. 7 Juan Manuel Fangio British Racing Motors BRM Type 15 9 laps, tyres/brakes 1 Ret. 17 Yves Giraud-Cabantous1 Ecurie Rosier Talbot-Lago T26C 9 laps, mechanical 12 Ret. 8 Élie Bayol Élie Bayol O.S.C.A. Tipo 20 2 laps, clutch 5
1Lyons should have been in the final but had packed his car away, believing he had been eliminated. Giraud-Cabantous took his place.
References