The First French GP

06/04/2009

As a complement to the video featured on my home page, I thought it appropriate to call attention to the two articles I have archived on the first French Grand Prix in 1906. As noted in the video it was a brutally hot affair and the tar used on the roads to hold crushed stones in place melted. The toxic chemicals in the adhesive carried by the billowing clouds of dust kicked up burned the drivers eyes and made them nauseous. This first French GP was the first Grand Prix, period. France, which boasted the most vibrant auto industry in the world, had not been pleased with the restrictions of international racing previously (the James Gordon Bennett Cup restricted each country to only three entries) and decided to start a show of their own. The race was incredibly long, requiring two full days to conduct. It was only modestly successful, but it would set a pattern that eventually evolved into the GP format that now claims a history spanning many decades.