1937 Grand Prix season

Fifth AIACR European Championship season 1937 AIACR European Championship 1936 1938 1937 Grand Prix season 1936 1938 The 1937 Grand Prix season was the fifth AIACR European Championship season. The championship was won by Rudolf Caracciola, driving for the Mercedes-Benz team. Caracciola won three of the five events that counted towards the championship, despite not taking part in the first race, the Belgian GP, as he and many other drivers of the German teams and Alfa's Scuderia Ferrari preferred to race in the US a week earlier for the Vanderbilt Cup. Due to the scoring system which basically added up podium finishes with 1 to 3 points, while covering over 75% of a race distance added 4 points, any absence lowered championships chances significantly as the maximum of 8 points was added. In 1934, rules were introduced that allowed unlimited engines as long as the car weight was below 750 kg. Starting at around 300hp in 1934, the cars gained power each season. 1937 saw the most powerful Grand Prix cars so far, with the Mercedes-Benz W125 supercharged 5.6L inline-8 engines boasting nearly 650 bhp, and the Auto Union Type C V16 well over 500 hp. Considering that an average saloon car produced around 25 bhp at the time, the performance of these single-seaters was extremely high compared with any other season in modern motorsport; so much so that regulations were put in force for the following year to limit the engine capacity to reduce their power and to add weight to the cars to make them slower. The development, construction and operation of the German race cars and race tracks was supported by subsidies from the German governments of the time, with Italy and France making similar efforts (Tripoli Grand Prix, S.E.F.A.C., Million Franc Race). The amount of power of the supercharged Mercedes-Benz W125 was not equalled in circuit racing cars until large American V8 engines powered Can–Am cars in the late 1960s, and European Grand Prix cars did not have this kind of power again until the early 1980s 1.5 liter turbocharged engines, a span of nearly 45 years, when Grand Prix racing had long since become Formula One. Teams and drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 1937 AIACR European Championship. Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Driver Rounds DEU 1935 Daimler-Benz AG Mercedes-Benz W125 Mercedes-Benz M125 5.7 L8 s DEU 1935 Hermann Lang 1-2, 4-5 DEU 1935 Manfred von Brauchitsch All CHE Christian Kautz All DEU 1935 Rudolf Caracciola 2-5 GBR Richard Seaman 2, 5 ITA 1861 Goffredo Zehender 3 DEU 1935 Auto Union AG Auto Union C Auto Union 6.0 V16 s DEU 1935 Hans Stuck All DEU 1935 Rudolf Hasse 1-3 DEU 1935 Hermann Paul Müller 1-2, 5 DEU 1935 Ernst von Delius 2 DEU 1935 Bernd Rosemeyer 2-5 ITA 1861 Luigi Fagioli 4 ITA 1861 Tazio Nuvolari 4 ITA 1861 Achille Varzi 5 ITA 1861 Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeo 12C-368C-35 Alfa Romeo 4.1 V12 sAlfa Romeo 3.8 L8 s FRA Raymond Sommer 1, 4 ITA 1861 Carlo Felice Trossi 1, 3, 5 ITA 1861 Tazio Nuvolari 2, 5 ITA 1861 Giuseppe Farina 2-5 ITA 1861 Attilio Marinoni 2 ITA 1861 Antonio Brivio 3 ITA 1861 Carlo Pintacuda 3 ITA 1861 Vittorio Belmondo 5 ITA 1861 Clemente Biondetti 5 BEL Franz Gouvion Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s BEL Franz Gouvion 1 ITA 1861 Graf Salvi del Pero Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Alfa Romeo 3.8 L8 s ITA 1861 Vittorio Belmondo 2 ITA 1861 Giovanni Minozzi Alfa Romeo Monza Alfa Romeo 2.3 L8 s ITA 1861 Giovanni Minozzi 2, 4 ITA 1861 Scuderia Maremmana Alfa Romeo P3 Alfa Romeo 2.9 L8 s ITA 1861 Renato Balestrero 2 Maserati 6CM6C 34 Maserati 1.5 L6 sMaserati 3.7 L6 s ITA 1861 Franco Cortese 2 ITA 1861 Francesco Severi 2 ITA 1861 Clemente Biondetti 3 ITA 1861 Luigi Soffietti Maserati 6C 34 Maserati 3.7 L6 s ITA 1861 Luigi Soffietti 2-3 ITA 1861 Scuderia Subauda Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s ITA 1861 Edoardo Teagno 2, 4 ITA 1861 Luigi Soffietti 4 DEU 1935 Paul Pietsch Maserati 6C 34 Maserati 3.7 L6 s DEU 1935 Paul Pietsch 2-4 GBR Kenneth Evans Alfa Romeo P3 Alfa Romeo 2.9 L8 s GBR Kenneth Evans 2 CHE Hans Rüesch Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Alfa Romeo 3.8 L8 s CHE Hans Rüesch 2-5 HUN 1920 Count Festetics Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s HUN 1920 Ernõ Festetics 2 HUN 1920 László Hartmann Maserati 4CM Maserati 2.5 L4 s HUN 1920 László Hartmann 2-4 FRA Raymond Sommer Alfa Romeo 8C-35 Alfa Romeo 3.8 L8 s FRA Raymond Sommer 2-3 CHE Max Christen Maserati Tipo 26B Maserati 2.0 L8 s CHE Max Christen 4 CHE Henri Simonot Alfa Romeo Monza Alfa Romeo 2.6 L8 s CHE Henri Simonot 4 CHE Écurie Genevoise Maserati 8CM Maserati 3.0 L8 s CHE Adolfo Mandirola 4 ITA 1861 SA Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo 12C-37 Alfa Romeo 2.6 L8 s ITA 1861 Giovanbattista Guidotti 5 Season review European Championship Grands Prix Rd Date Name Circuit Winning drivers Winning constructor Report 1 11 July BEL Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps DEU 1935 Rudolf Hasse Auto Union Report 2 25 July DEU 1935 German Grand Prix Nürburgring DEU 1935 Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Report 3 8 August MCO Monaco Grand Prix Monaco DEU 1935 Manfred von Brauchitsch Mercedes-Benz Report 4 22 August CHE Swiss Grand Prix Bremgarten DEU 1935 Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Report 5 12 September ITA 1861 Italian Grand Prix Livorno DEU 1935 Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Report Non-championship Grands Prix Date Name Circuit Winning driver Winning constructor Report 16 January ZAF 1928 Grosnevor Grand Prix Pollsmoor DEU 1935 Ernst von Delius Auto Union Report 14 February SWE Flatenloppet Flaten NOR Eugen Bjørnstad Alfa Romeo Report 18 April ITA 1861 Valentino Grand Prix Turin ITA 1861 Antonio Brivio Alfa Romeo Report 25 April ITA 1861 Naples Grand Prix Posillipo ITA 1861 Giuseppe Farina Alfa Romeo Report 1 May GBR Campbell Trophy Brooklands THA Prince Bira Maserati Report 9 May LBY 1911 Tripoli Grand Prix Mellaha DEU 1935 Hermann Lang Mercedes-Benz Report 9 May FIN Eläintarhan ajot Eläintarharata CHE Hans Rüesch Alfa Romeo Report 16 May BEL Grand Prix des Frontières Chimay CHE Hans Rüesch Alfa Romeo Report 30 May DEU 1935 Avusrennen AVUS DEU 1935 Hermann Lang Mercedes-Benz Report 30 May ITA 1861 Superba Circuit Genoa ITA 1861 Carlo Felice Trossi Alfa Romeo Report 30 May ROU Bucharest Grand Prix Bucharest CHE Hans Rüesch Alfa Romeo Report 6 June BRA 1889 Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix Gávea ITA 1861 Carlo Maria Pintacuda Alfa Romeo Report 13 June DEU 1935 Eifelrennen Nürburgring DEU 1935 Bernd Rosemeyer Auto Union Report 20 June ITA 1861 Milan Grand Prix Milan ITA 1861 Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo Report 5 July USA 1912 Vanderbilt Cup Roosevelt Raceway DEU 1935 Bernd Rosemeyer Auto Union Report 25 July ITA 1861 San Remo Grand Prix San Remo Circuit ITA 1861 Achille Varzi Maserati Report 25 July PRT Vila Real Circuit Vila Real PRT Vasco Sameiro Alfa Romeo Report 15 August ITA 1861 Coppa Acerbo Pescara DEU 1935 Bernd Rosemeyer Auto Union Report 15 August PRT Estoril Circuit Estoril PRT Manoel de Oliveira Ford Report 28 August GBR Junior Car Club 200 mile race Donington Park GBR Arthur Dobson ERA Report 26 September CSK Masaryk Grand Prix Brno DEU 1935 Rudolf Caracciola Mercedes-Benz Report 2 October GBR Donington Grand Prix Donington Park DEU 1935 Bernd Rosemeyer Auto Union Report 16 October GBR Mountain Championship Brooklands CHE Hans Rüesch Alfa Romeo Report 31 October FIN Kalastajatorpanajo Helsinki FIN Karl Ebb Mercedes-Benz Report Championship final standings Pos Driver BELBEL GERDEU 1935 MONMCO SUICHE ITAITA 1861 Pts 1 DEU 1935 Rudolf Caracciola 1 2 1 1 13 2 DEU 1935 Manfred von Brauchitsch Ret 2 1 3 Ret 15 3 DEU 1935 Hermann Lang 3 7 2 2 19 = CHE Christian Kautz 4 6 3 6 Ret 19 5 DEU 1935 Hans Stuck 2 Ret 4 4 9 20 6 FRA Raymond Sommer 5 Ret 7 8 27 7 DEU 1935 Rudolf Hasse 1 5 Ret 28 = DEU 1935 Bernd Rosemeyer 3 Ret Ret 3 28 = ITA 1861 Tazio Nuvolari 4 5 7 28 = ITA 1861 Giuseppe Farina Ret 6 Ret Ret 28 11 Hungary 1920 László Hartmann Ret Ret 9 29 12 CHE Hans Rüesch 8 8 Ret 31 13 ITA 1861 Vittorio Belmondo 12 10 32 14 DEU 1935 Hermann Paul Müller Ret Ret 5 33 15 GBR Richard Seaman Ret 4 34 = ITA 1861 Clemente Biondetti Ret Ret 34 17 ITA 1861 Luigi Soffietti Ret Ret 35 = ITA 1861 Carlo Felice Trossi Ret 8 35 = DEU 1935 Paul Pietsch Ret 10 35 20 GBR Kenneth Evans 9 36 = Hungary 1920 Ernő Festetics 10 36 = ITA 1861 Attilio Marinoni 11 36 = ITA 1861 Giovanni Minozzi Ret Ret 36 = ITA 1861 Goffredo Zehender 5 36 = ITA 1861 Carlo Maria Pintacuda 9 36 = ITA 1861 Luigi Fagioli 7 36 = ITA 1861 Achille Varzi 6 36 28 CHE Henri Simonet Ret 37 = CHE Adolfo Mandirola Ret 37 30 ITA 1861 Franco Cortese Ret 38 = DEU 1935 Ernst von Delius Ret 38 = ITA 1861 Giovanbattista Guidotti Ret 38 33 ITA 1861 Francesco Severi Ret 39 = ITA 1861 Renato Balestrero Ret 39 = ITA 1861 Edoardo Teagno Ret 39 = ITA 1861 Antonio Brivio Ret 39 = CHE Max Christen Ret 39 Pos Driver BELBEL GERDEU 1935 MONMCO SUICHE ITAITA 1861 Pts References 1937 in auto racing Grand Prix Winners 1895–1949 : Part 3 (1934–1949) The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing https://www.goldenera.fi/gpw3.htm Hans Etzrodt 2007-08-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20070806054345/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gpw3.htm 6 August 2007 live 1937 The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing https://www.goldenera.fi/gp37.htm Leif Snellman and Hans Etzrodt 2007-08-05 2022-05-05 https://web.archive.org/web/20220505083757/http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp37.htm dead 1937 Grands Prix The GEL Motorsport Information Page http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/1937.html Darren Galpin 2007-08-05 2007-09-29 https://web.archive.org/web/20070929092746/http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/1937.html dead Category:Grand Prix seasons