 
COPPA CIANO
Livorno (I), 7 August 1938
25 laps x 5.8 km (3.6 mi) = 145 km (90.1 mi)
The birth of a legend.
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At Coppa Ciano Alfa Romeo introduced their new Tipo 158, later to be known as the legendary "Alfetta". However Luigi Villoresi in a Maserati took the lead and held it for half the race until he had to retire.
His brother then led home a double victory for the new Alfa Romeo.
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Entries:
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Practice:
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Race:
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22
L Villoresi
Maserati
2m35s
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24
Biondetti
Alfa Romeo
2m34s
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14
E Villoresi
Alfa Romeo
2m31s
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26
Severi
Alfa Romeo
2m32s
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16
Teagno
Maserati
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32
Pietsch
Maserati
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2
Cortese
Maserati
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20
"Raph"
Maserati
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8
Ruggeri
Maserati
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30
Marazza
Maserati
2m42s
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34
Pelassa
Maserati
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12
Marelli
Maserati
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6
Brezzi
Maserati
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10
Barbieri
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18
Corsi
Maserati
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The long expected new Alfa Romeo Tipo 158 "Vetturetta" finally appeared for the first time at Coppa Ciano,
raced by Emilio Villoresi, Biondetti and Severi. The new cars showed their speed during the practice. In the race
it was however Luigi Villoresi in an upgraded works Maserati 6CM who led after the first lap. Bianco, back after his Albi
crash, was already out of the race. Luigi Villoresi, having led the first half of the race, had to let his brother by when
there was trouble with the Maserati and at 15 laps he retired. The Alfa Romeos dominated the rest of the race, but
a possible triple victory was lost when Severi spun and dropped to 9th. This was the first of many victories for the
famous Tipo 158 "Alfetta".
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Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car | Type | Engine | Laps | Time/Status | Diff |
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| 1. | 14 | Emilio Villoresi | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | 158 | 1.5 | S-8 | 25 | 1h05m21.6s | |
| 2. | 24 | Clemente Biondetti | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | 158 | 1.5 | S-8 | 25 | 1h05m23.8s | + 2.2s |
| 3. | 30 | Aldo Marazza | Officina A. Maserati | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 25 | 1h06m22.2s | + 1m00.6s |
| 4. | 2 | Franco Cortese | Scuderia Ambrosiana | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 25 | 1h06m42.8s | + 1m21.2s |
| 5. | 10 | Guido Barbieri | G. Barbieri | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 24 | 1h07m48.6s | |
| 6. | 8 | Arialdo Ruggeri | A. Ruggeri | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 24 | 1h08m20.0s | |
| 7. | 26 | Francesco Severi | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | 158 | 1.5 | S-8 | 23 | 1h05m24.6s | |
| 8. | 18 | Secondo Corsi | S. Corsi | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 21 | 1h06m48.6s | |
| DNF | 34 | Giorgio Pelassa | Scuderia Torino | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 25 | | |
| DNF | 32 | Paul Pietsch | P. Pietsch | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 25 | | |
| DNF | 20 | "Raph" | "Raph" | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 25 | | |
| DNF | 16 | Edoardo Teagno | Scuderia Sabauda | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 25 | | |
| DNF | 22 | Luigi Villoresi | Officina A. Maserati | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 13 | | |
| DNF | 12 | Angelo Marelli | Gruppo Volta | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 25 | | |
| DNF | 6 | Andrea Brezzi | Scuderia Torino | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 25 | | |
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Fastest lap: Emilio Villoresi (Alfa Romeo) in 2m31.4s = 137.9 km/h (85.7 mph)
Winner's medium speed: 133.1 km/h (82.7 mph)
Pole position lap speed: 138.3 km/h (85.9 mph)
Weather:
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COPPA CIANO
Livorno (I), 7 August 1938
40 laps x 5.8 km (3.6 mi) = 232.0 km (144.2 mi)
Von Brauchitsch's bad luck strikes again
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As Auto Union decided not to race Mercedes was the clear favourite. However, Trossi showed the potential of the new Maserati by taking pole position and then take
the lead from Caracciola on lap 3 and hold it for four laps until mechanical trouble stuck. With new leader Caracciola having car trouble Lang took over first position
and Farina second. Von Brauchitsch caught and passed Farina and then took the lead when Lang had to stop for tyres and held it to the chequered flag. However it was found
that von Brauchitsch had received outside assistance during the race so he was disqualified and Lang was the eventually declared the winner.
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Entries:
After having been held as the Italian GP the year before the Coppa Cianco was back in the 1938 calendar.
After their disappointing performance in Germany Auto Union decided not to enter the race.
That was unfortunate for the spectators as Nuvolari had been sensational at Livorno in 1936.
Mercedes-Benz was down to 3 cars after von Brauchitsch's crash in the German GP so Seaman was unable to start.
Caracciola had the new experimental car with a huge saddle tank and shorter tail.
Maserati was back with two of their fast 8CTF cars for Trossi and Zehender.
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Practice:
Trossi made the fastest time on each practice session to take the pole position. Caracciola was second and Lang
fourth but von Brauchitsch was beaten by Farina's 12 cylinder Alfa.
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Race:
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50
Farina
Alfa Romeo
2m28s
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46
Lang
Mercedes-Benz
2m27s
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44
Caracciola
Mercedes-Benz
2m26.?s
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56
Trossi
Maserati
2m26.6s
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52
Zehender
Maserati
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54
Brauchitsch
Mercedes-Benz
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62
Wimille
Alfa Romeo
2m31s
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60
Teagno
Maserati
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48
Dreyfus
Delahaye
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58
Comotti
Delahaye
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42
Belmondo
Alfa Romeo
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Caracciola took the start and led the field into the first corner followed by Lang, Farina and Trossi.
Trossi soon showed that his pole position had been no coincident, passing Farina and Lang. Zehender
retired his Maserati but the team hardly noticed that because on lap 4 Trossi took the other Maserati
up into the lead and
started to open up a gap to Caracciola. For four laps the spectators cheered as the Italian car
pulled away from the Mercedes cars but that was too much for the Maserati engine and on lap 8 Trossi
retired and it was back to normal business with Caracciola leading from Lang and von Brauchitsch,
who had managed to pass Farina.
While Caracciola was dominating the race in his experimental car, von Brauchitsch made several fierce attacks
on Lang, who refused to give way. The two cars entered the right hander after the pits side by side.
Lang had the proper line and went on while von Brauchitsch overdid it and slid into the straw bales
and came trapped under them with a stalled engine. A number of excited Italian spectators rushed to his help
and pushed von Brauchitsch back to continue the race one minute behind Lang.
Wimille had trouble with his kidneys and he gave over his Alfa Romeo to Biondetti.
Caracciola retired his car when a thick piece of rubber flew away from the right rear tire and punctured the fuel tank so
fuel ran out in thick streaks,
That left Lang the lead the race with Farina second. Von Brauchitsch soon passed
Farina but he could do nothing to Lang, who looked to be a certain winner, but with only two laps remaining
a rear tyre blew and Lang had to make an extra pit stop.
Von Brauchitsch therefore took the flag as the winner but soon protests dropped in from several competitors against
the fact that von Brauchitsch had been pushed back into the race by spectators.
The organizers didn't want to disqualify him, as similar things had happened during the
Voiturette race, but they were over-ruled by the President
of the Sporting Council of the Italian Automobile club, Mr. Giuseppe Furmanik.
So von Brauchitsch was out for having received outside assistance and Lang was declared the winner.
Farina took a fine second place and Biondetti in Wimille's car was third to make it a great day for the Alfa Corse team.
They had already won the Voiturette race.
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Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car | Type | Engine | Laps | Time/Status | Diff |
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| DSQ | 54 | Manfred von Brauchitsch | Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz | W154 | 3.0 | V-12 | 40 | DSQ - outside assitance |
| 1. | 46 | Hermann Lang | Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz | W154 | 3.0 | V-12 | 40 | 1h40m35.2s |
| 2. | 50 | Giuseppe Farina | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | Tipo 312 | 3.0 | V-12 | 40 | 1h41m23.2s | + 48.0s |
| 3. | 62 | J-P. Wimille / C. Biondetti | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | Tipo 312 | 3.0 | V-12 | 39 | 1h41m49.0s | (Note 1) |
| 4. | 42 | Vittorio Belmondo | R. Balestrero | Alfa Romeo | Tipo 308 | 3.0 | S-8 | 38 | 1h41m54.0s |
| 5. | 48 | René Dreyfus | Ecurie Bleue | Delahaye | 145 | 4.5 | V-12 | 37 | 1h43m14.0s |
| DNF | 52 | Goffredo Zehender | Officine A. Maserati | Maserati | 8CTF | 3.0 | S-8 | | engine |
| DNF | 44 | Rudolf Caracciola | Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz | W154 | 3.0 | V-12 | 26 | punctured fuel tank |
| DNF | 58 | Gianfranco Comotti | Ecurie Bleue | Delahaye | 145 | 4.5 | V-12 | | |
| DNF | 60 | Edoardo Teagno | Scuderia Sabauda | Maserati | 8CM | 3.0 | S-8 | | |
| DNF | 56 | Carlo Felice Trossi | Officine A. Maserati | Maserati | 8CTF | 3.0 | S-8 | 8 | engine |
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Fastest lap: Hermann Lang & Manfred von Brauchitsch (Mercedes Benz) on lap 31 and 32 in 2m25.4s = 143.6 km/h (89.2 mph)
Winner's medium speed: 138.4 km/h (86.0 mph)
Pole position lap speed: 142.4 km/h (88.5 mph)
Weather:
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Footnote:
1. Sheldon's times. "Il Littoriale" has 1h41m49.2s for Wimille, 1h41m53.2s for Belmondo and 1h43m13.0s for Dreyfus.
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XIV° COPPA ACERBO
Pescara (I), 14 August 1938
6 laps x 25.8 km (16.0 mi) = 154.8 km (96.2 mi)
Maserati scores while Alfa Corse fails.
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On the hilly track Alfa Romeo team was in deep trouble with the carburation of their new cars. Luigi Villoresi with his Maserati immediately took the lead of the race and held it unchallenged
to the end. He was followed home by Pietsch and Barbieri making it a Maserati 1-2-3.
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Entries:
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Practice:
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Race:
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20
Marazza
Maserati
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8
Severi
Alfa Romeo
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10
E Villoresi
Alfa Romeo
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16
L Villoresi
Maserati
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14
Bianco
Maserati
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6
Baruffi
Maserati
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18
Minetti
Maserati
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24
Pietsch
Maserati
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12
Platé
Talbot
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22
Barbieri
Maserati
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4
Ruggeri
Maserati
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The Alfa Romeo and Maserati works teams met again in the Voiturette race preceding Coppa Acerbo. The field consisted of
only 11 cars, as the new Italian currency regulations had discouraged most foreign entries. The Alfa Romeos dominated practice
and were clear favourites. The race started early in the morning and again it was Luigi Villoresi who took the lead followed
by Severi (Alfa Romeo Tipo 158) and Marazza (Maserati 4CM). The Alfa Romeo team was soon in trouble as the hilly track was
upsetting the carburation of the cars giving them plug trouble. Of the Alfa drivers Emilio Villoresi and Biondetti
retired and Severi finished 4th.
Maserati works team took a double victory with Barbieri's privately entered car third.
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Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car | Type | Engine | Laps | Time/Status | Diff |
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| 1. | 16 | Luigi Villoresi | Officine A. Maserati | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 6 | 1h10m49.57s | |
| 2. | 24 | Paul Pietsch | P. Pietsch | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 6 | 1h13m29.84s | + 2:40s |
| 3. | 22 | Guido Barbieri | G. Barbieri | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 6 | 1h16m46.13s | + 5:57s |
| 4. | 8 | Francesco Severi | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | 158 | 1.5 | S-8 | 6 | 1h18m12.25s | + 7:23s |
| 5. | | Libeccio | Libeccio | Maserati | 4 CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 6 | 1h19m57.08s | + 9:08s ? |
| 6. | 12 | Luigi Platé | L. Platé | Talbot | 700 | 1.5 | S-8 | 6 | 1h27m44.23s | + 16:55s |
| 7. | 6 | Pino Baruffi | Gruppo Volta | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 6 | 1h28m59.27s | |
| DNF | 4 | Arialdo Ruggeri | A. Ruggeri | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 3 | | |
| DNF | 20 | Aldo Marazza | Officine A. Maserati | Maserati | 6CM | 1.5 | S-6 | 3 | | |
| DNF | 14 | Ettore Bianco | Scuderia Subaura | Maserati | 4CM | 1.5 | S-4 | 2 | sparking plugs | |
| DNF | 10 | Emilio Villoresi | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | 158 | 1.5 | S-8 | | | |
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Fastest lap: Luigi Villoresi (Maserati) in 11m32.20s = 134.2 km/h (83.4 mph)
Winner's medium speed: 131.1 km/h (81.5 mph)
Pole position lap speed: 129.3 km/h (80.3 mph) assuming 11m58.6s is the correct pole time.
Weather:
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Footnote:
1. Sheldon has Minetti in the results, Venables has Libeccio. Italian newspaper "Il Littoriale" shows Libeccio in the pre-race list but Minetti in the results so it was probably the latter
who raced in the end.
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XIV° COPPA ACERBO
Pescara (I), 14 August 1938
16 laps x 25.8 km (16.0 mi) = 412.8 km (256.5 mi)
Caracciola sole German survivor.
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It proved to be a race full of incidents from start to finish. Von Brauchitsch took the start but was soon passed by Caracciola who led to the pit stops when Trossi briefly and then Müller.
When Müller ran out of fuel Caracciola retook the lead. Lang's engine literary exploded and the car was destroyed by the fire. Nine of ten German cars retired, Caracciola being the sole survivor and race winner.
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The organizers had built a chicane of straw bales on the long straight to reduce speed.
Mercedes had the same driver trio as in Coppa Ciano. At Alfa Corse Biondetti replaced the ill Wimille
and Maserati entered just one 8CTF to be driven by Trossi. Delahaye was still using their Type 145 cars.
Auto Union was back with three cars, two of the latest D type and one of an earlier model and
to the joy of the spectators Nuvolari made the fastest lap during practice to take the pole position.
Stuck was not present at Pescara as he was practicing for the Großer Bergpreis von Deutschland
mountainclimb.
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Entries:
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Practice:
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Race:
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32
Lang
Mercedes-Benz
11m20.6s
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46
Brauchitsch
Mercedes-Benz
11m17.0s
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40
Nuvolari
Auto Union
11m15.8s
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30
Müller
Auto Union
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26
Caracciola
Mercedes-Benz
11m24.8s
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34
Belmondo
Alfa Romeo
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44
Hasse
Auto Union
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28
Farina
Alfa Romeo
11m42s
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38
Biondetti
Alfa Romeo
11m45s
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48
Comotti
Delahaye
12m29s
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42
Trossi
Maserati
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36
Dreyfus
Delahaye
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The race started early in the morning but even then the weather turned out to be very hot.
As usual the Mercedes cars made the best start and von Brauchitsch took the lead followed by
Caracciola and Lang. Von Brauchitsch was racing at full speed, trying to open up a gap, but both of his team mates and
Nuvolari were able to follow. The speed proved to be too much and on the next lap von Brauchitsch's engine exploded
and Nuvolari had to retire with a broken differential. Caracciola took over the lead followed closely by Lang.
On lap five a con-rod broke on Lang's engine and severed the main petrol pipe. Coming down to the chicane
at 300 km/h Lang suddenly found the interior of the car to be in flames. Lang was able to stop and
jump out but the car continued to burn as 200 litres of fuel poured out turning the car to a
complete wreck as all aluminum burnt away. After the race the remains of the car were lifted on a truck with a shovel!
Dreyfus, who was about to retire, showed good sportsmanship and made an extra lap to pick up Lang in his
Delahaye semi-sportscar. Lang sat on the fuel tank of the Delahaye on the way back to the pits.
Trossi, who had done a good race, felt ill and handled over the Maserati to Voiturette race winner
Luigi Villoresi. Villoresi made his debut as Grand Prix driver in style by setting full speed and he broke
the lap record twice before he had to retire with engine failure.
Both Hasse's and Müller's Auto Union cars retired with fuel pickup problems so Caracciola was the only
German driver left in a field that had shrunk to four by the time they took the chequered flag.
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Results
| Pos. | No. | Driver | Entrant | Car | Type | Engine | Laps | Time/Status | Diff |
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| 1. | 26 | Rudolf Caracciola | Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz | W154 | 3.0 | V-12 | 16 | 3h03m45.65s |
| 2. | 28 | Giuseppe Farina | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | Tipo 312 | 3.0 | V-12 | 16 | 3h07m11.64s | + 3m26.0s |
| 3. | 34 | Vittorio Belmondo | private entry/312 Alfa Corse? | Alfa Romeo | Tipo 308? | 3.0 | | 16 | 3h12m20.63s | + 8m35.1s |
| 4. | 48 | Gianfranco Comotti | Ecurie Bleue | Delahaye | 145 | 4.5 | V-12 | 15 | 3h12m35.00s |
| DNF | 44 | Rudolf Hasse | Auto Union AG | Auto Union | D | 3.0 | V-12 | 11 | fuel starvation? |
| DNF | 42 | C. F. Trossi / L. Villoresi | Officine A. Maserati | Maserati | 8CTF | 3.0 | S-8 | 10 | engine |
| DNF | 30 | Hermann Müller | Auto Union AG | Auto Union | C/D | 3.0 | V-12 | 8 | fuel starvation |
| DNF | 36 | René Dreyfus | Ecurie Bleue | Delahaye | 145 | 4.5 | V-12 | 6 | transmission/engine |
| DNF | 32 | Hermann Lang | Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz | W154 | 3.0 | V-12 | 4 | engine, fire |
| DNF | 38 | Clemente Biondetti | Alfa Corse | Alfa Romeo | Tipo 312 | 3.0 | V-12 | 1 | engine |
| DNF | 46 | Manfred von Brauchitsch | Daimler-Benz AG | Mercedes-Benz | W154 | 3.0 | V-12 | 1 | engine |
| DNF | 40 | Tazio Nuvolari | Auto Union AG | Auto Union | D | 3.0 | V-12 | 1 | differential |
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Fastest lap: Luigi Villoresi (Maserati) in 10m57.03s = 141.4 km/h (87.8 mph)
Winner's medium speed: 134.8 km/h (83.8 mph)
Pole position lap speed: 137.4 km/h (85.4 mph)
Weather:
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