The 1925 European Grand Prix was held in Belgium in Spa. It was the first official and international Grand Prix on this racetrack. And it was the first Grand Prix race, allowing only the driver in the car, without a mechanic. The 14.98 km tracl was rounded 54 times, resulting in a total race distance of just less than 810 km. This first race under the AIACR regaulations was a real disappointment, as merely seven cars were entered. Three Alfa’s and four Delage’s, but both with the strongest driver teams of the last two 2-liter years.. The first two cars were Alfa’s; all the rest became DNF’s. Antonio Ascari in the Alfa Romeo P2 was the winner; Guiseppe Campari was second.
Text and jpegs by courtesy of hathitrust.org www.hathitrust.org, compiled by motorracinghistory.com
MOTOR AGE Vol. XLVIII, No. 5, July 30, 1925
Alfa Romeo Wins European Grand Prix
SPA, Belgium, July 6. — (By mail.) — Antoine Ascari, automobile dealer at Milan, won the European Grand Prix here, driving a straight eight super- charged 122-inch Alfa Romeo car at an average speed of 74.46 miles an hour for a distance of 500 miles. Campari, on a sister machine, finished in second place 22 minutes behind the winner. No other cars finished the race.
The European Grand Prix, which theoretically is the most important speed contest in Europe, was entrusted to Bel- gium this year and was run over a short hilly and winding road course in the neighborhood of Spa. Only twelve en- tries were received and only seven cars (three Alfa Romeos and four Delage’s) faced the starter.
All four of the twelve-cylinder Delage’s, driven by Rene Thomas, Benoist, Divo and Torchy, were forced out of the race. In addition, one of the Alfa Romeos, driven by Brilli Perri, dropped out of the race after breaking a spring clip. The two Italians, Ascari and Campari, took the lead at the beginning and were never headed. Divo, who had a 1925 super- charged Delage, attempted to catch the Italian cars and set up a lap record at 79.4 miles an hour, but immediately after this Ascari spurted up to 81½ miles for a lap.
Rene Thomas dropped out after his car had taken fire and he had been slightly burned on the left hand. The gas tank on Benoist’s Delage was pierced by a flying stone. The exact reason for the withdrawal of the two other Delage’s was not ascertained.
The failure of Delage to place a single car in a road race coming just one month before the French Grand Prix is a surprise and disappointment to French partisans.
Alfa Romeo used last year’s cars rebuilt. These were designed by Engineer Jano, formerly with the Fiat Company, and have very much in common with the Fiat recently driven by Bordino in America. Up to half distance Ascari averaged 77 miles an hour, but when the Delage’s had been weeded out he reduced his speed, his average for the full distance dropping to slightly less than 74½ miles an hour.
PARIS, July 27. – Antoine Ascari, Milan automobile dealer who drove the winning car in the Grand Prix d’Europe at Spa, Belgium, was killed at the Montlhéry track here yesterday while driving in the French Grand Prix race. His car skidded at a turn after a drizzling rain had wet the track.
Photo’s
Preparing for start of European Grand Prix race. Ascari, the winner, is seen to the right in car No. 2. Campari, second, is directly behind in No. 6.
Ascari stopping at pits during race. Closeup view of Campari, who was second in big race
