1937 Donington Grand Prix

Infobox Grand Prix race report
Type = GP
Grand Prix = Donington
Date = October 2
Year = 1937
Official name = III Donington Grand Prix
Country = United Kingdom

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Location = Donington Park
Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Course_mi = 3.125
Course_km = 5.029
Distance_laps = 80
Distance_mi = 250.0
Distance_km = 402.3
Pole_Driver = Manfred von Brauchitsch
Pole_Team = Mercedes-Benz
Pole_Country = Germany
Pole_flag_suffix = Nazi
Pole_Time = 2:10.4
Fast_Driver = Bernd Rosemeyer
Fast_Team = Auto Union
Fast_Time = 2:11.4
Fast_Country = Germany
Fast_flag_suffix = Nazi
Fast_Driver2 = Manfred von Brauchitsch
Fast_Team2 = Mercedes-Benz
Fast_Country2 = Germany
Fast_flag_suffix2 = Nazi
First_Driver = Bernd Rosemeyer
First_Team = Auto Union
First_Country = Germany
First_flag_suffix = Nazi
Second_Driver = Manfred von Brauchitsch
Second_Team = Mercedes-Benz
Second_Country = Germany
Second_flag_suffix = Nazi
Third_Driver = Rudolf Caracciola
Third_Team = Mercedes-Benz
Third_Country = Germany
Third_flag_suffix = Nazi

The 1937 Donington Grand Prix was a Grand Prix race held on October 2, 1937 at the Donington Park circuit.

Race Report

In the race, Hermann Lang led the first few laps but retired with a broken damper, and British driver Richard Seaman followed shortly after. The lead changed hands several times between Manfred von Brauchitsch, Bernd Rosemeyer and Rudolf Caracciola. Whilst in the lead for a second time, von Brauchitsch suffered a puncture, allowing Rosemeyer to pass him and lead the race while his Auto Union teammates could not keep up with the tricky mid-engined car. Rosemeyer stayed in the lead until the end and took the win after 80 laps, with four other German cars completing the full distance within the next minutes before the race was flagged off for good.

In "When the Germans came to Donington", Rodney Walkerleycite web
title=When the Germans came to Donington
first=Rodney
last=Walkerley
work=Grand Prix History
url=http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/donig1937.htm
accessdate=2007-07-25 ] describes the impression the German cars made on British journalists who had not yet witnessed them, being confident in the skills and machinery of British racers.

Away beyond the woods we heard the approaching scream of a well-tuned E.R.A. and down the winding slope towards us came Raymond Mays. He changed down, braked, skirted round the Hairpin and was gone.

"There's the winner," remarked one of my friends. "Knows this course backwards."

Half a minute later came the deeper note of a 2.9-litre Maserati, and "B. Bira" (Prince Birabongse of Siam, Mays’ nearest rival and a new star in the racing firmament) shot past us, cornering with that precision which marked him as the master he was.

"Or him," said another.

We waited again. Then they came.

Far away in the distance we heard an angry, deep-throated roaring - as someone once remarked, like hungry lions impatient for the arena. A few moments later, Manfred von Brauchitsch, red helmeted, brought a great, silver projectile snaking down the hill, and close behind, his teammate Rudolf Caracciola, then at the height of his great career. The two cars took the hairpin, von Brauchitsch almost sideways, and rocketed away out of sight with long plumes of rubber smoke trailing from their huge rear tyres, in a deafening crash of sound.

The startled Pressmen gazed at each other, awe-struck.

"Strewth," gasped one of them, "so that's what they're like!"

That was what they were like.

Entries

Notes::* Arthur Hyde withdrew before qualifying, thinking he was too slow.

References

:"Session results taken from:"
# cite web
title=1937 AIACR European Driver Championship
work=The GEL Motorsport Information Page
url=http://www.teamdan.com/archive/gen/1937/1937r.html#doni
accessdate=2007-07-25
# cite web
title= III Donington Grand Prix
work= [http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/main.htm The Golden Era of Grand Prix Racing]
url=http://www.kolumbus.fi/leif.snellman/gp376.htm#46
accessdate=2007-07-25

External links

* [http://www.ddavid.com/formula1/donig1937.htm "When the Germans came to Donington"]

Grand Prix race report
Name_of_race = Donington Grand Prix
Year_of_race = 1937
Previous_year's_race = 1936 Donington Grand Prix
Next_year's_race = 1938 Donington Grand Prix