Circuit des Nations


The Circuit des Nations is a long street circuit of 4110 meters between Lake Geneva and the Place des Nations in Geneva, Switzerland. It hosted the Grand Prix de Nations, similar to a Formula One race; the Grand Prix de Genève, similar to a Formula Two race; and various championship events. The first Grand Prix de Genève was held in Meyrin in 1931 and won by Marcel Lehoux, racing for Bugatti.

Geneva race-track (Switzerland)

The Geneva race-track was established between the lake and the Nations square. Its length was. Grand-Prix races were organised after World War II, on this track, similar to Formula 1 or Formula 2 races, as well as non championship ones. In total 5 major events happened on this track between 1946 and 1950.
Key pilots came here to compete: among them Giuseppe Farina, Raymond Sommer, Maurice Trintignant, Juan Manuel Fangio, Prince Bira.
The closest race-tracks were Aix les Bains – France and Lausanne. All were temporary urban race-tracks that disappeared shortly after the Le Mans accident in 1955, or before.
DateRaceRace trackCategoryLap length
July 21, 19461st Grand Prix des NationsCircuit des NationsGrand Prix FIASwitzerland
May 2, 19482nd Grand Prix de GenèveCircuit des NationsFormula 2 FIA, non-championship
May 2, 19482nd Grand Prix des NationsCircuit des NationsFormula 1 FIA, non-championship
July 30, 19503rd Grand Prix de GenèveCircuit des NationsFormula 2 FIA, non-championship
July 30, 19503rd Grand Prix des NationsCircuit des NationsFormula 1 FIA, non-championship

Note: contradictory information about the length of the track have been witnessed. Measurement on maps indicate that the shorter length is more likely.

1st Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Grand Prix, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 21, 1946
44 laps of the urban race track of, or, at an average speed of.
PositionPilotCar
1 Giuseppe FarinaAlfa Romeo 158
2 Carlo Felice TrossiAlfa Romeo 158
3 Jean-Pierre WimilleAlfa Romeo 158
4 Tazio NuvolariMaserati 4CL
5 Emmanuel de GraffenriedMaserati 4CL
6 Prince BiraERA B
7 Achille VarziAlfa Romeo 158
8 Raymond SommerMaserati 4CL
DNF George AbecassisAlta
DNF Reg ParnellMaserati 4CL
DNF Luigi VilloresiMaserati 4CL

2nd Grand Prix de Genève

FIA Formula 2, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 1948
70 laps of the urban race-track , or, at an average speed of.
PositionPilotTeamCar
1 Raymond SommerEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T11
2 Prince BiraEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T11
3 Robert ManzonEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T11
4 Harry SchellEcurie BleueCisitalia D46-Fiat
5 "Robert"Ecurie PanoCisitalia D46-Fiat
6 Claude BernheimEcurie AutosportCisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF Raymond de SaugéRaymond de Saugé DestrezCisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF Carlo PesciCarlo PesciCisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF Roger LoyerEcurie de ParisCisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF Maurice TrintignantEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T11
DNF Hans StuckHans StuckCisitalia D46-Fiat
DNF Rudolf FischerEcurie EspadonSimca-Gordini T11
DQ Walter TriverioEcurie PanoCisitalia D46-Fiat

2nd Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Formula 1, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 1948
80 laps of the urban race-track or, at an average speed of.
PositionPilotCar
1 Giuseppe FarinaMaserati 4CLT
2 Emmanuel de GraffenriedMaserati 4CL
3 Raymond SommerFerrari 166SC
4 Eugène ChaboudDelahaye 135S
5 Henri LouveauDelage D6.70
6 Clemar BucciMaserati 4CL
DNF Jean-Pierre WimilleSimca-Gordini T15
DNF Charles PozziTalbot-Lago T150C
DNF Louis RosierTalbot-Lago 150SS
DNF Yves Giraud-CabantousTalbot-Lago 150C
DNF Nello PaganiMaserati 4CL
DNF Luigi VilloresiMaserati 4CL
DNF Luigi FagioliMaserati 4CL
DNF Maurice TrintignantSimca-Gordini T15
DNF Prince BiraMaserati 4CL
DNF Richard RamseyerMaserati 4CL
DNF Louis ChironTalbot-Lago T26 SS

3rd Grand Prix de Genève

FIA Formula 2, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 30, 1950
45 laps of the urban race-track or, at an average speed of.
PositionPilotTeamCar
1 Maurice TrintignantEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T15
2 André SimonEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T15
3 Dorino SerafiniScuderia FerrariFerrari 166F2
4 Roberto MieresAutomovil Club ArgentinaMaserati 4CLT/48
5 André CanonicaAndré CanonicaSimca-Gordini T11
6 Lance MacklinHW Motors Ltd.HWM/Alta
7 Alfred DattnerAlfred DattnerSimca-Gordini T11
8 Luigi VilloresiScuderia FerrariFerrari 166F2
9 Toni BrancaMme. WalckiersSimca-Gordini T15
10 "Robert"Ecurie ParisCisitalia D46/Fiat
DNF Mario TadiniScuderia FerrariFerrari 166F2
DNF Aldo GordiniEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T15
DNF Roger LoyerEcurie ParisSimca-Gordini T16
DNF Paul GlauserEcurie SuisseVeritas Meteor
DNF Alexander OrleyAlexander OrleyVeritas Meteor
DNF George AbecassisHW Motors Ltd.HWM/Alta
DNF Ernesto TornqvistEquipe GordiniSimca-Gordini T11
DNF Harry SchellHorschell Racing CorporationCooper T12/JAP

3rd Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Formula 1, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 30, 1950
68 laps of the urban race-track or, at an average speed of.
PositionPilotCar
1 Juan Manuel FangioAlfa Romeo 158
2 Emmanuel de GraffenriedAlfa Romeo 158
3 Piero TaruffiAlfa Romeo 158
4 Alberto AscariFerrari 125
5 Yves Giraud-CabantousTalbot-Lago T26C
6 Giuseppe FarinaAlfa Romeo 158
7 Robert ManzonSimca-Gordini T15
8 Louis ChironMaserati 4CLT-48
9 Luigi VilloresiFerrari 125
10 Johnny ClaesTalbot-Lago T26C
11 Felice BonettoMaserati Milano 4CLT-50
12 Franco RolMaserati 4CLT-48
13 Toni BrancaMaserati 4CL
DNF Raymond SommerTalbot-Lago T26C
DNF Reg ParnellMaserati 4CLT-48
DNF Prince BiraMaserati 4CLT-48
DNF David MurrayMaserati 4CLT-48
DNF Gianfranco ComottiMaserati Milano 4CLT-50
DNF Harry SchellMaserati 4CLT-48
DNF José Froilán GonzálezMaserati 4CLT-48

A tragic end

Towards the end of the third Grand Prix des Nations, the engine of Alberto Ascari's Ferrari 340 blew up, pouring oil onto the corner at the end of the Avenue de la Paix. Behind him Luigi Villoresi, in a Ferrari 275, could not avoid the oil, his car skidded, went over the security barrier and ploughed into the crowd. Three spectators were killed, another twenty were injured. Villoresi survived with a severely fractured leg.
After this tragedy, stemming like others from the use of street circuits ill-adapted to increasingly high-speed motor racing, the organisers cancelled the following year's event. Geneva would never again host a Grand Prix race.
In 1958 motor racing was banned altogether by the Swiss government as an unsafe spectator sport following the death of 80 people at the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans race.