The European Grand Prix
(sometimes referred to as the Grand Prix of Europe
) is a Formula One event that was reintroduced during the mid-1980s and has been held regularly since 1999. From 2008 it will take place for at least another 7 years. In earlier years, one of the national Grands Prix was also designated as the European
Grand Prix. The first race to be so named was the 1923 Italian Grand Prix, held at Monza and won by Carlo Salamano in a Fiat.
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EUROPEAN GRAND PRIX TICKETS
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Historical
The European Grand Prix was created as an honorific title by the AIACR, the
FIA's predecessor in the organisation of motor racing events. The first race to receive the title was the
Italian Grand Prix, in 1923, and it was followed by the
French Grand Prix and
Belgian Grand Prix. After a hiatus in 1929, Spa received the last honorific title of the pre-WWII years, in 1930.
The title was revived by the
FIA after World War II, and was first given to the
Belgian Grand Prix in 1947, and was distributed across several countries until the
1977 British Grand Prix, the last race to receive the honourific title. All post-war honourific European Grands Prix were F1 races.
First modern incarnation
The event was initially created as a stopgap. In 1983, the Formula One schedule originally featured a race near
Flushing Meadows Park in
New York. When the race was cancelled three months before the event, track organizers at
Brands Hatch were able to create a
European Grand Prix at the track in its place. The success of the event, buoyed by a spirited battle for the World Championship, led to the event returning on the schedule the following year.
Brands Hatch was unable to host the European Grand Prix in 1984, as it was hosting the
British Grand Prix in even numbered years (alternating with
Silverstone) so the European GP went to a redesigned and shorter
Nürburgring circuit in 1984. It was a far cry from the 14 mile Nürburgring that most were used to seeing, and was initially unpopular during Formula One's return. Brands Hatch returned to host the European Grand Prix in 1985, but the race was replaced in 1986 by the
Hungarian Grand Prix.
Second modern incarnation
In 1990, a wealthy
Japanese businessman,
Tomonori Tsurumaki, built an extravagant (and remote) race track called
Nippon Autopolis with the idea of hosting a Formula One race. In 1992, plans were made to have an
Asian Grand Prix in 1993 to replace the
Mexican Grand Prix on the schedule. However, these plans failed to materialize. Instead,
Bernie Ecclestone added a race at
Donington Park to the schedule, which brought back the European Grand Prix moniker. The race was the brainchild of
Tom Wheatcroft, who had been trying to bring F1 to the track since an abortive attempt to host the British Grand Prix in 1988. The first (and so far only) race at Donington Park resulted in
Ayrton Senna's famous victory in wet/dry conditions where he essentially lapped the field.
The European race would go to
Jerez the following season, and then returned to Nürburgring, which was now popular again with drivers. Because of this it hosted the race again in 1996, but after complaints that no other countries were to get the race, the Nürburgring race was renamed the
Luxembourg Grand Prix. Jerez got the race back in 1997 as a replacement for the
Portuguese Grand Prix. Jerez hosted the season finale that year, and it was the site of the famous incident between
Michael Schumacher and
Jacques Villeneuve which saw Schumacher get disqualified from the championship. It was also the scene of
Mika Häkkinen's first Formula One victory.
In 1998, the European Grand Prix was dropped from the schedule, but returned in 1999 when the race at Nürburgring re-adopted the European Grand Prix name.
The 1999 race was notable for the torrential rain conditions which saw many experienced drivers slide off the circuit, presenting
Johnny Herbert with the opportunity to take
Stewart Grand Prix's first (and only) victory in its final season before being sold to
Ford.
The race continued to be held at the
Nürburgring until 2007. On
August 29,
2006 it was announced that it had been removed from the F1 calendar for the 2007 season. From then there would only be one GP hosted in Germany each year, alternating between Hockenheimring and Nürburgring. However, what the name of this Grand Prix would be was uncertain for a time; while originally intended to be the
German Grand Prix from 2007
[1], the Nürburgring race of 2007 was renamed "Großer Preis von Europa" (European Grand Prix)
[2] due to a dispute over the ownership of the title German Grand Prix.
[3]
In
2008 the European Grand Prix took place in
Valencia,
Spain, and will do so again in
2009. During the 2009 event, Valencia signed a deal for a further 5 races, which puts Valencia on the calendar until
2014.
Sponsors
John Player Grand Prix of Europe
1983
AvD Grand Prix of Europe
1984
Shell Oils Grand Prix of Europe
1985
Sega European Grand Prix
1993
Warsteiner Grand Prix of Europe
1999-2001
Allianz Grand Prix of Europe
2002-2005,2007
Vodafone Grand Prix of Europe
2006
Telefónica Grand Prix of Europe
2008-
Winners of the European Grands Prix
Repeat winners
Only includes standalone events
| Number of wins
| Driver
| Achieved
|
| 6
| Michael Schumacher
| 1994, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006
|
| 2
| Fernando Alonso
| 2005, 2007
|
| Rubens Barrichello
| 2002, 2009
|
The European Grand Prix as a standalone event
| Year
| Driver
| Constructor
| Location
| Report
|
| 2009
| Rubens Barrichello
| Brawn-Mercedes
| Valencia
| Report
|
| 2008
| Felipe Massa
| Ferrari
| Valencia
| Report
|
| 2007
| Fernando Alonso
| McLaren-Mercedes
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2006
| Michael Schumacher
| Ferrari
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2005
| Fernando Alonso
| Renault
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2004
| Michael Schumacher
| Ferrari
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2003
| Ralf Schumacher
| Williams-BMW
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2002
| Rubens Barrichello
| Ferrari
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2001
| Michael Schumacher
| Ferrari
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 2000
| Michael Schumacher
| Ferrari
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1999
| Johnny Herbert
| Stewart-Ford
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1998
| Not held
|
| 1997
| Mika Häkkinen
| McLaren-Mercedes
| Jerez
| Report
|
| 1996
| Jacques Villeneuve
| Williams-Renault
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1995
| Michael Schumacher
| Benetton-Renault
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1994
| Michael Schumacher
| Benetton-Ford
| Jerez
| Report
|
| 1993
| Ayrton Senna
| McLaren-Ford
| Donington
| Report
|
1986
-92
| Not held
|
| 1985
| Nigel Mansell
| Williams-Honda
| Brands Hatch
| Report
|
| 1984
| Alain Prost
| McLaren-TAG
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1983
| Nelson Piquet
| Brabham-BMW
| Brands Hatch
| Report
|
The European Grand Prix as an honorary designation
| Year
| Driver
| Constructor
| Designated Grand Prix
| Location
| Report
|
| 1977
| James Hunt
| McLaren-Ford
| British Grand Prix
| Silverstone
| Report
|
| 1976
| James Hunt
| McLaren-Ford
| Dutch Grand Prix
| Zandvoort
| Report
|
| 1975
| Vittorio Brambilla
| March-Ford
| Austrian Grand Prix
| Österreichring
| Report
|
| 1974
| Clay Regazzoni
| Ferrari
| German Grand Prix
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1973
| Jackie Stewart
| Tyrrell-Ford
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Zolder
| Report
|
| 1972
| Emerson Fittipaldi
| Lotus-Ford
| British Grand Prix
| Brands Hatch
| Report
|
1969
-71
| Not held
|
| 1968
| Jackie Stewart
| Matra-Ford
| German Grand Prix
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1967
| John Surtees
| Honda
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
| 1966
| Jack Brabham
| Brabham-Repco
| French Grand Prix
| Reims-Gueux
| Report
|
| 1965
| Jim Clark
| Lotus-Climax
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Spa-Francorchamps
| Report
|
| 1964
| Jim Clark
| Lotus-Climax
| British Grand Prix
| Brands Hatch
| Report
|
| 1963
| Graham Hill
| BRM
| Monaco Grand Prix
| Monaco
| Report
|
| 1962
| Graham Hill
| BRM
| Dutch Grand Prix
| Zandvoort
| Report
|
| 1961
| Stirling Moss
| Lotus-Climax
| German Grand Prix
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1960
| Phil Hill
| Ferrari
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
| 1959
| Tony Brooks
| Ferrari
| French Grand Prix
| Reims-Gueux
| Report
|
| 1958
| Tony Brooks
| Vanwall
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Spa-Francorchamps
| Report
|
| 1957
| Tony Brooks
Stirling Moss
| Vanwall
| British Grand Prix
| Aintree
| Report
|
| 1956
| Stirling Moss
| Maserati
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
| 1955
| Maurice Trintignant
| Ferrari
| Monaco Grand Prix
| Monaco
| Report
|
| 1954
| Juan Manuel Fangio
| Mercedes-Benz
| German Grand Prix
| Nürburgring
| Report
|
| 1953
| Not held
|
| 1952
| Alberto Ascari
| Ferrari
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Spa-Francorchamps
| Report
|
| 1951
| Luigi Fagioli
Juan Manuel Fangio
| Alfa Romeo
| French Grand Prix
| Reims-Gueux
| Report
|
| 1950
| Giuseppe Farina
| Alfa Romeo
| British Grand Prix
| Silverstone
| Report
|
| 1949
| Alberto Ascari
| Ferrari
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
| 1948
| Carlo Felice Trossi
| Alfa Romeo
| Swiss Grand Prix
| Bremgarten
| Report
|
| 1947
| Jean-Pierre Wimille
| Alfa Romeo
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Spa-Francorchamps
| Report
|
1931
-46
| Not held
|
| 1930
| Louis Chiron
| Bugatti
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Spa-Francorchamps
| Report
|
| 1929
| Not held
|
| 1928
| Louis Chiron
| Bugatti
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
| 1927
| Robert Benoist
| Delage
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
| 1926
| Jules Goux
| Bugatti
| San Sebastián Grand Prix
| Lasarte
| Report
|
| 1925
| Antonio Ascari
| Alfa Romeo
| Belgian Grand Prix
| Spa-Francorchamps
| Report
|
| 1924
| Giuseppe Campari
| Alfa Romeo
| French Grand Prix
| Lyon
| Report
|
| 1923
| Carlo Salamano
| Fiat
| Italian Grand Prix
| Monza
| Report
|
References
- 2007 FIA Formula One championship circuit and lap information, published on February 14, 2007
- Nürburgring
- The race held at Nürburgring in 2007 was originally going to be called the German Grand Prix but the title was changed to European Grand Prix due to the dispute over the ownership of the German Grand Prix name. See Autosport: Name row leads to return of European GP