THE HISTORY OF THE GRAND PRIX OF MONACO BY ROY HULSBERGEN

 

6th GrandPrix - 1934
April 2nd - 100 laps of 3.180 km - 318 km

Practice: The 750 kg Formula is introduced: car weight dry without oil, water, fuel or driver. Engine capacity is unlimited and 2.5 to 2.9 litre engines are used.
Chiron, Lehoux, Trossi, Moll, Varzi and Balestrero drive the Alfa Romeo P3 of the Ferrari team, which now have 2.9 litre engines producing 225 hp.
Three great drivers Borzacchini, Czaikowski and Campari have been lost at Monza. In practice ex World Champion, Robert Benoist, wrecks his car at the Ste-Devote corner and Rudolf Caracciola only participates as a spectator, due to his accident in 1933.
Count Trossi was also driving an Alfa Romeo of Scuderia Ferrari. In the official stand joining Prince Louis II are King Gustave of Sweden, King Alponse XIII of Spain and King Nicolas of Roumania. Mercedes and Auto Union are absent, they are still over the 750kg weight limit (without tyres, water, fuel and driver). Top speed of most cars is 300km/h.
The Easter weekend brings a crowd of more than 100.000 spectators.

Starting Grid

8 Dreyfus 1’59”

14 Etancelin 1’59”

22 Trossi 1’58”

Bugatti 59

Maserati 8CM

Alfa Romeo B

 

 

 

16 Chiron 2’

28 Nuvolari 1’59”

24 Varzi 1’59”

Alfa Romeo B

Bugatti 59

Alfa Romeo B

 

 

 

10 Wimille 2’

32 Taruffi 2’

20 Moll 2’

Bugatti 59

Maserati 4C

Alfa Romeo B

 

 

 

30 Siena 2’05”

4 Straight 2’02”

18 Lehoux 2’00”

Maserati 2.9

Maserati 8CM

Alfa Romeo B

 

 

 

2 Howe 2’08”

12 Veyron 2’06”

26 Balestrero 2’05”

Maserati 2.9

Bugatti 51

Alfa Romeo Monza

Race Result

1 Guy Moll (AL)

Alfa Romeo B 2.9 l 

3h31’31’  90.2

2 Chiron (MC)

Alfa Romeo B 2.9 l

+1’2”

3 Dreyfus (F)

Bugatti 59

+ 1 lap

4 Lehoux (F)

Alfa Romeo B 2.9 l

+ 1 lap

5 Nuvolari (I)

Bugatti 59

+ 2 laps

6 Varzi (I)

Alfa Romeo B 2.9 l

+ 2 laps

7 Straight (GB)

Maserati 2.9 l

+ 4 laps

8 Siena (I)

Maserati 2.9 l

+ 4 laps

9 Veyron (F)

Bugatti 51

+ 5 laps

10 Howe (GB)

Maserati 2.9

+ 15 laps

Fastest lap: Count Trossi, Alfa Romeo 2.9, 2’00”, 95.400 km/h


Guy Moll in the Alfa

 

Retired:

Wimille

lap 18

brakes

Balestrero

lap 51

bridge

Etancelin

lap 63

accident

Taruffi

lap 91

carburation

Trossi

lap 95

transmission


Pitlane open to the oncoming cars


Winning Guy Moll and his team boss Enzo Ferrari


Guy Moll and the cup

 

 

Race
The Principality is filled with people, who have slept in the open air or in their cars. There is a huge traffic jam towards Monaco in 1934!



At 13:30h Charles Faroux drops the flag and immediately Dreyfus takes the lead, but Chiron overtakes him in the first lap and holds his position. At lap 10 it is still Chiron followed by Dreyfus, Varzi, Etancelin, Moll, Nuvolari, Taruffi... The cars in the head group have not more than 35m between cars.


Dreyfus chased by Moll in the Station hairpin

There seemed to be some kind of mysterious problem with the fuel, because all cars had ignition problems and kept on changing spark plugs.
A fierce duel is going on between Varzi and Nuvolari. Etancelin overtakes Dreyfus at Beau Rivage and is 30 seconds behind the leader Chiron.


Eugenio Siena and Marcel Lehoux Tabac corner

In lap 40 it is Chiron, Etancelin, Dreyfus, Moll, Nuvolari, Varzi, Taruffi, Straight... Chiron laps Nuvolari in lap 50, how one race can be different from the next. Everyone except Chiron and Moll have problems with brakes and ignition. Dreyfus abandons in lap 65 and Moll takes the gap in second place, while Nuvolari falls back to 6th place with fading brakes.  


Veyron followed by Trossi and Howe turning into Tabac

After 80 laps many abandons and Moll 1'27" behind Chiron. Moll slows and assures his 2nd place, realising he cannot catch up with Chiron.
In lap 97 Chiron trying to do a final lap in 1'58", slips on an oil puddle at the train station, goes straight into the sand bags, valuable time is lost and Moll takes the lead. Chiron disengages from the sandbags and holds second place. The newcomer Moll from the "Scuderia" is in the lead with half a lap advance takes the flag. Hordes of people invaded the circuit to congratulate the overwhelmed Guy Moll.
The young algerian driver with his precise and calm driving wins his major GP without a single pit stop.
Three months later at the Coppa Acerbo he is killed in an accident


Nuvolarin in Bugatti



Varzi in the Alfa