 Op 2
oktober 1948 werd het Silverstone circuit voor het eerst sinds de tweede
wereldoorlog in gebruik genomen. Er was twintig jaar over gegaan eer de
Royal Automobile Club nog eens een Grand Prix organiseerde. Het was een
rush omdat pas in juli van 1948 de gesprekken begonnen om het luchtveld
om te dopen in een circuit. De dominante Alfa Romea's bleven op
het laatste moment weg. Men verwachtte daarom wel een boeiende race
tussen de twaalf cylinder sterke Ferrari's en de Maserati's (gepiloteerd
door Villoresi, Brooke en Parnell...).
Hier volgt
het authentieke relaas (mét uitslagen) van de eerste koers op het
Silverstone Cicuit.
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..."History
was made at home by the return of the Royal Automobile Club to the ranks
of Grand Prix organizing clubs and the introduction into the racing almanac
of a new name—Silverstone— around which the beginnings of great
tradition are already discernible. A vast crowd, never perhaps to be
accurately computed, invaded the South Midlands circuit on October
2—and came away convinced that, if we can’ t have real road racing
(and apparently we can’t, despite continued efforts to secure the
release of Donington Park), first-class airfield racing can be a highly
acceptable next-best. As was to be expected, the Scuderia Ambrosiana
Maseratis of Villoresi and Ascari, both brilliantly driven, proved too
much for a British opposition corn pounded mainly of pre-’war E.RA.s
and later Maseratis lacking quite the edge” of the visiting stars’
machines, and no one begrudged this pair their one-two placing. On the
other hand, by finishing third on his B/C-type E.R.A. only 2 min 3 sec
behind the winner, Bob Gerard again showed what wonders can be worked by
an impeccably prepared veteran car, driven with fine precision and
backed by painstaking pit organization.
Gerard’s
Silverstone showing, taken together with his victory in the Junior Car
Club’s Jersey International Road Race, easily qualified him for the
Un- official and somewhat unwieldy title of the most successful British
driver in 1948 British circuit racing"...
| R.A.C.
Grand Prix, Silverstone Circuit (238,5 miles 3,67-mile lap) |
| 1st |
Maserati |
Villoresi |
72.28
mph |
| 2nd |
Maserati |
Ascari |
72.19
mph |
| 3rd |
E.R.A. |
Gerard |
71.54
mph |
(The Autocar, December 31, 1948) |
