1959 French Grand Prix

1959 French Grand Prix
← Previous race Next race →
Reims layout
Race details
Date	5 July 1959
Official name	XLV Grand Prix de l'ACF
Location	Reims circuit, Reims, France
Course	Temporary road course
Course length	8.348 km (5.187 miles)
Distance	50 laps, 417.383 km (259.350 miles)
Weather	Hot, dry
Pole position
Driver	Tony Brooks	Ferrari
Time	2:19.4
Fastest lap
Driver	Stirling Moss	BRM
Time	2:22.8
Podium
First	Tony Brooks	Ferrari
Second	Phil Hill	Ferrari
Third	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax
Lap leaders

The 1959 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on 5 July 1959. It was race 4 of 9 in the 1959 World Championship of Drivers and race 3 of 8 in the 1959 International Cup for Formula One Manufacturers. It was the 37th French Grand Prix and the twelfth to be held at the Reims highway circuit and the fourth to be held on the longer and faster 8.348 km layout. The race was held over 50 laps of the eight kilometre circuit for a race distance of 417 kilometres.

The race was won by British driver Tony Brooks driving a Ferrari 246 F1. Brooks dominated the race, leading all 50 laps and winning by 27 seconds over his American Scuderia Ferrari teammate Phil Hill. Brooks said after the race a sticking throttle in the closing laps made it more difficult than the result seemed. Australian driver Jack Brabham was over a minute behind in third position driving a Cooper T51 for the factory Cooper racing team after stopping to get new goggles as the circuit broke up.

Race day was very hot, to the point where the bitumen started to melt. Race cars were dislodging aggregate stones as the race went on causing American Masten Gregory to retire with cuts to his face, and Graham Hill to retire his Lotus 16 after his radiator was holed.

Stirling Moss was disqualified from eighth position after receiving a push-start in his British Racing Partnership entered BRM P25. Moss had pushed his car hard trying to overcome a failing gearbox, claiming a new lap record. Jean Behra too pushed hard in his Ferrari 246 F1, climbing into third racing against no less than four teammates at this race. Behra's engine broke under his charge and the Frenchman had a heated discussion with team manager Romolo Tavoni which ended with Behra punching Tavoni. It would be Behra's last race for Ferrari, with the Frenchman being fired for the assault.

The win was the first of the season for Scuderia Ferrari and moved Brooks into second place overall, five points behind Brabham. Hill's second position moved him into third in the championship.

Classification

Qualifying

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Time	Gap
1	24	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	2:19.4	—
2	8	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	2:19.7	+0.3
3	26	Phil Hill	Ferrari	2:19.8	+0.4
4	2	Stirling Moss	BRM	2:19.9	+0.5
5	30	Jean Behra	Ferrari	2:20.2	+0.8
6	4	Jo Bonnier	BRM	2:20.6	+1.2
7	10	Masten Gregory	Cooper-Climax	2:20.8	+1.4
8	14	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	2:21.3	+1.9
9	6	Harry Schell	BRM	2:21.5	+2.1
10	12	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	2:21.5	+2.1
11	22	Olivier Gendebien	Ferrari	2:21.5	+2.1
12	28	Dan Gurney	Ferrari	2:21.9	+2.5
13	44	Ron Flockhart	BRM	2:23.4	+4.0
14	32	Graham Hill	Lotus-Climax	2:23.7	+4.3
15	34	Innes Ireland	Lotus-Climax	2:24.2	+4.8
16	16	Roy Salvadori	Cooper-Maserati	2:26.4	+7.0
17	20	Colin Davis	Cooper-Maserati	2:32.3	+12.9
18	38	Fritz d'Orey	Maserati	2:34.0	+14.6
19	18	Ian Burgess	Cooper-Maserati	2:35.2	+15.8
20	42	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Maserati	2:35.4	+16.0
21	40	Giorgio Scarlatti	Maserati	2:35.6	+16.2
DNS	36	Asdrúbal Fontes Bayardo	Maserati
Source:

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid	Points
1	24	Tony Brooks	Ferrari	50	2:01:26.5	1	8
2	26	Phil Hill	Ferrari	50	+ 27.5	3	6
3	8	Jack Brabham	Cooper-Climax	50	+ 1:37.7	2	4
4	22	Olivier Gendebien	Ferrari	50	+ 1:47.5	11	3
5	12	Bruce McLaren	Cooper-Climax	50	+ 1:47.7	10	2
6	44	Ron Flockhart	BRM	50	+ 2:05.7	13
7	6	Harry Schell	BRM	47	+ 3 Laps	9
8	40	Giorgio Scarlatti	Maserati	41	+ 9 Laps	21
9	42	Carel Godin de Beaufort	Maserati	40	+ 10 Laps	20
10	38	Fritz d'Orey	Maserati	40	+ 10 Laps	18
11	14	Maurice Trintignant	Cooper-Climax	36	+ 14 Laps	8
DSQ	2	Stirling Moss	BRM	42	Push start	4	11
Ret	30	Jean Behra	Ferrari	31	Engine	5
Ret	16	Roy Salvadori	Cooper-Maserati	20	Engine	16
Ret	28	Dan Gurney	Ferrari	19	Radiator	12
Ret	34	Innes Ireland	Lotus-Climax	14	Wheel	15
Ret	18	Ian Burgess	Cooper-Maserati	13	Engine	19
Ret	10	Masten Gregory	Cooper-Climax	8	Physical	7
Ret	32	Graham Hill	Lotus-Climax	7	Radiator	14
Ret	20	Colin Davis	Cooper-Maserati	7	Oil Leak	17
Ret	4	Jo Bonnier	BRM	6	Engine	6
DNS	36	Asdrúbal Fontes Bayardo	Maserati
Source:

Notes

• ^1 – 1 point for fastest lap

Notes

• This was the first fastest lap for a BRM.
• This was Ferrari's 5th Formula One World Championship Grand Prix win of a French Grand Prix, both as a constructor and an engine supplier.

Championship standings after the race

Drivers' Championship standings

	Pos	Driver	Points
	1	Jack Brabham	19
2	2	Tony Brooks	14
6	3	Phil Hill	9
2	4	Joakim Bonnier	8
2	5	Rodger Ward	8
Source:

Constructors' Championship standings

	Pos	Constructor	Points
	1	Cooper-Climax	18
1	2	Ferrari	16
1	3	BRM	8
	4	Lotus-Climax	3
Source:

• Notes: Only the top five positions are included for both sets of standings.