1937 Donington Grand Prix

The 1937 Donington Grand Prix was a Grand Prix motor race held on 2 October 1937 at the Donington Park circuit.

1937 Donington Grand Prix
Race details
Date	2 October 1937
Official name	III Donington Grand Prix
Location	Donington Park Leicestershire, United Kingdom
Course	Permanent racing facility
Course length	5.029 km (3.125 miles)
Distance	80 laps, 402.3 km (250.0 miles)
Weather	Sunny, slightly misty, dry.[1]
Attendance	50,000[1]
Pole position
Driver	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz
Time	2:10.4
Fastest lap
Drivers	Bernd Rosemeyer	Auto Union
Fastest lap	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz
Time	2:11.4
Podium
First	Bernd Rosemeyer	Auto Union
Second	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz
Third	Rudolf Caracciola	Mercedes-Benz

Race report

In the race, Hermann Lang led the first few laps but retired with a broken damper, and British driver Richard Seaman followed shortly after. The lead changed hands several times between Manfred von Brauchitsch, Bernd Rosemeyer and Rudolf Caracciola. Whilst in the lead for a second time, von Brauchitsch suffered a puncture, allowing Rosemeyer to pass him and lead the race while his Auto Union teammates could not keep up with the tricky mid-engined car. Rosemeyer stayed in the lead until the end and took the win after 80 laps, with four other German cars completing the full distance within the next minutes before the race was flagged off for good.

In "When the Germans came to Donington", Rodney Walkerley^[2] describes the impression the German cars made on British journalists who had not yet witnessed them, being confident in the skills and machinery of British racers.

Away beyond the woods we heard the approaching scream of a well-tuned E.R.A. and down the winding slope towards us came Raymond Mays. He changed down, braked, skirted round the Hairpin and was gone.

"There's the winner," remarked one of my friends. "Knows this course backwards."

Half a minute later came the deeper note of a 2.9-litre Maserati, and "B. Bira" (Prince Birabongse of Siam, Mays’ nearest rival and a new star in the racing firmament) shot past us, cornering with that precision which marked him as the master he was.

"Or him," said another.

We waited again. Then they came.

Far away in the distance we heard an angry, deep-throated roaring – as someone once remarked, like hungry lions impatient for the arena. A few moments later, Manfred von Brauchitsch, red helmeted, brought a great, silver projectile snaking down the hill, and close behind, his teammate Rudolf Caracciola, then at the height of his great career. The two cars took the hairpin, von Brauchitsch almost sideways, and rocketed away out of sight with long plumes of rubber smoke trailing from their huge rear tyres, in a deafening crash of sound.

The startled Pressmen gazed at each other, awe-struck.

"Strewth," gasped one of them, "so that's what they're like!"

That was what they were like.

Manfred Von Brauchitsch, Mercedes-Benz

Percy Maclure, Riley

Rudolf Hasse, Auto Union

Robin Hanson, Maserati

Entries

No	Driver	Entrant	Constructor	Car
1	Rudolf Caracciola	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	W125
2	Hermann Lang	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	W125
2	Christian Kautz	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	W125
3	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	W125
4	Richard Seaman	Daimler-Benz AG	Mercedes-Benz	W125
5	Bernd Rosemeyer	Auto Union	Auto Union	Type C
6	Rudolf Hasse	Auto Union	Auto Union	Type C
7	Hermann Paul Müller	Auto Union	Auto Union	Type C
8	Raymond Mays	H. W. Cook	ERA
9	Earl Howe	H. W. Cook	ERA
10	Arthur Dobson	H. W. Cook	ERA	B
19
11	Prince Bira	Private	Maserati	8CM
12	Arthur Hyde	Private	Maserati	8CM
14	Antony Powys-Lybbe	Private	Alfa Romeo	Monza
15	Robin Hanson	Mrs M. E. Hall-Smith	Maserati
16	Peter Whitehead	Private	ERA
16	Peter Walker	Private	ERA
17	Reginald Tongue	Private	ERA
18	Charles Martin	Private	ERA
			Maserati	6CM
20	Percy Maclure	Private	Riley	2000/6

Notes:

• Arthur Dobson was entered with both number 10 and 19.
• Christian Kautz was a reserve driver but took part in practice sessions.
• Charles Martin used both an ERA and a Maserati during the practice sessions.

Classification

Starting grid positions

1st Row	1 Pos.		2 Pos.		3 Pos.		4 Pos.
	von Brauchitsch Mercedes-Benz 2:10.4		Rosemeyer Auto Union 2:11.4		Lang Mercedes-Benz 2:14.3		Seaman Mercedes-Benz 2:15.4
2nd Row		1 Pos.		2 Pos.		3 Pos.
		Müller Auto Union 2:15.4		Caracciola Mercedes-Benz 2:15.8		Hasse Auto Union 2:19.0
3rd Row	1 Pos.		2 Pos.		3 Pos.		4 Pos.
	Bira Maserati 2:25.0		Mays ERA 2:26.2		Howe ERA 2:26.2		Hanson Maserati 2:27.6
4th Row		1 Pos.		2 Pos.		3 Pos.
		Dobson ERA 2:28.4		Martin ERA 2:31.6		Whitehead ERA 2:32.0
5th Row			1 Pos.
			Maclure Riley 2:35.2

Notes:

• Arthur Hyde withdrew before qualifying, thinking he was too slow.

Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid
1	5	Bernd Rosemeyer	Auto Union	80	3:01:02.5	2
2	3	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz	80	+37.5	1
3	1	Rudolf Caracciola	Mercedes-Benz	80	+ 1:16.3	6
4	7	Hermann Paul Müller	Auto Union	80	+3:47.5	6
5	6	Rudolf Hasse	Auto Union	80	+ 8:47.5	7
6	8	Prince Bira	Maserati	78	+ 2 Laps	11
NC	9	Earl Howe	ERA	77	+ 3 Laps	10
NC	19	Arthur Dobson	ERA	74	+ 6 Laps	12
NC	15	Robin Hanson	Maserati	72	+ 8 Laps	11
Ret	20	Percy Maclure	Riley	67	Rear axle	15
Ret	8	Raymond Mays	ERA	51	Brakes	9
Ret	4	Richard Seaman	Mercedes-Benz	29	Rear suspension[3]	4
Ret	2	Hermann Lang	Mercedes-Benz	26	Front shock absorber[3]	3
Ret	18	Charles Martin	ERA	18	Piston	13
Ret	16	Peter Whitehead	ERA	11	Engine	14
DNS	16	Peter Walker	ERA
DNS	12	Arthur Hyde	Maserati
DNS	2	Christian Kautz	Mercedes-Benz