Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Belgium. Show all posts

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

1934 Belgian Grand Prix

Race enthusiast had great expectations for the Belgian Grand Prix, held on the stunning Spa-Francorchamps track.

Unfortunately, Belgian customs officials demanded a heavy duty from the German Grand Prix teams for their alcohol-based racing fuel. The result was a withdrawal of both the Mercedes-Benz and the Auto Union teams from the race.

This made for a very small grid of seven cars; three Bugatti T59s, two Alfa Romeo P3s, a Maserati 8CM and a Montier-Ford Special.



Pen&ink, markers, and pencil on archival white stock 12�x 9� 
� Paul Chenard 2010
Original art & limited editions available.

Raymond Sommer was the only Maserati driver present, so that the real race was going to be between the Scuderia Ferrari Alfa Romeos and the Bugattis.

As the typically rainy race began, Louis Chiron took the lead in the Alfa Romeo, with the Bugattis pitting with fouled plugs.

It looked very much like another Scuderia Ferrari win in the works. Unfortunately, Chiron�s racer slid off the track and overturned; he was luckily uninjured in the incident.

Achille Varzi took comfortably over his teammate�s lead, and at the same time, the track record. This was not to last, with his smoking Alfa Romeo coming in with a blown engine.

With their only real opposition out of the way, the Bugattis of Ren� Dreyfus and Antonio Brivio cruised in first and second, with Sommer a distant third for Maserati.

It was to be one of the very rare top-level wins for Bugatti in 1934.

Friday, January 22, 2010

Olivier Gendebien - A Racing Talent

Belgian Olivier Gendebien and American Phil Hill celebrate their first of 3 Le Mans wins together; they also won together in 1961 and 1962. Gendebien also won in 1960 with fellow countryman Paul Fr�re.

Prismacolor on gray-brown archival stock � Paul Chenard 2010
Nicolas Cancelier Collection

Available as a 14.5"x 11" limited edition.

Their 3 wins together were with Ferrari; here they're driving in their winning 250 Testa Rossa.

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Phil Hill driving a Ferrari 250TR, Le Mans 1958











Pencil on paper, 9"x 6" � Paul Chenard 2006

Phil Hill, co-driving with Belgian Olivier Gendebien, won his first of 3 Le Mans' in 1958. He later started driving Ferrari Formula 1 cars, becoming the 1961 Grand Prix World Champion.