1952 Swiss Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 1 of 8 in the 1952 World Drivers' Championship | |||
Circuit Bremgarten track layout
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| Date | 18 May 1952 | ||
| Official name | XII Großer Preis der Schweiz | ||
| Location | Circuit Bremgarten, Bern, Switzerland | ||
| Course | Permanent racing facility | ||
| Course length | 7.280 km (4.524 mi) | ||
| Distance | 62 laps, 451.360 km (280.462 mi) | ||
| Weather | Sunny | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ferrari | ||
| Time | 2:47.5 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Piero Taruffi
|
Ferrari | |
| Time | 2:49.1 on lap 46 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Ferrari | ||
| Second | Ferrari | ||
| Third | Gordini | ||
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The 1952 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 18 May 1952 at Bremgarten Circuit. It was the first round of the 1952 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.
Pre-WWII Grand Prix great Rudolf Caracciola crashed heavily during a support sports car race. He survived with a broken leg, but this crash effectively ended his racing career. He was driving a Mercedes 300SL; his brakes locked up going into a corner and the car skidded off the road and hit a tree.
Italian driver Piero Taruffi scored his only win in a World Championship race, driving for Ferrari.
With the withdrawal of Alfa Romeo from the World Championship, Ferrari were left as the sole competitive team under the existing regulations. It was therefore decided to run the Championship to Formula Two regulations.
The works Ferrari team brought three drivers to the Swiss Grand Prix, namely Farina, Taruffi and Simon. Regular Ferrari drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi were both unavailable, the former due to his participation in the Indianapolis 500, and the latter because of his having had a road accident. Also running Ferraris were Rudi Fischer and Peter Hirt of Ecurie Espadon, and veteran Frenchman Louis Rosier. Gordini also had a three-car team for this race, consisting of Robert Manzon, B. Bira and the debutant Jean Behra. The HWM team, returning to the World Championship for the first time since the previous race at Bremgarten, fielded the all-British quartet of Abecassis, Collins, Macklin and Moss. Maserati had planned to enter defending World Drivers' Champion Juan Manuel Fangio and fellow Argentinian José Froilán González, but this did not come into fruition. Completing the field were the sole AFM entry of Hans Stuck and a number of privately run cars representing various constructors.
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