1953 French Grand Prix
| Race details | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Race 5 of 9 in the 1953 World Drivers' Championship | |||
Reims-Gueux layout
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| Date | 5 July 1953 | ||
| Official name | XL Grand Prix de l'ACF | ||
| Location | Reims Circuit, Reims, France | ||
| Course | Temporary road course | ||
| Course length | 8.347 km (5.187 mi) | ||
| Distance | 60 laps, 500.820 km (311.195 mi) | ||
| Weather | Hot, dry | ||
| Pole position | |||
| Driver | Ferrari | ||
| Time | 2:41.2 | ||
| Fastest lap | |||
| Driver |
 Juan Manuel Fangio
|
Maserati | |
| Time | 2:41.0 on lap 25 | ||
| Podium | |||
| First | Ferrari | ||
| Second | Maserati | ||
| Third | Maserati | ||
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The 1953 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 5 July 1953 at Reims. It was the fifth round of the 1953 World Drivers' Championship, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.
Not only had the Reims circuit's layout changed, the name was different – both in regard to the same thing. The new, faster and slightly longer circuit bypassed the town of Gueux and as a result, the circuit was now called "Reims".
It is popularly known as 'the race of the century' because of the sixty lap battle between Briton Mike Hawthorn and Argentine Juan Manuel Fangio. Hawthorn won the duel after they reportedly swapped the lead at virtually every corner on the Reims circuit. In addition, after 500 km of racing, the four lead cars were less than 5 seconds apart.
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Wikipedia