The Circuit des Nations ("Circuit of the Nations") is a long street circuit of between

Lake Geneva , image = Lake Geneva by Sentinel-2.jpg , caption = Satellite image , image_bathymetry = , caption_bathymetry = , location = Switzerland, France , coords = , lake_type = Glacial la ...

and the Place des Nations in

Geneva Geneva ( ; french: Genève ) frp, Genèva ; german: link=no, Genf ; it, Ginevra ; rm, Genevra is the second-most populous city in Switzerland (after Zürich) and the most populous city of Romandy, the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Situ ...

, Switzerland. It hosted the ''Grand Prix de Nations'', similar to a

Formula One Formula One (also known as Formula 1 or F1) is the highest class of international racing for open-wheel single-seater formula racing cars sanctioned by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). The World Drivers' Championship ...

race; the ''Grand Prix de Genève'', similar to a

Formula Two Formula Two (F2 or Formula 2) is a type of open-wheel formula racing category first codified in 1948. It was replaced in 1985 by Formula 3000, but revived by the FIA from 2009–2012 in the form of the FIA Formula Two Championship. The name r ...

race; and various championship events. The first ''Grand Prix de Genève'' was held in

Meyrin Meyrin () is a municipality of the Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. The main site of CERN, the European particle physics research organisation, is in Meyrin. Meyrin was originally a small agricultural village until the 1950s, when construction of ...

in 1931 and won by Marcel Lehoux, racing for

Bugatti Automobiles Ettore Bugatti was a German then French manufacturer of high-performance automobiles. The company was founded in 1909 in the then- German city of Molsheim, Alsace, by the Italian-born industrial designer Ettore Bugatti. The ca ...

Geneva race-track (Switzerland)

The

race-track was established between the lake (Geneva) and the Nations square. Its length was . Grand-Prix races were organised after World War II, on this track, similar to Formula 1 or Formula 2 races, as well as non championship ones. In total 5 major events happened on this track between 1946 and 1950. Key pilots came here to compete: among them Giuseppe Farina, Raymond Sommer, Maurice Trintignant,

Juan Manuel Fangio Juan Manuel Fangio (American Spanish: , ; 24 June 1911 – 17 July 1995), nicknamed ''El Chueco'' ("the bowlegged" or "bandy legged one") or ''El Maestro'' ("The Master" or "The Teacher"), was an Argentine racing car driver. He dominated t ...

, Prince Bira (who had established residency, in Geneva). The closest race-tracks were Aix les Bains – France ( Circuit du Lac) and Lausanne (Circuit du Léman or Blécherette). All were temporary urban race-tracks that disappeared shortly after the Le Mans accident in 1955, or before. Note: contradictory information about the length of the track have been witnessed. Measurement on maps indicate that the shorter length is more likely.

1st Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Grand Prix, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 21, 1946 44 laps of the urban race track (short version) of , or , at an average speed of .

2nd Grand Prix de Genève

FIA Formula 2, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 1948 70 laps of the urban race-track (short version) , or , at an average speed of .

2nd Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Formula 1, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – May 2, 1948 80 laps of the urban race-track (short version) or , at an average speed of .

3rd Grand Prix de Genève

FIA Formula 2, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 30, 1950 45 laps of the urban race-track or , at an average speed of .

3rd Grand Prix des Nations

FIA Formula 1, non championship race, Circuit des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland – July 30, 1950 68 laps of the urban race-track or , at an average speed of .

A tragic end

Towards the end of the third Grand Prix des Nations (1950), the engine of Alberto Ascari's Ferrari 340 blew up, pouring oil onto the corner at the end of the Avenue de la Paix. Behind him Luigi Villoresi, in a Ferrari 275, could not avoid the oil, his car skidded, went over the security barrier and ploughed into the crowd. Three spectators were killed,
(en) Circuit des Nations – détails of the accident another twenty were injured. Villoresi survived with a severely fractured leg. After this tragedy, stemming like others from the use of street circuits ill-adapted to increasingly high-speed motor racing, the organisers cancelled the following year's event. Geneva would never again host a Grand Prix race. In 1958 motor racing was banned altogether by the Swiss government as an unsafe spectator sport following the death of 80 people at the 1955 Le Mans disaster, 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans race.

References

Ultimate Racing History

{{DEFAULTSORT:Circuit Des Nations Motorsport venues in Switzerland Pre-World Championship Grands Prix