BMW domination

Maurice Trintignant's first victory

In the class over 2 liter Legat (Bugatti) took the lead from Mazaud (Delahaye) and Mathiesson (Bugatti). Legat opened up the gap and seemed a certain winner until he stopped with electrical problems on lap nine giving over the lead to Mazaud with Trintignant (Bugatti), who had passed Mathiesson, in second position. 20 year old Trintignant was catching the leader and passed on the last lap to take the victory in only his second race start. Due to a misunderstanding Mazaud, who had been cruising, thought Trintignant was a lap behind and never fought back.

Entries:

Practice:

Race:

Legat Bugatti Mazaud Delahaye Mandirola Maserati Mathieson Bugatti Vincentini Alfa Romeo Trémoulet Delahaye Platé Alfa Romeo Trintignant Bugatti Roumani Bugatti Goldschmidt Bugatti (Or mirror)

Pintacuda's third Brazil victory.

The race started in drizzling rain and Anzani took the lead from Tadini, Nashimento Jr. Chico Landi, Benedicto Lopez and Pintacuda, who had made a bad start. However after three laps Pintacuda was up to second and he took the lead from Anzani on lap five after it had started to rain cats and dogs. There was no real opposition for Pintacuda in the works Alfa Romeo who dominated the rest of the race to win from Arzani. Tadini in the other works Alfa had to make two stops for new plugs, dropping him down the results list while Manoel de Oliveira, being sixth after six laps, had a great race passing Landi on lap 7 and Nashimento on lap 11 to finish third. About a dozen spectators were either injured or killed when João Alfredo Braga crashed his Alfa Romeo into the crowd on lap 17.

Entries: Alfa Corse entered Carlo Pintacuda and Mario Tadini in works Alfa Romeo 308s (412003 & 412005). Argentinian Carlos Arzani entered his Alfa Romeo 8C-35 (50014) Arthur Nascimento Júnior raced his Alfa Romeo Tipo B (SF39) and Benedicto Lopez took part with a ex-Scudria Marammana Alfa Romeo Tipo B (50010) now owned by Leopoldo Vasconcelos.

Practice: Carlos Arzani (Alfa Romeo) took pole position with a lap time of in 7m39.4s.

Race:

F Landi Alfa Romeo Pintacuda Alfa Romeo Tadini Alfa Romeo Arzani Alfa Romeo B Lopes Alfa Romeo M Oliveira Ford Braga Alfa Romeo Nascimento Alfa Romeo N Teixeira Alfa Romeo Jung Ford Tavares Moraes Alfa Romeo Valentim Ford Marques Porto Bugatti Garabato Chrysler Geraldo Pedro Ford D Lopes Bugatti Decaroli Maserati C Oliveira Bugatti Q Landi Fiat

Once again Ferrari sent two cars for the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, this time with Pintacuda and Tadini as drivers. The race was run in heavy rain and Argentinian driver Arzani took an early lead with his Alfa Romeo 8C-35. Then Pintacuda passed him and dominated the rest of the race to take the victory just as in 1937. Tadini lost a lot of time with pit stops to change plugs and finished sixth. After the race the Ferrari Alfas were sold to eager local drivers.

ERA's last international victory

The race was run in two heats plus final, "B. Bira" winning the first heat and Mays the second but the ERA works team had problems with their cars. Mays made a great start at the final but at the same time destroyed his first gear and had to let Bira past before the end of the lap. The order was Bira, Mays, Hug and Bianco while Howe had to retire his works car with a blown supercharger. Bira opened up a minute gap but then lost oil pressure, had to make a pit stop and finally had to retire when the ERA broke a con rod. Mays led the rest of the race to win from the Maseratis of Bianco and Soffietti.

Entries:

Practice:

Heat 1:

8 Bianco Maserati 2 Bira ERA 3m48s 6 Howe ERA 12 Hansson Maserati 10 Soffietti Maserati 14 Herkuleyns MG

Heat 2:

32 Wilson ERA 34 Wakefield ERA 30 Mays ERA 24 Lanza Maserati 28 Hug Maserati 18 de Burnay MG 36 Villeneuve Bugatti

Final:

30 Mays ERA 6 Howe ERA 2 "B Bira" ERA 8 Bianco Maserati 32 Wilson ERA 18 de Burnay MG 24 Lanza Maserati 10 Soffietti Maserati 36 Villeneuve Bugatti 28 Hug Maserati (Note 2)

ERA and Maserati works teams met at Peronne, ERA entering cars for Mays and Howe. In the first heat Bira (ERA-C) won from Howe, Bianco's works Maserati being a distant third. In the second heat ERA's were again dominant, Mays winning from Wilson (ERA-A) with Lanza (Maserati 6CM) a lap down. It was a troublesome start of the final for the ERA team as Howe was out on the first lap with a blown compressor and Mays had lost first gear. Bira took command of the race and opened up a one minute gap before retiring at half distance. Mays then took over; winning comfortably from the Maseratis. At that time no one could guess that this was the last international victory ever for ERA.

Young Aldo Marazza wins hot race.

The race was held in intense heat. Trossi led the first ten laps of the race until giving up and coming in for a relief driver. With no driver available Villoresi overtook the lead followed by Pietsch. Pietsch hit a kerb destroying a wheel and Villoresi had to stop for fuel so in the end Aldo Marazza took the victory.

Entries:

Practice:

Race:

10 Villoresi Maserati 2m21.2s 24 Trossi Maserati 2m21.8s 12 Marazza Maserati 2m22.1s 2 Bianco Maserati 2m23.8s 22 Pietsch Maserati 2m24.0s 38 Rocco Maserati 2m26.2s 16 Dusio Maserati 2m26.0s 26 Battaglia Maserati 2m27.2s - 28 Hug Maserati 2m30.0s 20 Minetti Maserati 2m30.2s 30 Raph Maserati 2m32.4s 34 de Teffe Maserati 2m32.8s 4 Lanza Maserati 2m33.6s 18 Teagno Maserati 2m37.0s 8 Soffietti Maserati 2m37.6s 14 Corsi Maserati 2m40.0s 36 Negro Maserati 3m09.0s 32? Pelassa Maserati -

The race was held in terrible conditions in the intense heat and cars went in and out of the pits as drivers were changed. Trossi (Maserati 6CM) led the first 1/3 of the race until giving up. The fight for the lead went on between Pietsch (Maserati 4CM), Villoresi and Marazza, Villoresi had to stop for fuel and Pietsch hit a kerb destroying a wheel so the young Marazza made another impressing race to finish first.