Race report – 1930 II Grand Prix de Monaco

MONACO GRAND PRIX – A HUNDRED LAPS OF GRAND PRIX DRAMA!

Monaco, 13 December 1930 – In a contest destined to torture man and machine alike, the picturesque yet unforgiving road circuit of Monaco delivered a spectacular and brutal Round 11 of the Golden Era Championship! From the early morning mist through to the punishing afternoon heat (track temperatures soaring to 40°C), this 100-lap race exposed the fragility of the era’s magnificent racing cars and rewarded only the most enduring competitors.

Eetu Nurmi of TissiTuning Racing, piloting his nimble 1927 Delage 15S8, emerged as the triumphant victor, dominating the latter stages to finish a full lap ahead of his nearest challenger.

The Start: A Battle of Compounds and Courage

The race began under misty conditions, challenging visibility but promising a dry day. Unlike many previous rounds favouring raw straight-line speed, Monaco’s narrow, twisty profile demanded immense braking ability and handling prowess.

From the drop of the flag, the heavy Bentley of pole-sitter Hayley Smith struggling off the line and tumbling down the order. It was a charging Eetu Nurmi (Delage) and Kent LeFredge (Bugatti T39a) who pressed forward immediately, joining Vesa Tolonen (Delage) and Kari Uotila (Bugatti T35B) in the thick of the fray. Nurmi shot off to a flying start, immediately opening a gap on the climb up to the Casino.

The early pace setter, however, proved to be Anssi Hyytiäinen (Delage), who immediately displayed incredible speed, setting what would stand as the race’s fastest lap—a blistering 2:02.608—early in the going. Hyytiäinen gambled on the fast, but high-wear Smooth (SH) tires, hoping to build a gap before necessary stops.

Carnage and Crippling Mechanical Failures

The notoriously tricky circuit wasted no time exacting its toll. The early laps saw a flurry of incidents, primarily in the chicane and the tight final corner.

* Lap 1 witnessed chaos as Alex Henry (Delage) and Zan Darling (Mercedes SSK) were caught out in the chicane, managing to spin but eventually rejoin. Darling’s race proved disastrous, retiring shortly after just nine laps.

* Teofil Lubomirski (Delage) found himself fighting wheel-to-wheel early on with Ruy Lázaro (Bugatti T35B), but suffered multiple wall impacts leading to eventual retirement after only 10 laps.

* Henrik Pekkanen (Mercedes SSK) faced an unfortunate beginning, pitting early after just one lap due to front damage. Pekkanen later experienced massive delays, retiring after 33 laps.

* Tomas Kuusela (Alfa Romeo P2) struggled from the onset, battling apparent mechanical issues and falling far behind the pack before demonstrating incredible endurance to merely keep running.

The great tragedy of the day unfolded in the first third of the race. Hyytiäinen, after cementing his lead and demonstrating the sheer performance of his Delage on the Smooth compound, was the first of the front-runners to pit around Lap 22. This costly stop dropped him from P1 to P7. Worse still, damage to his front right tire—likely exacerbated by the strain of the bumpy circuit—forced him into an unscheduled second stop, shattering his challenge, leading to his retirement on lap 51.

The Mid-Race Grinding Match

With the pre-race favourite out, the race devolved into a strategy duel between tire longevity and outright pace.

Tolonen (Delage), on the more durable Light Stud (LS) compound, benefited greatly, maintaining a conservative strategy that saw him holding strong in the podium positions (P3-P4) for much of the race, seeking to capitalize when those on softer tires needed extra stops. However he managed to grind his gearbox to barely functioning after 25 laps, so he decided to give up the race for podium and just bring the car to chequered flag by using only 2nd gear.

Markus Peltonen (Delage), starting from deep in the pack (P16), performed a spectacular comeback drive, climbing to lead the race briefly before also pitting. Peltonen proved fastest on the day, laying down the best overall lap time of 2:00.230. Alas, the tremendous effort was unsustainable, and Peltonen was forced to make a long pitstop allowing for him to complete only 52 laps.

Meanwhile, Daniel Withoeft (Delage), who started P9, drove a relentless race, slowly but surely climbing the standings using the Smooth tire compound. He gained position as quickly as others failed, reaching P2 by the half-way mark, though his tires eventually suffered from a staggering 59-lap stint late in the race.

The large Bentley Blower GP, handled by Hayley Smith, was sadly unsuited to Monaco, with its size hindering it in the narrow streets and tight hairpin bends. Smith struggled throughout the 100 laps but heroically kept the massive machine circulating to finish 9th.

Bugatti drivers showed impressive consistency in adverse conditions. Kari Uotila (Bugatti T35B) ran in P2 for long spells, demonstrating excellent pace after his single starting place gain, while Ville Korkiakoski (Bugatti T39a) quietly progressed up the field. Drik Crozet (Bugatti T39a), having started P20, engaged in fierce battles and benefited hugely from the attrition of the front runners, demonstrating a remarkable drive towards the points.

The Fateful Final Laps

As the race entered its final 20 laps, exhaustion and brake degradation led to more severe mistakes.

Vesa Tolonen, whose consistent strategy placed him back in podium contention, suffered a catastrophic end to his race, enduring a major collision with Crozet in the chicane that forced him to pit and ultimately retire after 82 laps. Just after he had decided to battle for podium with Uotila that was catching him fast. The risk was calculated, but did not pay.

Evadne Cleo (Amilcar CGSS Voiturette) and Ledu Renaud (Talbot 700) were victims of the circuit, facing numerous impacts and spins; Cleo wrestled the underpowered Amilcar for 39 laps before retiring, while Renaud pressed on despite multiple incidents, finishing 10th. Erik Halin (Talbot 700), who had been running in the top half of the field (P15 final result), was also forced to retire after 48 laps.

The veteran Eetu Nurmi maintained an unassailable lead, managing his tires and Delage perfectly across the entire 100-lap distance, pitting only twice, demonstrating the “clean driving” philosophy rewarded by this championship.

Final Standings: Endurance Prevails

Nurmi took the checkered flag by a full lap, claiming a deserved victory in a race marred by retirements and spectacular incidents.

Daniel Withoeft salvaged an excellent second place, demonstrating the endurance of his Delage, narrowly finishing ahead of Kari Uotila. Uotila, despite suffering crashes late in the running, recovered magnificently to take the final podium spot.

The perseverance awards must go to Ville Korkiakoski and Drik Crozet, whose strategic drives in their Bugattis saw them finish 4th and 5th respectively, Korkiakoski gaining 7 positions and Crozet an astounding 15 positions from the start.

In a race where the emphasis was truly on finishing, the surviving veterans completed the top ten, collecting valuable championship points:

* Ruy Lázaro (Bugatti T35B) crossed the line in 6th, completing 95 laps.

* Heru Lah (Amilcar CGSS Voiturette) brought home his robust little machine in 7th, 91 laps completed.

* Tomas Kuusela (Alfa Romeo P2) endured a difficult day to claim 8th place, also finishing 91 laps.

* Hayley Smith (Bentley Blower GP) secured 9th, battling the immense weight and size of her ‘Chungus I’ around the tight confines of the principality.

* Ledu Renaud (Talbot 700) rounded out the top ten, finishing 91 laps.

The Grand Prix de Monaco was, as ever, a brilliant but brutal spectacle, proving that success in this golden era of racing belongs not merely to the swiftest, but to the most steadfast!

Race results

Race broadcast