Bonneville 400

By the time of the beginning of carrying out of the modern World championships (Grand Prix World Championship) the motor racing history totaled already more half a century. The sports discipline which has in this time appeared in the end of the last century reached a high level of development.

Has been created and successfully the international organization - the International association of recognized auto clubs AIACR (transformed in 1946 in the International automobile federation FIA), uniting auto clubs of many countries of the world and activity coordinating them functioned. Regular carrying out of competitions on the Big Prizes of the national auto clubs answering to uniform international regulations (the racing formula) Grand Prix which was developed AIACR began. 

Race cars (so already at the beginning of the century began to name racing cars the French journalists, loving to sport magnificent phrases and epithets) formula Grand Prix which has become by one of most prestigious in the world of motor racing by discipline, turned to powerful and high-speed devices on which approbation of the novelties applied then on serial cars was spent. To take a place in cockpits of these cars almost all auto sportsmen and, as a result of a rigid competition aspired, the best in the world drivers became pilots of the Big Prizes. 

And, at last, by 1950 the International federation had carrying out experience already at least three superiority which were prototype Grand Prix World Championship among which it is necessary to name a series of competitions on the International cup 1900-1905 (more known, as races on the Prize Gordon-Bennett), the World championships for manufacturers of the racing cars, organized in 1925-1927, and the European championships 1931-1939 

To no small degree at the organization of the modern World championships experience of American automobile association AAA, regularly, since 1916, spending the championships of the USA into which offset else before the Second World War entered to two tens stages a year helped also. Thus, for successful carrying out of the World championships for half a century all preconditions - both technical, and organizational have been created. 

International Cup 

Even in carrying out of races between cities attempt to organize some kind of superiority of the world has been made. The American millionaire, the owner of newspaper New Herald James Gordon-Bennett, declared in November, 1899 the organization of annual competitions International Cup (become history of motor racing under the name "Races on the Prize Gordon-Bennett"). 

These competitions should be spent according to following rules: each national auto club can expose no more than three cars, thus all details of the car should be made in that country which exposes it on competitions; the weight of the car should be in limits from 400 to 1000 kg; the distance of races should make 550-650 km, and competitions are spent to one stage; the distance can be laid between cities or on the closed line, in the latter case the length of one circle should be not less than 125 km; the first draw of the International cup should spend Automobile club. 

The French automobile public (led by АКФ) rather was shocked with that regulations International Cup put their great automobile power in one position with such countries, as Germany or the United States. АКФ it was practically discharged of carrying out of these races and the first draw International Cup has been spent without any sensation, silently and modestly. 

On June, 14th, 1900 on a route Paris-Lyons in length of 569 km converged only 5 participants - three French Panhard-Levassor (racers - Leon Girardo, Fernan Sharron and шевалье Ren де Kniff), American, 14-strong Winton (the driver - the owner of firm Alexander Uinton) and Belgian Snoeck-Bolide (the racer - Kamillo Ienattsi which have become less two years ago by the first person, exceeded a 100-kilometre boundary of speed). To finish a distance it was possible only to two - to Sharronu (average speed - 62,13 km at an o'clock) and lagged behind from it almost on an hour and a half Girardo. 

In 1901 not to burden itself with additional cares and expenses, АКФ attached International Cup to race Paris - Bordeaux, 527 km spent on May, 29th on a distance. If in "the basic" competitions for a victory 84 crews the Prize Gordon-Bennett was challenged only by three Frenchmen - Sharron and Girardo on Panhard-Levassor, and also Alfred Leveg on Mors struggled. This time good luck smiled Girardo - showing average speed of 59,56 km at an o'clock, it the first (and the only thing) finished a distance of the International cup. 

Now it seemed, what destiny International Cup is solved - unless the international competitions in conditions of the full superiority of the French cars can be spent? Probably, for clearing of conscience АКФ decided to spend one more draw of the Prize, again attaching it in the form of "free supplement" to competitions Paris-Vienna. 

Participants International Cup (them this year prepared five - 3 of France and 2 of England) should finish in Innsbruck. Here again unexpectedly for all Englishman Seluin Edzh on car Napier was the first and the right to carrying out of races to the Prize Gordon-Bennett received Automobile club of Great Britain and Ireland. 

For the English motorists who are under oppression Locomotive Act brought both pleasure, and problems - after all the notorious law forbade carrying out of similar actions in territory of Great Britain. The help came from Irish on which earths the British legislation did not extend. 

To the south from Dublin, in a place of Ati, have been picked up and resulted in an appropriate condition it is a little expensive, representing to the plan a certain similarity of "eight". One hinge strain (Circut A) had length of 40 miles, another (Circut B) - 51,9 miles. Racers should make 3 circles on a ring "And" and 4 - on a ring that in total made 327,52 miles (527 km). It was the second (after the Ardensky prize of 1902) ring race in the history of the European motor racing. 

International Cup 1903 assembled commands already from four countries - France, England, the USA and Germany. Firm Daimler specially for competitions on the Prize Gordon-Bennett prepared three 90-strong cars showing last word of the racing techniques of that time. But three weeks prior to competitions the fire (some historians consider that it there was an industrial or political diversion) destroyed both cars, and a workshop in which they were under construction. Time for restoration of cars was not and it was necessary to address to owners old, 60-strong Mercedes and to ask them to borrow cars for competitions. 

But even hastily prepared German cars appeared too hard neither to Englishmen, nor Frenchmen (Americans, as always, acted in a role of supernumeraries). Won Kamillo Ienattsi on Mercedes (average speed - 79,24 km at an o'clock). The crews representing great automobile power, were content with places from the second on the fourth. 

Now draw International Cup should be spent in territory of Germany, and contrary to predictions of skeptics, for 2 years of race on the Prize Gordon-Bennett became really international competitions. June, seventeenth, 1904 on a line laid by the Vsegermansky automobile union among hills of Taunusa, near to small town Homburg there were already 18 crews six countries - France, Belgium, England, Germany, Austro-Hungary and Italy. 

Fierce struggle between the Frenchman Leon Teri on Richard-Brasier and "a red devil" Kamillo Ienattsi on Mercedes passed in the face of почтившего the presence of competition of Kaiser Wilhelm II and ended with a victory of Teri which have outrun the Belgian for 11,5 minutes. After two-year break International Cup again came back to France. 

The success repeated Leon and next year. VI draw of the Prize Gordon-Bennett assembled again 18 crews from France, England, Italy, Germany, Austro-Hungary and the USA which tried in struggle on a line under Overnem. This time Teri was necessary to conduct intense struggle against two Italians piloting cars FIAT - Feliche Natstsaro and Alessandro Kano. The personal driver of the German emperor Christian Verner starting on Mercedes, on finish was the fifth. 

The regulations of the International cup supposing on start only on three cars from each country, threatened to break long-term hegemony of Frenchmen in automobile competitions. It was clear that the best foreign cars ненамного conceded on high-speed qualities to the French cars, and in the near future this rupture could thaw definitively. 

Therefore in 1904, right after races in Homburge, АКФ declared, what since 1906 France stops participation in draw of the Prize Gordon-Bennett and begins carrying out of competitions under the name "Big Prize of Automobile club of France" (Grand Prix de l'ACF) where the quantity of participants from one country is not normalized (if does not possible to take quality can be, it will manage to be made quantity?). 

Then, on June, 20th, 1904, representatives of 13 national auto clubs which were in Homburge, agreed about coordination of the activity and declared creation of the International association of recognized auto clubs (Association Internationale des Automobile Clubs Reconnus, abbr. AIACR) which after reorganisation in 1946 began to be called as the International automobile federation (Federation Internationale de l'Automobile, in abbreviated form - FIA). 

The French press "in down and in ashes" scarified heads АКФ that those supported creation of this organization. Journalists understood at once - occurrence of the international body, motor racing prosecuting by subjects, brings to nothing "a supervising and guiding role.