Motor racing has been a part of our sporting culture for as long as most people can remember. For as long as cars have been around, it has felt like motor racing has been around. The first Grand Prix, though, took place in 1906. This was held by the Automobile Club de France, and the first-ever French Grand Prix took place on the 26th and 27th of June of that year.
The event took place on a closed public road just outside of the town of Le Mans. If you wonder why Le Mans is so notable for its love of racing, then this can give you an understanding of why. Indeed, to many, this is the first ever Grand Prix event ever held. The event was to try and boost the visibility of the growing French auto industry. Another race at the time took place, founded by Gordon Bennett, that had a limited number of entrants from specific nations.
France was booming in terms of its auto industry and had more willing contestants than would be allowed. The Grand Prix put no limits on how many entrants could come from each country. Across a 64.11mi circuit, then, the first race was held and it took over twelve hours for the race to be complete.
The winner? One Ferenc Szisz, of Renault. Felice Navarro came second, driving for FIAT, while Clement-Bayard’s Albert Clement came third. This was the first-ever podium in a Grand Prix, then!
The fastest driver came in the first lap, when Paul Baras, driving for Brasier, was quickest and held the lead until the third round when Szisz took over. He then defended his position at the top of the race for the rest of the race.
Extremely warm conditions at the time meant the pavements were near melted, though, and this meant that it was a challenge for the drivers to stay focused and on the road. Tire changing was a time-consuming event back then, not like the pit stops of today, so pre-rim-attached tires were produced by Michelin so they could be quickly swapped onto the vehicles when needed.
It is a very intriguing piece of history, and when you factor in where racing has gone since it was the start of something special. Was started as a way to simply get more French drivers involved in the competition and became the precursor to one of the most important and successful sports industries in the world today.