Grand Prix Insider

6th of May - In an effort to induce manufacturers to develop new cars which would be competitive with the dominant Germans, in 1937 the French government announced the ‘Prix du Million’, or the Million Franc Race in Monthléry. The prize money was a million francs to beat the existing average speed record of 146,508km/h over the 200 km distance. René Dreyfus won the race with Delahaye 145 V12 - as shown above - with an average of 146,654km/h taking the prize for the marque and becoming a hero in France.

6/5/1958, Thomas Byrne born in Drogheda, Ireland

The 1982 British Formula 3 champion impressed while testing a McLaren and his debut in Formula 1 came with the uncompetitive Theodore that same season. Obviously there was no way to make a good impression with that equipment. Without offers to continue in F1, Tommy Byrne subsequently stayed in Formula 3 the following season contesting the European Championship with little success. The Irishman then moved to the USA where he settled down after a successful career for over a decade in Indy Lights, being the driver with the most wins in the category till today. Nowadays he runs his Crash or Byrne driver development center in Florida.

6/5/1964, Andrea Chiesa is born in Milan, Italy.

Andrea Chiesa arrived at the Fondmetal Formula 1 team in 1992 after four seasons of racing in Formula 3000. And having scored one single win only. However, the Swiss driver only managed to qualify for three Grands Prix before being replaced after the German Grand Prix resorting to sports cars thereafter.

6/5/1905, René Dreyfus is born in Nice, France.

Dreyfus became first noticed after having won the French Riviera championship win three consecutive times. He then joined Ecure Friderich and took his first major victory at Dieppe in 1929. That year he entered the inaugural Monaco Grand Prix, finishing first in his class and fifth overall. He was back in 1930 and took a surprise victory. The Ecurie Friderich Bugatti had been fitted with an extra fuel tank with enabled him to complete the race without stopping. Thus beating the works Bugatti team, led by Louis Chiron, by 22 seconds. In 1931 he became a works driver for Maserati but without much success he left at the end of 1932 to join Bugatti. In 1933 he finished 3rd in both the Belgian and Monaco Grand Prix and was 3rd again at Monaco in 1934 behind the Alfa Romeos. He finished 3rd behind the Auto Unions in the Swiss Grand Prix and then won the Belgian GP after the German teams withdrew.

He joined Scuderia Ferrari in 1935, the year he married, and took wins in the Marne and Dieppe Grand Prix. He also finished 2nd in the Italian GP. In 1937 he raced a Maserati in Voiturette racing, winning at Tripoli and Florence, and signed for Delahaye racing sports cars winning the ‘Prix du Million’, or the Million Franc Race in Monthléry for the marque. By beating the legendary Rudolf Caracciola in the Mercedes-Benz team’s all-conquering Silver Arrows in the tight and twisty streets of Pau, Dreyfus become a national hero in France. He was also victorious at the Cork GP that year. After World War II Dreyfus had continued to race sporadically, and competed in the 1952 24 Le Mans 24 Hour race. His last ever race came at Sebring in the 12 Hour race.

Born: 6th of May 1905 in Nice, France;
Died: 16th of August 1993 in New York, USA, aged 88.