1930 Grand Prix season

The 1930 Grand Prix season continued the malaise that had taken over the sport. Although there was little technical advance more privateer teams were forming, getting some factory support. The AIACR continued to mandate its fuel-regulated Formula Libre (open formula) rules. Across the Atlantic, the AAA abandoned the AIACR regulations. Their new regulations were derisively called the “Junk Formula” by purists, opening up to their own version of Formula Libre: with modified stock-standard cars of ...

The Indianapolis 500 produced one of the most dominant driving displays in the race's history with Billy Arnold and his modified 2.5-litre Miller . Arnold claimed pole position then led for all but two of the 200 laps, to win with a four-lap margin. With two further victories, he then went on to claim the 1930 AAA champion .

A grey background indicates the race was not held this year. Sources: [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] [ 8 ] [ 9 ] [ 10 ] [ 11 ]

Multiple classes are mentioned when they were divided and run to different race lengths.

Sources: [ 28 ] [ 6 ] [ 29 ] [ 10 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ]

Note: * raced in event as a relief driver, ♠ Works driver raced as a privateer. Those in brackets show, although entered, the driver did not race Note: † driver killed during this racing season

The AIACR persisted with its fuel economy formula introduced the year before. The Grands Prix still had to be at least 600 km long (although the official European GP event did not meet that requirement). The fuel limitation remained at 14 kg per 100 km (14.5 mpg [ 35 ] ), however the fuel mixture could now include up to 30% benzole . The fuel still had to be carried in an incongruous external fuel-tank with a visible fuel gauge. The minimum engine size remained 1100cc. [ 36 ]

Once again, most race organisers chose to ignore the official regulations and ran their races to Formula Libre instead, including having racing cars and sports cars together in the entry lists. Only the French and Belgian Grands Prix (nominally) met the AIACR requirements. But by June, the French organisers had received not a single entry and were forced to postpone the Grand Prix and then open it up to Formula Libre. [ 37 ] With other national races either cancelled or run as alternatives, the ...

Meanwhile, in America, the AAA abandoned the AIACR regulations. Eddie Rickenbacker , owner of the Indianapolis Speedway , wanted to encourage a bigger diversity of manufacturers on the track. The board ovals were closing, limiting the single-seater racing and the Wall Street crash had slashed sponsorship. Derisively called the “Junk Formula” by purists, the new regulations opened races up to modified stock-standard cars of up to 366 cu in (6-litres) with two seats. Minimum weight was equivalent ...

With little official manufacturer interest, there was negligible technical development from the models of the previous few years. Companies like Bugatti and Maserati weathered the economic disaster by selling the limited production of their current models to wealthy individuals.

Ongoing development did continue. The Alfa Romeo P2 had first appeared in 1924. This year's model took the steering, brakes and suspension from their successful 6C sports car. With a new supercharger, the 2-litre engine now put out 175 bhp. [ 38 ] Maserati bored out its Tipo 26 to 2.5 litres, as the 26M. The 8C-2500 engine put out 175 bhp. [ 38 ] In contrast, Bugatti took the twin-engine concept of the Maserati V4 to produce the Type 45 sports car. The twin 8-cylinder engine was augmented by two...

Formed late in 1929, the new Scuderia Ferrari was the brainchild of former Alfa Corse works driver Enzo Ferrari and wealthy gentlemen drivers Alfredo Caniato and Mario Tadini. Ferrari's close relationship with Alfa Romeo enabled him to purchase former factory cars. Initially the three were the only team drivers; however Ferrari soon attracted the current Alfa works drivers to also drive for him. [ 47 ]

The season started tragically at the Tripoli Grand Prix, the opening round of the Italian Championship. A dozen cars were entered, headed by the Maserati works team (with Baconin Borzacchini in the twin-engine V4 and Luigi Arcangeli in a 2-litre Tipo 26B) and the Scuderia Materassi with their 1.5-litre supercharged Talbot 700s for Conte Gastone Brilli-Peri and Clemente Biondetti . This year the race would be run with two four-lap heats followed by a 4-lap final. But during Saturday practice, Bri...

The second Monaco Grand Prix was held a fortnight later and attracted a large, high-quality field. From 40 applications, 24 starters were selected. Once again the Bugatti works team ran the Type 35C with its supercharged 2-litre engine for their drivers Louis Chiron , William Grover-Williams and Guy Bouriat. The German customer team had Ernst-Günther Burggaller in a smaller 1.5-litre Type 37A.

For the tight and narrow circuit, Maserati this time gave both drivers the Tipo 26B, with Arcangeli's bored out slightly to 2.1-litres to enter the next highest class. Alfa Romeo was not entered, so it fell upon the new Scuderia Ferrari to represent them. But they did not arrive, as the cars (for Enzo Ferrari and Giuseppe Campari ) were still getting modified at the factory. The Scuderia Materassi had regrouped after their African disaster. Two cars had been entered, though only Biondetti arrive...

Williams started from pole with a starting grid drawn by lot, but it Chiron who bolted from the second row to take the lead up the hill for the first time, and breaking the lap record on the next lap. The young Count Arco-Zinneberg was the first to retire, on the second lap, when a stone fired up by another car smashed his goggles and making him crash coming out of the tunnel. The Bugatti team initially ran 1-2-3 until Williams had to pit with magneto issues, losing four laps. Bouriano had quick...

At the halfway point, Chiron led Dreyfus be almost two minutes, with Bouriat, Zanelli, Stuber and Étancelin a lap behind. Dreyfus was now catching Chiron at two seconds a lap and after 60 laps the lead was down to 85 seconds. Chiron responded by setting another lap record and was able to keep the lead steady after 80 laps. His pit crew called him in to refuel and he came out only ten seconds ahead of Dreyfus who did not need to stop. Chiron was now having problems with his accelerator and the mo...

In just four years, the Mille Miglia had quickly earned a premier reputation. The 1930 edition provided one of the most thrilling races. The entry list was dominated by Alfa Romeo, with the works team supported by the fledgling Scuderia Ferrari. The race became a showdown between the Alfas of Varzi and Nuvolari. Having both recorded an identical time getting to Rome (6hr 02min), Varzi was convinced the team had given him false information about Nuvolari behind him. Because, as dawn was breaking,...

A week later, over Easter weekend, Alessandria held the Circuito di Pietro Bordino , the next round of the Italian Championship. A new memorial to the racing hero was unveiled and it was also the first appearance of the new Scuderia Ferrari . Georges Bouriano's Bugatti led initially until passed by Varzi. When a brief downpour swept the circuit, Bouriano crashed giving Varzi a comfortable win from Juan Zanelli with Enzo Ferrari third. [ 33 ]

The Targa Florio promised an exciting showdown between Bugatti, winner of the last five Targas, and the Italian teams. In the absence of the Italian Grand Prix, it assumed the place as the pre-eminent local race for the season. Bugatti relied on their proven Type 35B with the supercharged 2262cc engine for their full works team, including two-time winner Albert Divo , Chiron, “Williams” and Caberto Conelli . This year, there was far less support from the gentlemen drivers, with only the Czech Ot...

Alfa Romeo had two P2 racers for Varzi and Campari and three new 6C-1750 sports cars, driven by Nuvolari, Pietro Ghersi and Aymo Maggi . Maserati had the new 2.5-litre 26M for Borzacchini and Arcangeli, while Ernesto Maserati ran the older 2.1-litre Tipo 26B. In its sole appearance, Officine Meccaniche had its uprated version of their 665 for team regulars Giuseppe Morandi and Ferdinando Minoia along with several privateers. [ 53 ] [ 54 ]

In practice the Alfa Romeo team found the road-holding of the P2s not as good as previously. Also, the 38-year old veteran Campari was overweight and suffered badly from the excessive heat coming off the engine. He took over Ghersi's car. Varzi on the other hand, racing the Targa for the first time, was happy with the power advantage of the P2, with Ghersi nominated as his reserve. [ 55 ] [ 56 ] At 9am Borzacchini led off the 17 starters in 3-minute intervals. Varzi set a new lap record on the f...

Many of the same protagonists met again at the Rome Grand Prix. Bugatti had Chiron and Bouriat, with “Williams” as reserve. Maserati had Arcangeli in its 26M while Luigi Fagioli ran the 1.7-litre Tipo 26. This time, Alfa Corse only ran the pair of P2s for Varzi and Nuvolari, while Campari and Tadini were hired by Ferrari to race their 6C 1750 sports cars. Biondetti had the Materassi Talbot and Fritz Caflisch let the privateers in his big Mercedes-Benz. Arcangeli was on pole and led the first lap...

This year's Indianapolis 500 was run to a new formula, opened up to stock-standard cars of up to 366 cu in (6-litres) capacity. It succeeded in generating a wider variety of entrants, while still including a number of unsupercharged Millers modified to the new regulations. Riding mechanics were once again compulsory. Half the entries were from rookie drivers. Billy Arnold , driving a 2.5-litre Summers-Miller for Harry Hartz ’s team, got pole position on the first day of practice. Previous winner...

From the rolling start, Meyer took the lead, which he held for the first two laps until Arnold overtook him. Arnold went on to hold his lead for the rest of the race, setting a record for most laps lead, still held to this day. He was also the first driver to average over 100 mph without a relief driver. The race was marred by several major accidents. On lap 23, Fred Roberts (reliving Pete DePaolo ) crashed in turn 3, collecting six other cars in the mayhem. Worse happened eight laps later, when...

Many of the top French drivers were at Reims for the Marne GP. Of the nineteen starters, all drove Bugattis – mostly the 1.5-litre Type 37A. Lehoux led initially until overtaken by Étancelin. Alongside Dreyfus and Zanelli they vied for the lead in the heat on the long fast straights. Chiron had once again encountered engine problems and then Étancelin slid on wet tar and slammed into a tree breaking a wheel. Dreyfus gradually built a lead over the others. Late in the race, Zanelli pitted to refu...

The European Grand Prix was the first race of the year run to the AIACR fuel formula, and was.organised by the Belgian association marking the 100th anniversary of Belgian independence. [ 65 ] No Italian cars were entered and the Bugatti works team were the firm favourites. Drivers Chiron, Divo and Bouriat again raced the 2-litre supercharged T35C. To make an appearance at their auspicious home race, Belgian manufacturer Impéria-Excelsior adapted three sports models with the unusual unsupercharg...

The Bugattis soon made their mark and by the second lap, the three works cars had a minute lead over Stoffel and Belgian Joseph Reinartz (in a 2.3-litre Bugatti T43 sports car) and Duray. By the halfway mark after 20 laps, the order was still the same, but Stoffel was closing in. On lap 26, Chiron pitted from the lead to change sparkplugs, dropping to fourth. Bouriat inherited the lead and when Divo pitted five laps later to change wheels, Stoffel was up to second and closing fast. But a major u...

The seventh running of the Eifelrennen was the only circuit race of the year in Germany, and only the second time that race-cars had been to the Nürburgring since it opened in 1927. However, there were only eleven starters mixing sports and racing cars. Run on the shorter Südschleife course, it was won by Heinrich-Joachim von Morgen for the new German Bugatti team. [ 68 ] The next round of the Italian Championship was the Coppa Ciano on the long, fast Montenero circuit. Initially it was a close ...

Again, in the absence of the Italian Grand Prix and with the track still being renovated, the Monza GP was held on a modified circuit that omitted the banking. With a big field, it was again run as a series of heats with a repêcharge, leading to a 35-lap final. The Maserati works team made a concerted effort and arrived with three 2.5-litre cars for Varzi, Fagioli and Arcangeli, while Ernesto Maserati ran the V4 and Alfieri made a rare drive, with the 1.1-litre 26C. Alfa Romeo and Bugatti were r...

Organised motor-racing was making an impact in eastern Europe, where hill-climbs had already been popular. This year saw the inaugural Lwów Grand Prix in Poland (also known by its German name of Lemberg), run on the basalt-tiled streets of the city. [ 75 ] [ 76 ] It only attracted a small field, but the next event three weeks later got a bigger response. The first Masaryk Circuit (also known as the Czechoslovakian Grand Prix ) was held at the newly set up 29 km track out from the west of the cit...

The season wrapped up with the San Sebastián Grand Prix. Originally cancelled because of the economic crisis, it was rescheduled when the King of Spain , himself a keen motor-racing follower, intervened. As the premier Spanish race of the year, it attracted a good field. Maserati was the favourites with Varzi and Count Maggi driving the 2.5-litre 26M. In the end Scuderia Ferrari (with Nuvolari and Borzacchini) did not arrive. So competition came from the Bugattis of Dreyfus, Étancelin, Lehoux an...

Achille Varzi was the pre-eminent driver of the season with the two race-wins for Alfa Romeo and three for Maserati, on his way to winning the Italian Drivers’ Championship. While circuit racing was subdued across the Germanic countries, hill-climbs were far more popular with a European championship. Rudi Caracciola and his Mercedes were crowned European Mountain champions in 1930. [ 80 ] [ 81 ] In sports car racing, despite the growing ascendance of Alfa Romeo, Bentley won its fifth Le Mans vic...

But it was also a tough year for serious accidents. As well as those mentioned above, including the death of Conte Gastone Brilli-Peri at the start of the season, the Baroness Aniela d’Elern had been killed in the Algerian GP handicap race in May. A month later, the English Grand Prix winner Sir Henry Segrave died in a water speed record attempt. [ 82 ]

italics show the driver of the race's fastest lap. Only those drivers with a best finish of 6th or better, or a fastest lap, are shown. Sources: [ 83 ] [ 6 ] [ 29 ] [ 10 ] [ 30 ] [ 31 ] [ 32 ]