Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

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Momus1986
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Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

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As we all know, Formula One is a sport defined by fine margins and a multitude of variables. But what if that wasn't the case? What if the results of races and seasons were instead determined by dice? That's the question I'm going to attempt to answer as I seek to rewrite the entire Formula One history books, using dice.

THE REASONS BEHIND IT

So why am I running Historical Formula Dice (which from now on will be referred to as HFD)? Well, there are two main reasons, and they relate to two areas of the sport I find the most intriguing – often more so than the races themselves.

Firstly is all the behind-the-scenes politics, decision making, and emotional warfare that dictate the direction of the sport just as much as the wheel-to-wheel action. This is an opportunity to replay all those transfer market decisions, rivalries, and back-room battles using a new set of variables and situations.

Second, Formula One is littered with “What If?” questions, and this could be my opportunity – depending on the rolls of the dice – to attempt to answer some of them. What if Schumacher squanders his big chance at Belgium '91? Or Kovaleinen records a string of victories for McLaren? What if Rindt/Villeneuve/Peterson/Senna etc hadn't been killed? What if Larrousse scored a shock victory in '94 that kept their creditors happy and allowed them to survive? The rolls of the dice will inevitably raise some of these types of questions, and require answers as accurately as I can reasonably provide.

But it won't be just me that comes up with the answers to these questions, because I want your help as well. I invite conversation, debate, and participation in decision making throughout this thread, and will take all comments and discussion on board before making a decision on the matter at hand.

DRIVER INJURIES & FATALITIES

Now you'll notice that I mentioned the passing of drivers in the above paragraph, and that's because one of the more pertinent “rules” of HFD is that there will be no serious injuries nor fatalities during a Formula One race weekend. That means any driver who was hurt or killed in real life during practice, qualifying or a race, will not be affected that weekend in HFD.

The reason for this is simple: deciding whether a driver lives or dies using dice is too morbid, and not in the spirit of what I'm trying to achieve here. It also has the side-effect of creating some of the “What If?” questions I described above.

Any deaths that occurred during other events – including Formula Two races, sportscar events, and private test sessions - will stand.

HOW IT WORKS

How an F1 race is replicated by dice is a question I spent a considerable amount of time mulling over, but in the end, I decided to keep it (relatively) simple, short and easy to follow. Therefore, each driver's entire race will be dictated by one dice roll, of three dice (with another die being rolled for qualifying first, which I will explain later).

The reasons for this simplicity are two-fold. First, I'm attempting to rewrite the entire F1 history books, that means going all the way back to 1950 and running over 70 seasons. The sheer amount of time it will take to do that if each race takes an hour or so to complete is far too overwhelming.

The other reason is that by removing in-race variables such as tyre wear, fuel loads, pit strategy, changeable weather conditions and traffic, I'm taking the human element – from both driver and team principal – out of the race as much as possible. This means that I don't have to try and get into the mindset of hundreds of different personalities, and allows the results of the races to be dictated solely by the dice themselves, which is the whole point of doing this.

With that cleared up, here's an explanation of how the rolls of the dice translate into a race result.
  • Each driver rolls three dice to determine their race result: two d20s, and a d100 (which I know is technically two dice but you know what I mean).
  • The first d20 dictates if a driver finishes the race, or retires from it. The number they must roll in order to finish is influenced by the total number of real life retirements in that year - as a percentage of race entries - and will be the same for each driver for every race that year (so for example, a higher number will be required in earlier years when retirements were much more common).
  • Each driver has a “reliability modifier” which is added to, or subtracted from, their roll. This modifier is influenced by the number of retirements that driver and that constructor had during the course of that real life year.
  • If the roll - once the modifier has been applied - is lower than the required score, that driver is deemed to have retired from the race, and the result of the d100 will dictate on which lap the driver retired, as a percentage of the total race distance.
  • If a 1 is rolled on the reliability die, the driver retires on lap 1. If a 0 is rolled on the d100, the driver did not start the race.
  • Should the driver pass the reliability check, the result of the other d20 is observed, as this dictates the driver's race performance.
  • The “Performance Score” is obtained using the result of this d20, with modifiers applied according to where that driver and constructor finished in their respective championships in that real life year.
  • Additional modifiers will be considered in exceptional circumstances whereby a driver or constructor's finishing position in their real life championship does not reasonably reflect their abilities.
  • All finishing drivers will be ranked according to their Performance Scores. Any ties will be settled in favour of whichever driver(s) finished higher in the real life Driver's Championship for that year. Should there still be a tie, a roll-off will occur, with each driver rolling a d100 and the higher score taking the higher finishing position.
Phew, got all that? Hopefully I explained it clearly enough, and it should make more sense as I start actually running race weekends and championships.

Finally, there is qualifying to consider:
  • Each race weekend will be given a “Grid Influence Rating”. This is a number that reflects how important a driver's grid position is to the potential outcome of their race. For example, the 2022 Monaco GP will have a significantly higher GIR score than the 1950 Italian GP.
  • Before the race, each driver rolls one d20, with the same performance-related modifiers being applied as in the race itself.
  • Drivers qualify based on the result of this roll, with the same tiebreaker rules being applied as during the race.
  • A driver's qualifying position will determine an extra modifier for their Performance Score during the race: the driver who qualified last has a modifier of 0, with each position ahead of them scoring an additional modifier of x, which is equal to the GIR score for that weekend.
MISCELLANEOUS RULES

Once you've stopped your head spinning from trying to follow the race rules, here are a few other tidbits to clear some things up.
  • For the years when the Indianapolis 500 was part of the F1 calendar, it will not be run in HFD.
  • No car-sharing is allowed.
  • Drivers will only compete in races that they started in real life, unless there is sufficient reason for this to change.
  • If a driver/team competes in a season that they did not compete in real life, then the modifier scores will be obtained using a combination of previous years' data, and common sense.
  • Any race weekend with a GIR of 0 will not feature a qualifying session.
  • The point scoring systems will be historically accurate (unless there is sufficient reason to change this).
  • No points for fastest lap will be allocated.
HISTORICAL ACCURACY

As I progress through the seasons, I will try to keep things as historically sensible as is reasonably possible. Driver transfers, political decisions and all the other stuff mentioned above will be done in reaction to race results, but will be done so whilst considering what the likely scenario would be should this set of circumstances have occurred in real life.

To this end, I will not profess to getting everything “right”. There are far too many variables and possibilities in play that mean I can judge exactly what would have happened, and this brings about the constant, sizeable caveat that at the end of the day, I'm doing this as a bit of fun, and not to try and definitively answer any unanswerable, hypothetical questions.

Should you have any criticisms with anything I'm doing here, disagree with anything I've said or decision I've made, or otherwise have any other feedback for me, you are welcome to share these in this thread. However, please do so in a constructive manner. I would like this to be an enjoyable conversation about one strand of alternative F1 reality, not an acrimonious argument over the finer points of historically accurate questions that, at the end of the day, none of us will ever be able to answer with 100% certainty.

----

Right, with alllllll of that being said, let's pack up our wireless radio, jump in the Morris Minor, and head to an airfield in the middle of Britain – we have a new sport to watch!
Last edited by Momus1986 on 09 Jul 2022, 13:56, edited 4 times in total.
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Aislabie
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Aislabie »

I'm very excited to see how this rolls out. Very unfortunate for Jim Clark that he'll still be called to drive at Hockenheim, but intriguing that Alfredo Pian will never suffer his career-ending crash on debut. Really looking forward to it, and welcome to GPR
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

Aislabie wrote: 07 May 2022, 21:29 I'm very excited to see how this rolls out. Very unfortunate for Jim Clark that he'll still be called to drive at Hockenheim, but intriguing that Alfredo Pian will never suffer his career-ending crash on debut. Really looking forward to it, and welcome to GPR
Indeed, Pian will be the first driver whose fortunes deviate from real life events. Not to mention the half of the field that got caught out by that wave...
Stareagle
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Stareagle »

This looks amazing, but the record-keeping is going to be a monster. Or is there a GPR spreadsheet to handle all that?
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tommykl
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by tommykl »

This is what I should have done when starting the monster that is now Alt-50s! I can't wait to see where this takes you.
Stareagle wrote: 08 May 2022, 03:37 This looks amazing, but the record-keeping is going to be a monster. Or is there a GPR spreadsheet to handle all that?
We have a wiki should he wish to use it, although of course that's a lot of stuff to input...
kevinbotz wrote:Cantonese is a completely nonsensical f*cking alien language masquerading as some grossly bastardised form of Chinese

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Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

Stareagle wrote: 08 May 2022, 03:37 This looks amazing, but the record-keeping is going to be a monster. Or is there a GPR spreadsheet to handle all that?
I have my own spreadsheet that I'll be using to keep a record of all the necessary data, as well as notes on how the HFD timeline differs from real life.
tommykl wrote: 08 May 2022, 08:53 We have a wiki should he wish to use it, although of course that's a lot of stuff to input...
I have requested an account on the Wiki site, and will seek to use that to display all the results and race reports.

I've already run the 1950 season, so I'll use that as a test bed to see how much input is required, and how best to proceed in a way that isn't too overwhelming for me!
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

The registration process for new users on the Wiki site is currently borked, so until that gets fixed, I'll be posting the race reports and championship summaries in this thread. Once I get a Wiki account, I'll use this thread to link to race report pages as and when they are uploaded.

With that being said, here is the first half of the 1950 season:

1950 BRITISH GP

The 1950 HFD British Grand Prix was the first ever Historical Formula Dice race, held on 13 May 1950 at the Silverstone Circuit in Silverstone, England. It was the first race of six in the 1950 HFD World Championship of Drivers.

The 70-lap race was won by Guiseppe Farina in an Alfa Romeo, one of only four finishers in an incident-packed event owing primarily to torrential rain.

Entries

21 drivers would start the race. Since this was the first ever HFD event, the field was exactly the same as in the real 1950 British GP, as there has been no opportunity yet for the timelines to differ.

Ferrari, like in real life, would not attend the race, due to Enzo Ferrari electing to take part in a Formula Two event at Belgium instead due to a bigger prize pool. This left the four Alfa Romeos as strong favourites, however the inclement weather and unpredictable dice rolls gave the other manufacturers – such as Maserati, Talbot and ERA – hope of a strong finish.

(Note, any entries in bold are deviations from the entry list for the corresponding actual F1 race)

Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo
Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo
Reg PARNELL Alfa romeo
Geoffrey CROSSLEY Alta
Joe KELLY Alta
Bob GERARD Era
Cuth HARRISON Era
Leslie JOHNSON Era
Peter WALKER Era
David HAMPSHIRE Maserati
David MURRAY Maserati
Joe FRY Maserati
Louis CHIRON Maserati
Prince BIRA Maserati
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago

Qualifying

With a Grid Influence Rating of 0 – meaning the qualifying position is deemed to have very little or no effect on the race result – there would be no qualifying session during this race weekend.

Race

In front of the British royal family, and under rain falling hard enough that organisers were considering cancelling the event, the race got under way. Sure enough, it wasn't long before the weather claimed its first victims, as a large puddle on the inside of copse corner caught out several drivers on the first lap. Prince Bira, Reg Parnell, Bob Gerard, Leslie Johnson, Juan Manuel Fangio and David Hampshire would all hit the puddle, losing control of their cars and sending them off the hay bale-lined circuit. Of those drivers, only Johnson and Fangio were able to continue, although Johnson had to retire his ERA on lap 19 when water got into his electrics, and Fangio fell to the back of the field.

With the Alfas of Parnell out the race and Fangio seemingly out of contention, it was down to the other two red cars of Guiseppe Farina and Luigi Fagioli to contest the lead. They swapped places several times throughout the course of the race, expertly navigating the atrocious weather that was claiming more and more victims as the gruelling race progressed.

In the end, it was Farina who prevailed, claiming the first ever HFD victory ahead of Fagioli in second, and an exhausted Fangio in third, having nursed his wounded car through the entire race. The final podium position looked like it was going to go to Louis Chiron in the Maserati, but a gearbox failure with four laps to go saw him drop out the race, although he would still be classified in fifth position.

Cuth Harrison, in the ERA, would be the only non-Alfa Romeo driver to beat the elements and cross the finish line, albeit several laps down. His reward was a well deserved fourth position and three World Championship points.

(Note: the number after the driver/constructor is their Performance Score, with the results of any required roll-off in brackets. See the original post for more details)

1 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 25
2 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 22
3 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 10.5
4 Cuth HARRISON Era 3
5 Louis CHIRON Maserati Retired Lap 66

Not Classified:
Geoffrey CROSSLEY Alta Retired Lap 61
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago Retired Lap 56
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago Retired Lap 54
Peter WALKER Era Retired Lap 49
Joe KELLY Alta Retired Lap 45
David MURRAY Maserati Retired Lap 45
Joe FRY Maserati Retired Lap 45
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 22
Leslie JOHNSON Era Retired Lap 19
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 15
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati Retired Lap 15
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago Retired Lap 6
Prince BIRA Maserati Retired Lap 1
Reg PARNELL Alfa romeo Retired Lap 1
Bob GERARD Era Retired Lap 1
David HAMPSHIRE Maserati Retired Lap 1

Championship Standings

Guiseppe FARINA 8
Luigi FAGIOLI 6
Juan Manuel FANGIO 4
Cuth HARRISON 3
Louis CHIRON 2

----

1950 MONACO GRAND PRIX

The 1950 HFD Monaco Grand Prix was the second race of the 1950 Historical Formula Dice season, held on 21 May 1950 at the street circuit in Monaco.

The 100-lap race was won by Juan Manuel Fangio, having started third on the grid following the season's first (and only) qualifying session. Louis Rosier and Johnny Claes would finish a highly creditable second and third in their Talbot-Lagos, underlining how the tight and twisty nature of the circuit can negate some of the power advantage of the bigger teams.

Entries

20 drivers would start the race, including the Ferraris – who chose not to take part in the opening round at Silverstone – as well as debuts for Robert Manzon, Harry Schell, Franco Rol, Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Alfredo Pian, and Maurice Trintignant.

Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo
Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo
Harry SCHELL Cooper-jap
Bob GERARD Era
Cuth HARRISON Era
Alberto ASCARI Ferrari
Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari
Raymond SOMMER Ferrari
Alfredo PIAN Maserati
Franco ROL Maserati
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati
Louis CHIRON Maserati
Prince BIRA Maserati
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati
Robert MANZON Simca-gordini
Maurice TRINTIGNANT Simca-gordini
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago

Qualifying

In the first, and what would be only qualifying session of the season, it was the Simca-Gordini of Robert Manzon who took a surprise pole, with Philippe Etancelin and Juan Manuel Fangio making up the front row in their Talbot-Lago and Alfa Romeos respectively.

Luigi Villoresi was the highest starting Ferrari, having qualified fourth, as both Alberto Ascari and Raymond Sommer struggled to get to grips with the Ferrari 125 chassis around the streets of Monaco, qualifying down in 17th and 18th.

Farina and Fagioli, the top two finishers at Silverstone, also struggled with traffic and grip, and could only manage 11th and 14th respectively.

1 Robert MANZON Simca-gordini 21.5
2 Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago 21.5
3 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 20.5
--
4 Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari 19
5 Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago 19
--
6 Prince BIRA Maserati 18.5
7 Bob GERARD Era 17
8 Maurice TRINTIGNANT Simca-gordini 17 [44]
--
9 Harry SCHELL Cooper-jap 17 [42]
10 Louis CHIRON Maserati 15.5
--
11 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 15
12 Cuth HARRISON Era 15
13 Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago 12.5
--
14 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 12
15 Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati 12
--
16 Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati 11
17 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 10
18 Raymond SOMMER Ferrari 8.5
--
19 Franco ROL Maserati 4
20 Alfredo PIAN Maserati 3

Race

Juan Manuel Fangio got the best start off the line, beating the other front row cars of Manzon and Etancelin to the first corner. Fangio set off at a blistering pace, and would go on to dominate the race, never relinquishing his lead until the chequered flag.

Meanwhile, Manzon and Etancelin tangled with each other at the final hairpin on lap 1. Etancelin attempted to overtake Manzon on the inside, but the two collided, forcing Manzon to retire, and Etancelin to pit for damage repairs. He would eventually finish 12th. After the race, the two drivers spoke to each other about the incident – Manzon blaming Etancelin for an overambitious move, whilst Etancelin blamed Manzon for not seeing him in his mirrors.

The streets of Monaco would prove to be a great equaliser in terms of chassis strength and power, as well as a difficult track to overtake on. This proved to be a headache for the Alfa and Ferrari drivers who struggled in qualifying. Nevertheless, there were notable comeback drives – Alberto Ascari stormed up the field from 17th to 5th, whilst Guiseppe Farina finished just outside the points in 6th, having started 11th.

The struggles of Ferrari and Alfa Romeo would be gains for Talbot-Lago and ERA. Louis Rosier and Johnny Claes both drove excellent races to keep the competition behind and score podium finishes. Bob Gerard would see history repeat itself as he inherited fourth place late on after Louis Chiron was once again forced to retire with mechanical issues. This was the 2nd fourth placed finish in as many races for ERA.

1 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 33.5
2 Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago 28
3 Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago 24.5
4 Bob GERARD Era 23.5
5 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 20.5
6 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 19.5
7 Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati 19.5
8 Harry SCHELL Cooper-jap 19.5
9 Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari 18
10 Franco ROL Maserati 17.5
11 Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati 17
12 Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago 16.5
13 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 15

Not classified:
Louis CHIRON Maserati Retired Lap 86
Maurice TRINTIGNANT Simca-gordini Retired Lap 67
Raymond SOMMER Ferrari Retired Lap 57
Alfredo PIAN Maserati Retired Lap 15
Prince BIRA Maserati Retired Lap 14
Cuth HARRISON Era Retired Lap 9
Robert MANZON Simca-gordini Retired Lap 1

Championship Standings

Juan Manuel FANGIO 12
Guiseppe FARINA 8
Louis ROSIER 6
Luigi FAGIOLI 6
Johnny CLAES 4
Cuth HARRISON 3
Bob GERARD 3
Alberto ASCARI 2
Louis CHIRON 2

----

1950 SWISS GRAND PRIX

The 1950 HFD Swiss Grand Prix was the third of six races in the 1950 HFD World Championship of Drivers, held on 4 June 1950 at Bremgarten.

The 42-lap race was won by Juan Manuel Fangio, his second victory in as many races having triumphed at Monaco the previous month. Raymond Sommer finished a close second in his Ferrari, giving the Italian team their first ever HFD podium, whilst Toulo de Graffenried finished third for Maserati in what was a very close climax to the race which saw up to eight drivers in contention for the win.

Entries

A total of 19 drivers would start the race, including debuts for Felice Bonetto, Toni Branca, and Nello Pagani, the latter making his only HFD appearance.

As in Silverstone, there would be no qualifying session – a trend that would continue for the remainder of the season.

Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo
Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo
Harry SCHELL Cooper-jap
Alberto ASCARI Ferrari
Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari
Raymond SOMMER Ferrari
Felice BONETTO Maserati
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati
Louis CHIRON Maserati
Nello PAGANI Maserati
Prince BIRA Maserati
Toni BRANCA Maserati
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago

Race

As was expected, the three Alfas and three Ferraris were the most competitive cars in the field, at least for the first half of the race. Fangio and Farina would do most of the battling for the lead, but the Ferraris of Sommer, Ascari and Villoresi were never far behind.

Also keeping tabs on the leaders were the Maseratis of Toulo de Graffenried and Nello Pagani – the motorcycle racer impressing on his debut.

On lap 31, Luigi Villoresi's Ferrari developed an oil leak, forcing the Italian to retire, and causing Guiseppe Farina – who was right behind him in the Alfa Romeo – to spin on the oil, also dropping him out of contention for the win.

Despite the incident, there were still six drivers separated by only a handful of seconds, and a sterling drive from Johnny Claes in the underpowered Talbot saw him catch up to the lead pack for the final couple of laps.

Fangio, however, used all his skill and guile to fend off the chasing pack and take his second win of the season, helped in no small part by Sommer and de Graffenried battling over second place on the final lap. Ascari finished fourth just a few seconds back, narrowly beating Nello Pagani, who scored points for his fifth place finish in what would be his only HFD race as he chose to concentrate his future efforts on motorcycling.

1 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 21.5
2 Raymond SOMMER Ferrari 20.5
3 Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati 20
4 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 19
5 Nello PAGANI Maserati 19
6 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 18
7 Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago 18
8 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago 15
9 Harry SCHELL Cooper-jap 15
10 Prince BIRA Maserati 13.5
11 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 12
12 Louis CHIRON Maserati 7.5
13 Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago 3
14 Toni BRANCA Maserati 2
15 Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 40
16 Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago Retired Lap 39

Not classified:
Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari Retired Lap 31
Felice BONETTO Maserati Retired Lap 15
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati Retired Lap 4

Championship Standings

Juan Manuel FANGIO 20
Guiseppe FARINA 8
Louis ROSIER 6
Luigi FAGIOLI 6
Raymond SOMMER 6
Alberto ASCARI 5
Johnny CLAES 4
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED 4
Cuth HARRISON 3
Bob GERARD 3
Louis CHIRON 2
Nello PAGANI 2
Last edited by Momus1986 on 13 May 2022, 00:36, edited 1 time in total.
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

1950 BELGIAN GRAND PRIX

The 1950 HFD Belgian Grand Prix was the fourth of six rounds in the 1950 Historical Formula Dice World Championship of Drivers. The 35-lap race was held on 18 June 1950, at Spa-Francorchamps.

Yves Giraud-Cabantous took a shock victory in his Talbot-Lago, after all three Alfa Romeos retired with engine issues. Geoffrey Crossley, in his final race, came home second, with Alberto Ascari third in a Ferrari with a new V12 engine.

Entries

Only 15 drivers would start the race, the reduced field a tangible sign of the relentless pace and high costs of the sport that were driving many privateers away after only a few races.

Amongst the entries were Juan Manuel Fangio – who held a dominant 12 point lead in the championship following two consecutive victories – and his Alfa teammates of Luigi Fagioli and Guiseppe Farina. Ferrari brought two cars, one for Luigi Villoresi, and one with a new V12 engine for Alberto Ascari.

The race would also see debuts for Pierre Levegh and Eugene Chaboud, both in Talbot-Lagos.

Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo
Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo
Geoffrey CROSSLEY Alta
Alberto ASCARI Ferrari
Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari
Toni BRANCA Maserati
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago
Eugene CHABOUD Talbot-lago
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-lago
Raymond SOMMER Talbot-lago

Race

In a race with a small starting grid and high attrition, it didn't take long for the daunting Spa circuit to claim its first retirements. Louis Rosier spun his Talbot-Lago just after Raidillon on the very first lap, and was hit by an unsighted Philippe Etancelin, also in a Talbot. The rest of the field scrambled to get through the crash, but the two drivers involved weren't so fortunate, suffering terminal damage to both cars.

Guiseppe Farina took an early lead, ahead of Fangio and Ascari – whose new V12 engine was proving to be a useful weapon on the high-speed circuit. However, Farina's engine expired just seven laps into the race, and when Fangio suffered a similar fate on the very next lap, Ascari inherited the lead.

Luigi Fagioli, now in second place, was the only Alfa left in the race, but that title wouldn't last long as his engine also let go on lap 14. With all three Alfas out, it would mean the first victory for a non-Alfa Romeo in HFD history.

With little competition, Ascari dominated the race. Villoresi spent most of it in second place, well ahead of a swarm of Tablot-Lagos, Crossley's Alta, and Toni Branca who had fallen way behind in his Maserati after developing a puncture in the middle of the race.

Lap 28 would prove to be Ferrari's undoing. First, Villoresi crashed his car after losing control at the Masta kink. Seconds later, Ascari was forced to make a late pitstop when his new V12 engine started misfiring. He was able to have his car fixed, but by the time he emerged from the pits, he was down to third place and well behind the leaders.

Capitalising on the misfortunes of both Alfa Romeo and Ferrari, Yves Giraud-Cabantous drove a consistent, error-free race, taking the lead on lap 28 and holding onto it comfortably for the final few laps ahead of Crossley's Alta. Ascari drove as hard as he could to try and make up for the time he lost in the pits, but in the end was unable to gain any positions, finishing a few seconds behind Crossley in third.

Johnny Claes followed up from his impressive podium finish in Monaco with a fourth placed finish, whilst Raymond Sommer – who had switched from Ferrari to Talbot – claimed fifth.

With so many retirements from championship-contending drivers, Fangio's healthy lead remained intact, being cut from twelve points to eleven as Ascari's podium promoted him to second in the championship.

1 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago 25
2 Geoffrey CROSSLEY Alta 19
3 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 18
4 Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago 12
5 Raymond SOMMER Talbot-lago 9.5
6 Toni BRANCA Maserati 9
7 Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 33

Not Classified:
Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari Retired Lap 28
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-lago Retired Lap 28
Eugene CHABOUD Talbot-lago Retired Lap 26
Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo Retired Lap 14
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo Retired Lap 8
Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo Retired Lap 7
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago Retired Lap 1
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 1

Championship Standings

Juan Manuel FANGIO 20
Alberto ASCARI 9
Guiseppe FARINA 8
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS 8
Johnny CLAES 7
Louis ROSIER 6
Luigi FAGIOLI 6
Raymond SOMMER 8
Geoffrey CROSSLEY 6
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED 4
Cuth HARRISON 3
Bob GERARD 3
Louis CHIRON 2
Nello PAGANI 2

----

1950 FRENCH GRAND PRIX

The 1950 HFD French Grand Prix was the fifth and penultimate race of the season. It was held on 2 July 1950 at Reims-Gueux.

The 64-lap race was won by Luigi Fagioli in an Alfa Romeo, a victory which – with championship leader Juan Manuel Fangio retiring – would breath life into the World Championship of Drivers, and take it to the final race at Monza.

Entries

A total of 22 cars turned up to the Reims circuit in Northern France, although only 19 would start the race. Home driver Louis Rosier was unable to start his Talbot-Lago on the grid, forcing the unfortunate driver to retire from his fourth race out of five, and the second race in a row that he failed to complete a lap. The two Ferraris also didn't start the race, with Enzo Ferrari pulling out of the event after realising his new V12-engined cars wouldn't be competitive against the dominant Alfa Romeos.

Two drivers made their debuts: Charles Pozzi in a Talbot-Lago, and Peter Whitehead who entered a Ferrari as a privateer.

Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo
Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo
Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari
David HAMPSHIRE Maserati
Felice BONETTO Maserati
Franco ROL Maserati
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati
Louis CHIRON Maserati
Reg PARNELL Maserati
Robert MANZON Simca-gordini
Charles POZZI Talbot-lago
Eugene CHABOUD Talbot-lago
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-lago
Raymond SOMMER Talbot-lago
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago

Race

With Ferrari withdrawing from the race, the Alfas were expected to dominate. Sure enough, in the early stages they occupied the top three positions, with Fagioli and Farina swapping places for the lead, and Fangio not far behind.

The opening laps of the race ran with surprisingly few retirements. In the first 24 laps, only Yves Giraud-Cabantous was out, the heroic winner at the previous round in Spa crashing out on the first lap.

Then, attrition began to take hold. The first driver to fall was Juan Manuel Fangio, who collided with Eugene Martin's Talbot whilst trying to lap him, the Frenchman presumably unaware of the Argentine's presence. Martin pitted the next lap with damage to his car, and was unable to resume the race.

Further retirements ensued, including Jose Froilan Gonzalez, who crashed his Maserati when it blew a tyre under braking for the 90-degree final corner. A few laps later Philippe Etancelin and Johnny Claes collided whilst fighting for the lower positions, forcing them both out of the race.

With Fangio out, it was down to Farina and Fagioli to fight for the win, with Felice Bonetto driving fast enough in his Maserati to keep tabs on the leaders in the closing stages of the race. However, with only a few laps to go Farina's clutch malfunctioned, forcing him to drive the rest of the race in third gear.

Farina's late woes handed the victory to Luigi Fagioli, who narrowly held off a late charge from the impressive Bonetto. Robert Manzon proved that his Monaco pole was no fluke, guiding his underpowered Simca-Gordini to a podium finish, just ahead of Eugene Chaboud's Talbot-Lago. Louis Chiron – unfortunate to miss out on two podiums earlier in the season – scored his second points-paying finish with fifth.

Farina's clutch problem, meanwhile, dropped him to sixth place, out of the points, and out of contention for the Driver's Championship.

1 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 23
2 Felice BONETTO Maserati 23
3 Robert MANZON Simca-gordini 20.5
4 Eugene CHABOUD Talbot-lago 20.5
5 Louis CHIRON Maserati 19.5
6 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 16
7 David HAMPSHIRE Maserati 16
8 Reg PARNELL Maserati 14
9 Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari 10
10 Charles POZZI Talbot-lago 7
11 Franco ROL Maserati Retired Lap 62
12 Raymond SOMMER Talbot-lago Retired Lap 59

Not Classified:
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-lago Retired Lap 52
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago Retired Lap 31
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 31
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Maserati Retired Lap 28
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 26
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo Retired Lap 25
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-lago Retired Lap 1
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago DNS

Championship Standings

Juan Manuel FANGIO 20
Luigi FAGIOLI 14
Alberto ASCARI 9
Guiseppe FARINA 8
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS 8
Johnny CLAES 7
Louis ROSIER 6
Felice BONETTO 6
Raymond SOMMER 8
Geoffrey CROSSLEY 6
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED 4
Robert MANZON 4
Louis CHIRON 4
Cuth HARRISON 3
Bob GERARD 3
Eugene CHABOUD 3
Nello PAGANI 2

----

1950 ITALIAN GRAND PRIX

The 1950 HFD Italian Grand Prix was the final race of the season, held on 3 September 1950 at Monza. Guiseppe Farina won the 80-lap race in an Alfa Romeo, the first time in HFD history that a driver or manufacturer had won on home soil.

Background

Despite retiring from the previous two Grands Prix, Juan Manuel Fangio led the World Championship of Drivers heading into the race, with 20 points. The only driver who could deny Fangio from becoming the first ever HFD World Champion was Luigi Fagioli, the Italian bringing himself into contention after winning the previous race in France.

Fagioli – Fangio's teammate at Alfa Romeo – went into the race on 14 points, 6 behind the Argentinian. Therefore, to win the championship, Fagioli needed to finish in the top two at Monza, and hope Fangio didn't score enough points behind him.

Should Fagioli win the race, Fangio would still be champion with a finish of fourth or higher. If Fagioli finished second, Fangio needed at least fifth to take the championship.

The 1950 HFD season featured a drop points system, whereby each driver's top four finishes only would count towards their championship points total. However, with no driver achieving four points-paying finishes in the first five rounds of the season, this system became moot.

Entries

27 cars started the Italian Grand Prix, a record-high field owing mainly to a handful of (mostly Italian) drivers making their debuts on home soil. These included Henri Louveau in a Talbot, Clemente Biondetti in a Jaguar (also making their debut), Consalvo Sanesi and Piero Taruffi in Alfa Romeos, Franco Comotti and Paul Pietsch in Maseratis and Dorino Serafini in a Ferrari.

For most of these débutantes it would also be their last appearances. It would also be the last appearance for Raymond Sommer, as the Frenchman would be killed during a sportscar race later on in the year.

Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo
Consalvo SANESI Alfa romeo
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo
Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo
Piero TARUFFI Alfa romeo
Cuth HARRISON Era
Alberto ASCARI Ferrari
Dorino SERAFINI Ferrari
Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari
Clemente BIONDETTI Jaguar
Alfredo PIAN Maserati
David MURRAY Maserati
Franco COMOTTI Maserati
Franco ROL Maserati
Louis CHIRON Maserati
Paul PIETSCH Maserati
Prince BIRA Maserati
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati
Maurice TRINTIGNANT Simca-gordini
Robert MANZON Simca-gordini
Guy MAIRESSE Talbot-lago
Henri LOUVEAU Talbot-lago
Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago
Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-lago
Raymond SOMMER Talbot-lago

Race

The early stages of the race saw a familiar pair of drivers battling for the lead – the Alfa teammates of Juan Manuel Fangio and Guiseppe Farina never far away from each other on track. Behind them was Alberto Ascari in third, with Dorino Serafini and Luigii Fagioli fighting over fourth and fifth.

With few changes of position, it was looking increasingly unlikely that Fagioli would be able to move up to the top-two, where he needed to finish to stand any chance of winning the title. His battle with Serafini came to an end on lap 46 when the Ferrari crashed after running wide at Curva Grande.

Fagioli, now in fourth, needed to press on and make a charge towards the podium. Instead, his pace began to drop off, and he soon found himself falling to seventh position, out of the points. Juan Manuel Fangio's retirement from the lead on lap 62 – after yet another engine issue for the Alfa Romeo – gave a mere glimmer of hope for Fagioli, but by then he was too far back from the second place he needed to be able to capitalise on Fangio's misfortune.

Farina won the race relatively comfortably, with Alberto Ascari ensuring an Italian one-two finish on home soil for both drivers and manufacturers when he brought his Ferrari home in second. Louis Chiron, after a late charge and not suffering the kind of late-race drama that had befallen him earlier in the season, claimed the final podium position.

Fagioli finished in sixth, and so with neither of the championship contenders scoring points, Fangio would stay at the top and be crowned the first ever HFD World Driver's Champion. Faina's victory and Ascari's second place meant they both leapfrogged Fagioli to finish second and third in the championship respectively. Both drivers would bemoan missed opportunities for the title – had Farina not been right behind Luigi Villoresi when he dropped oil in Switzerland, he would almost certainly have scored enough points to win the title. Had Ferrari bothered to race in either Great Britain or France, and Ascari finished in the top two in either race, he would have been champion instead.

1 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 28
2 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 24
3 Louis CHIRON Maserati 22.5
4 Louis ROSIER Talbot-lago 19.5
5 Robert MANZON Simca-gordini 19.5
6 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 16
7 Guy MAIRESSE Talbot-lago 16
8 Henri LOUVEAU Talbot-lago 15
9 Cuth HARRISON Era 13 [98]
10 Franco ROL Maserati 13 [9]
11 Clemente BIONDETTI Jaguar 12
12 Alfredo PIAN Maserati 11
13 Johnny CLAES Talbot-lago 10
14 David MURRAY Maserati 9
15 Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati 6
16 Consalvo SANESI Alfa romeo 4

Not Classified:
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-lago Retired Lap 65
Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo Retired Lap 62
Maurice TRINTIGNANT Simca-gordini Retired Lap 56
Dorino SERAFINI Ferrari Retired Lap 46
Piero TARUFFI Alfa romeo Retired Lap 36
Prince BIRA Maserati Retired Lap 34
Raymond SOMMER Talbot-lago Retired Lap 27
Paul PIETSCH Maserati Retired Lap 21
Franco COMOTTI Maserati Retired Lap 12
Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari Retired Lap 1
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-lago Retired Lap 1

Final Championship Standings

Juan Manuel FANGIO 20
Guiseppe FARINA 16
Alberto ASCARI 15
Luigi FAGIOLI 14
Louis ROSIER 9
Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS 8
Raymond SOMMER 8
Louis CHIRON 8
Johnny CLAES 7
Felice BONETTO 6
Robert MANZON 6
Geoffrey CROSSLEY 6
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED 4
Cuth HARRISON 3
Bob GERARD 3
Eugene CHABOUD 3
Nello PAGANI 2

----

1950/51 OFFSEASON TALKING POINTS
  • Will Fangio's dismay at Alfa's poor reliability be enough for him to consider switching manufacturers?
  • Can Alfredo Pian find a drive for 1951?
  • Should the qualifying format be revised?
Feel free to make any comments or suggestions on any of the above, or any other topics you deem appropriate as preparations for 1951 get underway.
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

STIRLING MOSS TAKES SHOCK DEBUT VICTORY IN SWITZERLAND

When the crowds gathered to watch the opening round of the 1951 Formula Dice season, most were expecting a fight between Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina, and 1950 Driver's Champion, Juan Manuel Fangio. But on a gloriously sunny day in Bremgarten, Switzerland, victory instead went to an underpowered car, driven by a British man very few people have even heard of.

Sure enough, Fangio, Ascari and Farina - the trio expected to challenge for this year's Driver's Championship - made up the top three places for the majority of the race. However, when Ascari endured a slow pit stop, and Fangio's car developed gearbox trouble late on, it was Nino Farina and Stirling Moss who contested the win.

Moss had already passed Luigi Villoresi and Jose Froilan Gonzalez earlier in the race. Both were more experienced drivers in more powerful cars, but Moss used consistency and strategy to pass both drivers and climb to second place in the late going. Farina looked good for the win, but was forced to make a quick pit stop with only a couple of laps to go when he ran out of fuel. This allowed Stirling Moss to become the first British driver to win a FD race, with his HWM-Alta being the first British car to do so as well.

"It's an incredible achievement, beyond my wildest dreams of what I could do today," a humble Moss said after the race. So what of his title credentials? When asked about a possible championship run, he responded with a wry smile. "This was supposed to be the only race we ran this year, but maybe we'll drive the British GP as well."

RACE RESULTS

1 Stirling MOSS HWM-Alta 21.5
2 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 18.5
3 Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Talbot-Lago 17
4 Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari 17
5 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 15
6 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 13.5
7 Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Alfa romeo 13.5
8 Louis ROSIER Talbot-Lago 13
9 Louis CHIRON Maserati 6.5
10 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-Lago 5
11 Johnny CLAES Talbot-Lago 5
12 Guy MAIRESSE Talbot-Lago 5
13 Alfredo PIAN Talbot-Lago 2

Not classified:
Consalvo SANESI Alfa romeo Retired Lap 38
Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari Retired Lap 33
Peter HIRT Veritas Retired Lap 30
George ABECASSIS HWM-Alta Retired Lap 27
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 22
Piero TARUFFI Ferrari Retired Lap 22
Henri LOUVEAU Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 17
Rudi FISCHER Ferrari Retired Lap 13
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 06
Harry SCHELL Maserati Retired Lap 01
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

FARINA PIPS FANGIO AS ALFA ROMEO TAKE 1-2 AT SPA

Guiseppe Farina claimed his first victory of the 1951 season at the fearsome Spa-Francorchamps circuit, taking a six point lead in the Driver's Championship in the process.

Juan Manuel Fangio finished a close second, with the two Alfa drivers the class of the field, finishing way ahead of Alberto Ascari, who guided his Ferrari onto the podium in the second of seven championship races.

The victory means Farina now has more wins (3) and more podiums (4) than any other driver in championship races. It also gives the Italian the Driver's Championship lead - a crucial six point advantage over Fangio, and a ten point lead over Ascari.

The race itself was a largely uneventful affair. The high costs of competing in Formula One plus the notorious reputation of the Spa circuit meant that only 14 drivers started the race, with ten of those seeing the chequered flag. Farina and Fangio drove off into the distance from the start, with Fangio initially leading. However, the Argentine was forced to relinquish his advantage after a slower pit stop that handed Farina the lead, and eventually the victory.

Elsewhere, there was calamity on lap 8 when Pierre Levegh spun his Talbot-Lago at the Masta Kink, with fellow Talbot driver Louis Chiron unable to avoid the incident, crashing into Levegh and ending both their races.

But whilst the underpowered Talbot cars struggled, Alfa excelled, showing no signs of weakness in their aging chasses. They were too much for Ferrari - Ascari drove well for third, but Piero Taruffi had a fairly uninspiring race, finishing fifth, whilst Luigi Villoresi suffered gearbox issues that would see him fall to the back of the field, finishing tenth.

RACE RESULTS

1 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 28.5
2 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 27
3 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 17.5
4 Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-Lago 17
5 Piero TARUFFI Ferrari 13.5
6 Andre PILETTE Talbot-Lago 13
7 Eugene MARTIN Talbot-Lago 11
8 Consalvo SANESI Alfa romeo 10.5
9 Johnny CLAES Talbot-Lago 10
10 Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari 9
11 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 35

Not Classified:
Louis ROSIER Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 30
Louis CHIRON Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 08
Pierre LEVEGH Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 08

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1 Guiseppe FARINA 14
2 Stirling MOSS 8
3 Juan Manuel FANGIO 8
4 Alberto ASCARI 4
5 Jose Froilan GONZALEZ 4
6 Luigi VILLORESI 3
7 Philippe ETANCELIN 3
8 Piero TARUFFI 2
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

FANGIO FAULTLESS IN FRANCE TO TAKE CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD

Juan Manuel Fangio took full advantage of his championship rivals' woes with a superlative performance that gave him his first win of the 1951 HFD season.

The Argentine was in fine form, and with Alberto Ascari's Ferrari suffering a fuel leak, and both Guiseppe Farina and Jose Froilan Gonzalez crashing on the opening lap, Fangio was untouchable for the majority of the race.

The race in Reims started in chaotic fashion with a multi-car pile up on the first lap. Heading into the hard braking zone for turn three, Johnny Claes' brakes failed, causing him to skittle through the slowing field, and resulting in several retirements. Amongst those retirements were the Ferraris of Gonzalez and Villoresi, and Farina's Alfa Romeo, as well as three French drivers taking part in their home Grand Prix.

After the crash, it looked like Ascari was the only driver who could keep up with the relentless pace being set by Fangio. However a fuel leak early on forced the Italian into several extra pit stops, destroying any chance of victory.

Behind Fangio, Yves Giraud-Cabantous drove a superb home race in his underpowered Talbot-Lago to take a well deserved second place, with 52-year old Luigi Fagioli proving that age is just a number, guiding his Alfa to third.

The win gives Fangio the Driver's Championship lead, with only Farina in close contention. Ascari, having suffered issues in two of the three races so far this season, is twelve points behind Fangio, as is Gonzalez, who missed Spa and retired here in Reims.

RACE RESULTS

1 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 28
2 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-Lago 22
3 Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 21
4 Louis ROSIER Talbot-Lago 19
5 Reg PARNELL Ferrari 15.5
6 Robert MANZON Simca-gordini 15.5
7 Eugene CHABOUD Talbot-Lago 15 [14]
8 Maurice TRINTIGNANT Simca-gordini 15 [13]
9 Consalvo SANESI Alfa romeo 14.5
10 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 12.5
11 Guy MAIRESSE Talbot-Lago 11
12 Onofre MARIMON Maserati-Speluzzi 10
13 Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari 8
14 Louis CHIRON Talbot-Lago 4.5
15 Harry SCHELL Maserati 1

Not Classified:
Toulo DE GRAFFENRIED Maserati Retired Lap 37
Aldo GORDINI Simca-gordini Retired Lap 31
Johnny CLAES Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 07
Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo Retired Lap 01
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Ferrari Retired Lap 01
Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari Retired Lap 01
Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 01
Eugene MARTIN Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 01
Andre SIMON Simca-gordini Retired Lap 01

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1 Juan Manuel FANGIO 16
2 Guiseppe FARINA 14
3 Stirling MOSS 8
4 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS 6
5 Alberto ASCARI 4
6 Jose Froilan GONZALEZ 4
7 Luigi FAGIOLI 4
8 Louis ROSIER 3
9 Luigi VILLORESI 3
10 Philippe ETANCELIN 3
11 Piero TARUFFI 2
= Reg PARNELL 2
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

BONETTO WINS AT SILVERSTONE TO SET UP FOUR-WAY CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT

Alfa Romeo's Felice Bonetto claimed an unexpected victory at the HFD British Grand Prix, claiming his stake the Driver's Championship fight in the process.

The Italian was driving his first race of the season, comfortably beating fellow countryman Alberto Ascari - whose second place puts him in championship contention as well, thanks to neither Fangio nor Farina scoring points.

The two already established title contenders were joint favourites to win the race, but an accident on the first lap ended Farina's race, and heavily damaged Fangio's car, which he nursed to a lowly 11th placed finish.

This left the race open for Bonetto and Ascari to claim an Italian 1-2, with the Talbot-Lagos of Louis Rosier and Johnny Claes keeping them honest throughout. Stirling Moss - the heroic winner of the season opener in Switzerland - made it two points finishes in two races in his debut season, finishing fifth. The Brit, however, is not expected to race the final two races of the season, and so isn't part of the championship equation.

RACE RESULTS

1 Felice BONETTO Alfa romeo 25
2 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 19.5
3 Louis ROSIER Talbot-Lago 19
4 Johnny CLAES Talbot-Lago 19
5 Stirling MOSS HWM-Alta 18.5
6 Peter WHITEHEAD Ferrari 18
7 Bob GERARD ERA 17
8 John JAMES Maserati 16
9 Reg PARNELL BRM 12.5
10 Joe KELLY Alta 12
11 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 11
12 Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari 10
13 Brian SHAWE-TAYLOR ERA 7
14 Consalvo SANESI Alfa romeo Retired Lap 87

Not Classified:
Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Ferrari Retired Lap 61
Phillip FOTHERINGHAM-PARKER Maserati Retired Lap 33
David MURRAY Maserati Retired Lap 13
Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo Retired Lap 01
Louis CHIRON Talbot-Lago Retired Lap 01
George ABECASSIS HWM-Alta Retired Lap 01
Peter WALKER BRM Retired Lap 01
Duncan HAMILTON Talbot-Lago DNS

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

1 Juan Manuel FANGIO Alfa romeo 16
2 Guiseppe FARINA Alfa romeo 14
3 Stirling MOSS HWM-Alta 10
4 Alberto ASCARI Ferrari 10
5 Felice BONETTO Alfa romeo 8
6 Louis ROSIER Talbot-Lago 7
7 Yves GIRAUD-CABANTOUS Talbot-Lago 6
8 Jose Froilan GONZALEZ Talbot-Lago/Ferrari 4
= Luigi FAGIOLI Alfa romeo 4
10 Johnny CLAES Talbot-Lago 3
11 Luigi VILLORESI Ferrari 3
12 Philippe ETANCELIN Talbot-Lago 3
13 Reg PARNELL Ferrari/BRM 2
14 Piero TARUFFI Ferrari 2
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

FERRARI AND GONZALEZ CLAIM MAIDEN HFD VICTORIES AS THE PRANCING HORSE DOMINATES AT THE NURBURGRING

Image

Jose Froilan Gonzalez led a Ferrari 1-2-3-4 to take the Italian outfit's first ever win in HFD, as well as a first win for the Argentine driver, in a race that could symbolise the end of Alfa Romeo's domination of the sport.

Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi completed a podium which Enzo Ferrari said was "a turning point for the sport", with fellow Ferrari driver Piero Taruffi finishing fourth at the first HFD race held at the fearsome Nürburgring circuit.

In the fifth race of the 1951 season, Ferrari were finally able to unlock the full potential of their newer, more fuel efficient 4.5 litre engines, able as they were to set a much quicker pace than their rivals at Alfa Romeo. With thirstier engines, the Alfa drivers were forced to either drive more conservatively, or pit more often, with neither strategy allowing them to compete with the Ferraris at the front - championship leader Juan Manuel Fangio finished fifth, with Giuseppe Farina only able to manage eighth.

The result opens the Driver's Championship up even further, with the top five drivers now separated by just eight points - the equivalent of a race win. Perhaps more pertinently, however, is what the race could mean for the future of Alfa Romeo. The inefficiencies of their aging machines - which had won eight of the previous ten HFD races - were on full display in the Eifel mountains, and questions are already being asked about their ability to compete for the rest of the season and into 1952.

RACE RESULTS

Image

CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Image
Momus1986
Posts: 23
Joined: 07 May 2022, 12:35
Location: Yorkshire

Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

FAGIOLI WINS IN ITALY TO SET UP MULTI-WAY TITLE SHOWDOWN

Image

53-year old Luigi Fagioli claimed victory at his home Grand Prix at Monza, making him a surprise candidate in a wide open title fight for the 1951 HFD Driver's Championship.

Fagioli led home fellow countryman Piero Taruffi - whose second place means he is also in with a shot of the championship - and a sterling drive from Jacques Swaters, the Belgian guiding his Talbot-Lago to his first HFD podium in only his second race.

But whilst Fagioli will celebrate his second career win, he will also be grateful for the fortune that came his way in order to take it. Guiseppe Farina had controlled the race from the first lap, pulling out a sizeable lead, and staying there for almost the entire race. Fellow championship rivals Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio were both off the pace, giving Farina a golden opportunity to take a big lead heading into the title decider in Spain.

However, with just four laps to go, Farina's engine overheated, causing the Italian to pull over and watch hopelessly as eight points became none. The fact that neither Ascari nor Fangio scored points would be a consolation to Farina, but also a huge missed opportunity.

Felice Bonetto, winner of this year's British Grand Prix, finished fourth, making it three Italians in the top four, and also giving him an outside chance of the title, with Jose Froilan Gonzalez also a title contender after claiming two precious points for fifth.

Fagioli (who has demanded to race in Spain instead of Toulo De Graffenreid, the intended fourth driver for Alfa Romeo), Bonetto, Fangio, Ascari, Farina, Bonetto and Gonzalez make up the seven-way fight for the Driver's Championship at the final race in Spain next week - a wide open picture that's sure to change as the race unfolds, and draw many spectators to the Pedralbes street circuit.

RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

(NB: only the top four results for each driver are counted)

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

SPANISH GP PREVIEW: THE SEVEN TITLE CONTENDERS

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From l-r: Juan Manuel Fangio, Alberto Ascari, Giuseppe Farina, Jose Froilan Gonzalez, Luigi Fagioli, Felice Bonetto, Piero Taruffi

As the 1951 HFD season enters its final race, the matter of who will be the recipient of the second ever World Championship of Drivers is one that is far from resolved. Incredibly, there are no fewer than seven drivers who could be crowned champion if results went their way.

With so many contenders and permutations, here's a breakdown of who is fighting for the title, and how they can win it.

JUAN MANUEL FANGIO (Alfa Romeo)

Being the current points leader, reigning world champion Fangio goes into the Spanish Grand Prix as the favourite to repeat his success from last year.

Victory would guarantee his name on the trophy, however the drop-points system means that things get a bit more complicated after that. Fangio is the only driver to have scored points in four races so far this season, and is therefore the only driver who would not receive full points for his finishing position this weekend.

He will win the championship if:
  • He finishes 1st
  • He finishes 2nd, and Ascari, Farina and Gonzalez do not win
  • He finishes 3rd, ahead of Ascari, and neither Farina nor Gonzalez win
  • He finishes 4th, Fagioli, Bonetto and Taruffi do not win, Farina and Gonzalez finish 3rd or lower, and Ascari doesn't finish ahead of him
  • He finishes 5th or lower, and none of the other title contenders win or score enough points to overtake him.
ALBERTO ASCARI (Ferrari)

Despite not yet scoring a race win in 1951, Ascari is still in with a good chance of clinching the championship thanks to 2nd place finishes in Britain and Germany, and a 3rd at Spa.

Should Fangio slip up or run into trouble, Ascari is in the best position to take advantage and be crowned champion. Beating him on track with a top-four finish would be good enough to overhaul the Argentine, however the results of the other contenders would need to be taken into account if he doesn't win the race.

He will win the championship if:
  • He finishes 1st
  • He finishes 2nd, and neither Fangio, Farina, nor Gonzalez win
  • He finishes 3rd, ahead of Fangio, Farina and Gonzalez, and Fagioli doesn't win
  • He finishes 4th, ahead of Fangio, and the other contenders don't score highly.
GIUSEPPE FARINA (Alfa Romeo), JOSE FROILAN GONZALEZ (Ferrari)

With one victory and 14 points each this year, both Farina and Gonzalez sit just four points behind championship leader Fangio, and two behind Ascari. A win in Spain would be enough for either of them, as Fangio and Ascari would only be able to tie them on points, but would have fewer wins over the course of the season.

Gonzalez knows he must finish in the top two to have any chance of claiming the title, whilst Farina can become champion with a third placed finish, if other results go his way.

The Italian will arguably have the bit between his teeth even more than his Argentine counterpart, given how he dramatically lost the lead of the Italian Grand Prix with only a few laps to go. Had his car not failed him, Farina would have a four point lead in the championship heading into Spain, and be the firm favourite to take the title he just missed out on last year.

They will win the championship if:
  • Either of them finish 1st
  • Either of them finish 2nd and the other driver doesn't win (Gonzalez only: and Fangio doesn't finish 3rd)
  • Farina: If he finishes 3rd, Fagioli, Bonetto and Taruffi don't win, Gonzalez finishes 4th or lower, and Ascari and Fangio finish 5th or lower.
LUIGI FAGIOLI (Alfa Romeo)

At 53 years old, Italian Luigi Fagioli must be looking at his last opportunity to win the World Championship of Drivers. No announcement has been made yet about his seat for next year, but the two-time Grand Prix winner is expected to hang up his goggles after this weekend's race.

To be champion, however, would require a lot of skill, and an arguably equal amount of luck. Whilst he can mathematically win the championship with a second place finish at the Pedralbes circuit, Fagioli knows that, realistically, he needs to win the race - and hope for the other contenders to have a bad day - if he's going to have any chance of finishing what is likely his final season on top of the standings.

He will win the championship if:
  • He finishes 1st, Ascari finishes 3rd or lower, and Fangio finishes 4th or lower
  • He finishes 2nd, Gonzalez, Bonetto and Taruffi don't win, Farina finishes 4th or lower, Ascari and Fangio finish 5th or lower.
FELICE BONETTO (Alfa Romeo), PIERO TARUFFI (Ferrari)

Whilst mathematically capable of winning the championship, both Bonetto and Taruffi are both very much outsiders, given that they are seven points behind championship leader Fangio, with eight being handed out for a race win.

So a win in Spain is their only route to the title, but even then, all the other drivers in the hunt need to have bad enough days so as to not overhaul the 19 point target that the race winner would set.

It's a very unlikely set of circumstances, but given some of the shock results we've seen in the first six races already this season, one simply cannot count anything out entirely.

They will win the championship if:
  • Either of them finish 1st, Farina and Gonzalez finish 3rd or lower, Ascari finishes 4th or lower, and Fangio finishes 5th or lower.
Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

GONZALEZ 1951 WORLD CHAMPION AFTER DRAMATIC LATE-RACE OVERTAKE

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Jose Froilan Gonzalez became the 1951 HFD World Champion of Drivers after taking victory at the season-ending Spanish GP thanks to a late pass on Giuseppe Farina.

The Argentine overtook Farina with just three laps remaining, and narrowly held on to give both himself and Ferrari their first Driver's Championships.

With no fewer than seven drivers in contention for the title heading into the race, the permutations and considerations needed to work out who would be champion once the race results were in were numerous to the degree of mindboggling. However, for four of those seven drivers, a win at the Pedralbes circuit would guarantee them the championship regardless of where their competitors finished, and both Gonzalez and Farina were two of those drivers.

With Farina leading after both drivers had made their pitstops, it looked like the Italian had just enough pace and resilience to hold on to win the race and the championship. Gonzalez, however, had other ideas, and made a daring move in the long braking zone heading into turn one on lap 68 of 70. The move paid off, and despite Farina keeping him close company for the final few laps, it was Gonzalez who rose from fourth in the championship standings before the race, to first place after it.

Behind them, Alberto Ascari and Juan Manuel Fangio were unable to keep up with the pace of Gonzalez and Farina out front, finishing third and fourth respectively. 53-year old Luigi Fagioli finished a distant fifth, the unlikely outside title contender announcing his retirement just after the race end.

RACE RESULTS

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FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

Due to the drop-points system, only the top four results for each driver count for the championship.

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

1952 SEASON PREVIEW: NEW DRIVERS, NEW TEAMS, NEW RULES, NEW CHAMPION

The third Historical Formula Dice season is almost upon us, and it promises to be a competition quite unlike the previous two years. With no fewer than 76 drivers provisionally set to compete over the course of the seven-race championship - 45 of whom are debutants - the competition is set to be numerous and varied. However, after an incredible seven-way fight for the World Championship of Drivers at the final race of 1951, 1952 looks set to be decidedly less competitive at the sharp end, thanks mainly to a shakeup of the teams, which has prompted the introduction of new regulations.

Alfa Romeo, Talbot-Lago out as races set to run to F2 regulations

Two of the major manufacturers have pulled out of the sport, both citing the inability to fund a desperately needed new car. Having won the title in 1950, Alfa Romeo's loss to Jose Froilan Gonzalez's Ferrari in 1951 showed that their aging chassis was no longer competitive. However, the Italian outfit are unable to afford to design and build a new car, so have pulled the plug on their HFD participation.

This means that regular Alfa drivers Juan Manuel Fangio, Giuseppe Farina and Felice Bonetto needed a new seat for 1952. Farina was quickly snapped up by Ferrari, but Fangio hasn't been quite so fortunate. The 1950 Driver's Champion had signed a deal to race for a newly-formed BRM team, but the company's efforts to field cars for 1952 fell way short of what was required. The Argentine has now agreed to drive for the new works Maserati team, but they are also having trouble in getting a car ready for the opening race of the season at Bremgarten.

With Alfa Romeo and Talbot-Lago gone, and Maserati looking uncertain, Ferrari are the only team that look like competing for race wins in 1952. The competition organisers have therefore decided to run all HFD races to Formula Two regulations, in order to promote competitiveness and encourage larger fields. Ferrari are still firm favourites for the championship, but other teams may fancy their chances at a race win - including HWM, who won last year's Swiss Grand Prix at the hands of Stirling Moss, as well as the new Cooper and Maserati teams (if and when they get their car ready, that is).

Champion Gonzalez out of contention for '52

Despite winning the 1951 World Championship of Drivers, Jose Froilan Gonzalez has been dropped by Ferrari, in favour of an all-Italian lineup of Farina, Piero Taruffi, Alberto Ascari, and Luigi Villoresi. With no other options available, Gonzalez has signed up to the delayed Maserati team, alongside fellow Argentinians Juan Manuel Fangio and Alfredo Pian.

However, with the date of their debut race uncertain, it looks highly likely that, with both the previous champions sidelined for the opening rounds, a new champion will be crowned come the conclusion of the 1952 season.

Gonzalez is said to be "very unhappy" with the decision to replace him with Farina, claiming team boss Enzo Ferrari as being "unfairly, but understandably, patriotic". Stirling Moss was also rumoured to be in the running for a Ferrari drive for this year, but that hasn't come to fruition, and the Englishman will once again drive for HWM at Bremgarten, as he defends his victory from a year ago.

Qualifying to make a bigger presence after overhaul

The calculation for how important a qualifying session is in determining the race results - and indeed if it is needed at all - has been revised and updated, in a move that aims to increase the influence of the qualifying session, whilst maintaining historically comparative accuracy.

Under the new system, each layout for each circuit will receive an "Overtaking Grade", which symbolises the difficulty drivers expect to have in passing another car whilst on track. The grades are defined as follows:

Grade 0: Very Easy (used only for historical tracks with a high emphasis on long straights and top speed)
Grade 1: Easy - Moderate
Grade 2: Moderate - Difficult
Grade 3: Very Difficult (used for extreme examples, such as Monaco)

Furthermore, each season is given an additional modifier, to symbolise the influence that car design has over the ability to overtake, as follows:

1952-67: 0pts
1968-91: 0.5pts
1992-2010: 1pt
2011-22: 0.5pts

To calculate a Grand Prix's "Overtaking Difficulty" (OD) score, the Overtaking Grade figure is halved, and the season modifier is added onto it. So for example, a race on a Grade 2 circuit in the 1974 season would have an OD score of 1.5pts - 1 for its Grade, plus 0.5 for the season. This would mean that each driver would get a 1.5pt bonus over the driver immediately behind it on the starting grid, which is taken into account when the dice are rolled to determine their race score.

Please note that these gradings and figures are subject to change for the purposes of historical accuracy and/or contextual appropriateness within the HFD timeline.

Points-paying positions to increase for 1952

After two seasons of giving points to the top five drivers in each Grand Prix, it has been decided that, from 1952 onwards, the sixth-placed finisher in each race will also receive one World Championship Point. This is a deviation from Formula One, and has been done to compensate for there being no point on offer for fastest laps in any HFD Grand Prix.

The new points system will therefore be 8-6-4-3-2-1.

Race results to look more realistic

One final procedural change is the addition of an extra calculation, which will transform each driver's Performance Score for a Grand Prix, into an actual timed interval to the race winner (or number of laps behind, if not finishing on the lead lap).

To calculate the intervals, the range from 0 to the greatest theoretical possible Performance Score figure for that race - which will vary depending on the race's OD score - will represent 10% of the race distance. Each half-point on the Performance Score then has its own range of intervals to the race winner, with a random number generator used to ascertain where within that range the driver has finished. The fastest lap of the equivalent (or most accurate alternative) real-life Formula One race is used to determine the basis from which the intervals are calculated for each driver that has finished on the same lap as the race winner.

For example, in a 50 lap race in 1952 with no qualifying, the greatest theoretical PS figure is 30 - being a roll of 20 on the d20, plus a 10-point Driver Ability bonus. Therefore, 30 points represents 5 laps (10% of race distance), which means that each half-point represents 1/12th of a lap, which on a 120-second lap would be 10 seconds. Let's say the winner has an actual PS of 22, that would mean that any driver who scores higher than 16 has finished on the lead lap, and so the random number generator would then provide an interval within the ten-second window that their PS score provides (e.g. a PS score of 22 would be 0-10 seconds back, 21.5 would be 10-20 seconds back, and so on). Drivers who don't score high enough to finish on the lead lap don't need the random number generator to calculate their interval, as the number of laps they have finished behind the winner is already known.

Please note that whilst the methodology should remain the same, the numbers themselves may be adjusted in later seasons to maintain historical accuracy with regards to expected field spread at the end of races.

I will also be going back through the 1950 and 1951 seasons, and converting the scores into time intervals. I won't update the posts in this thread, but they will be reflected on the Wiki pages, once they have been set up for this competition and timeline.
Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

FARINA WINS SEASON OPENER IN SWITZERLAND

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Guiseppe Farina claimed an early stake in the running for the 1952 HFD World Championship of Drivers with victory at the season-opening Grand Prix at Bremgarten, Switzerland.

Farina, now driving for Ferrari with Alfa Romeo no longer in the sport, made the most of championship favourite Alberto Ascari's absence, beating an impressive Ken Wharton to second place, with Rudi Fischer completing the podium in his privateer Ferrari.

Starting from pole, in the first of three races that will feature a qualifying session this year, Farina's dominance in the race was rarely threatened, as was demonstrated by the nearly 50-second margin he had over Wharton at the chequered flag.

Despite finishing so far behind Farina, Wharton and his Frazer-Nash team - both making their HFD debuts - will no doubt be delighted with a strong second-placed finish. The British driver battled with Fischer, Eric Brandon's Cooper, and Stirling Moss' HWM for much of the race for second place, but triumphed over all three to make the HFD world stand up and take notice of him after only his first race.

Brandon finished fourth, a good result from eighth on the grid, whilst further back, Jean Behra drove a solid race to convert a 13th placed start to two points for 5th. 1951 Driver's Champion Jose Froilan Gonzalez - subbing for Ascari, who is competing in the Indy 500 this weekend - started 11th, but drove well enough to work his way up to sixth and become the first recipient of the extra World Championship point on offer over previous years.

However, whilst several drivers and teams enjoyed relatively successful days, the same cannot be said for the HWM team. Having brought four cars to the race - including last year's winner Stirling Moss - the British outfit were hoping to repeat their success from twelve months ago. Less than halfway through the race and it was clear that this wasn't going to happen, with all four cars having retired with mechanical issues.

QUALIFYING RESULTS

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RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

FARINA EXTENDS CHAMPIONSHIP LEAD WITH WET WEATHER WIN AT SPA

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Italy's Giuseppe Farina made it two wins out of two in the 1952 HFD Championship with a superlative wet-weather drive at the daunting Spa-Francorchamps circuit.

A dangerous and demanding track at the best of times, Spa posed an even bigger challenge to the drivers this year thanks to the teeming rain that failed to relent for the entire race. The conditions only served to make Farina's victory a more impressive feat, finishing over half a minute ahead of Ferrari teammate Piero Taruffi.

Stirling Moss drove another one of his heroic performances that he's quickly becoming noted for, out-performing the car to claim third place, the second podium of his career after winning in Switzerland last year. Indeed, he could have had more, closing down as he was on Taruffi for second, but his ERA ran out of fuel on the final lap, and he was fortunate that there were no more cars on the lead lap that could overtake him before the finish.

Pre-season favourite Alberto Ascari - who missed the opening race while he competed in the Indy 500 - could only manage fourth, a lap down from Farina, whilst Roger Laurent and Robert Manzon's fifth and sixth placed finishes ensured that Farina was the only driver to score points in both of the opening two rounds of the season.

RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

TARUFFI CLAIMS MAIDEN HFD VICTORY IN FRANCE AS ASCARI STRUGGLES AGAIN

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Piero Taruffi has taken his first ever HFD Grand Prix win, backing up his pre-race claim that he should not be overlooked as a title contender this season as he moves into second place in the World Championship of Drivers.

45-year old Taruffi beat the Cooper of Mike Hawthorn by almost half a minute, with the British driver demonstrating that his impressive pole position was no fluke as he drove superbly for second place.

Championship leader Giuseppe Farina kept his 100% podium record this season by finishing third, but was nearly an entire lap behind the faultless Taruffi, who didn't put a wheel wrong the entire race.

Before the race weekend, all the championship talk focussed on whether pre-season favourite Alberto Ascari would be able to close the gap on Farina, who had won the opening two rounds of the season. Taruffi was incensed that he wasn't being mentioned in the discussion of championship contenders, and vowed to prove to the media and paddock that he is just as capable of challenging for the trophy at the end of the year.

Having qualified sixth, Taruffi had guided his Ferrari up to third by the end of the first lap, overtaking the poor-starting Rudi Fischer, Alberto Ascari, and Robert Manzon, who crashed his Gordini when he ran wide at turn 10 at the Rouen circuit - being used in HFD for the first time.

After the pitstops, Taruffi emerged in the lead, and spent the second half of the race setting consistently quick lap times to maintain a healthy advantage over the chasing pack.

Ascari, meanwhile, had negotiated his way up to second place before the pitstops, behind polesitter Hawthorn, but had to have his spark plugs changed when he came in, costing him two laps and any chance of victory. He came out in eighth, but worked his way back up to fourth before the chequered flag flew, to at least salvage a few points from another disappointing weekend, following his fourth-placed finish at the previous race in Spa.

The victory for Taruffi means he closes the gap to Farina to just six points in the World Championship of Drivers, with no other driver anywhere near the Italian duo. Ascari, after missing the opening round and then scoring a pair of fourths, is fourteen points behind Farina, but will seek to take advantage of the drop points system to kickstart his season, starting at the upcoming Brtisih Grand Prix at Silverstone.

QUALIFYING RESULTS

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RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

HAWTHORN HANDLES WET WEATHER FOR BRILLIANT MAIDEN WIN AS FERRARI FALTER AT SILVERSTONE

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British rookie driver Mike Hawthorn took a memorable maiden HFD victory at his home Grand Prix at Silverstone, in a race where none of the works Ferraris scored any points.

In an eventful race, characterised by changeable weather and multiple crashes, Hawthorn mastered the elements and avoided the carnage around him to take a win that propels him from little-known rookie, to championship contender.

Hawthorn proved that his pole position and second placed finish in France was no fluke by winning by almost a full lap, with Robert Manzon claiming his first ever podium, guiding his Gordini to second. Toulo de Graffenried gave Maserati their first podium with a third placed finish.

The Ferraris, meanwhile, had a disastrous race, with two of their works team drivers retiring, and Ascari only managing ninth. It is the first race in HFD history in which no Ferrari or Alfa Romeo driver made it onto the podium.

The race started in chaotic fashion when Piero Taruffi stalled his Ferrari on the grid, causing a pile up that resulted in four retirements - including Taruffi, coming off the back of a win in France - and a number of damaged cars.

After that, things appeared to settle down, with Ascari leading Farina, and Hawthorn a somewhat distant third. Farina was then forced to retire on lap 37 when his gearbox seized, leaving Ascari out front and seemingly on course for a much needed victory.

However, the race was turned on its head when the heavens opened on lap 58, a deluge of rain causing sections of the track to become soaking wet within minutes.

The flooded track and teeming rain caught several drivers out over the next few laps, most notably Ascari, who spun off at Copse corner, hitting an advertising board, and requiring a pit stop of almost ten minutes to repair the damage to his Ferrari.

With all three Ferrari drivers now out of contention, Hawthorn was left to pick up the pieces, driving a sublime, consistent final 24 laps as he stretched his lead to almost a lap by the time he took the chequered flag.

The win will no doubt go down as a defining moment in Hawthorn's career, and in HFD history, but it also makes the Cooper driver a genuine championship contender. Farina and Taruffi's retirements mean that Hawthorn's win takes him to just six points off the championship lead, and although he is due to miss the next race in Germany, he will be seen by Ferrari as a threat to their assumed dominance of the championship come the final two rounds.

Ascari, meanwhile, must wonder what he has to do to get his season started, as he saw yet another opportunity to score big points slip away from him, the Italian still fourteen points off the championship lead with three rounds to go.

RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

RUDI FISCHER TAKES MAIDEN HFD VICTORY IN GERMANY

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Rudi Fischer guided his customer Ferrari to a memorable win at the fearsome Nurburgring circuit, the first of the Swiss driver's HFD career.

In a relatively close finish, Fischer beat Robert Manzon's Gordini by just over twenty seconds - the Frenchman scoring his second consecutive runner-up finish to a Grand Prix. Maurice Trintignant - who at one point looked like he would challenge for a shock win - had to settle for the first podium finish of his career, far surpassing his previous best result of eighth.

Piero Taruffi came home fourth in what was another largely forgettable day for the works Ferrari team, with Nino Farina finishing seventh and Alberto Ascari retiring on lap 10 with an oil leak.

However, whilst the works team will leave Germany licking their wounds, it was the customer Ferrari of Fischer who stole the show. The 40-year old - due to retire at the end of the season - has had a relatively quiet HFD career so far, with a third-placed finish at this year's season opener in Switzerland being the only notable highlight of his five races. Now, however, he is a race winner, a result that gives him an outside chance of winning the World Championship of Drivers.

But while Fischer stole the show, there were more happy faces in the paddock come the chequered flag. Gordini scored their first ever double-podium, showing that they can be a real threat to Ferrari under the current Formula Two regulations. Maserati, meanwhile, demonstrated that their car may finally be ready for HFD competition, with factory driver Felice Bonetto finishing fifth, and customer driver Eitel Cantoni claiming the final championship point for sixth.

Taruffi's fourth means the Italian has closed the gap to just three points behind his fellow countryman at the top of the championship, with Farina struggling to get to grips with his car and the track for the entire race, failing to score any points as a result. Fischer and Manzon are now both just seven points behind Farina, and will be regarded as title outsiders for the final two races.

Meanwhile, Alberto Ascari's miserable 1952 season continued, the pre-season favourite being forced to retire halfway through the race, leaving his only route to the title as being two wins in the final two races, and hoping other results go the disillusioned Italian's way.

RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

TARUFFI WINS DUTCH GP TO SET UP ALL-ITALIAN CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN

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Piero Taruffi took his second victory of the season to move to just one point behind Nino Farina in the 1952 HFD World Championship of Drivers.

Taruffi beat Farina by over a minute in a largely uneventful race, with the duel at the front between the two Ferrari drivers during the first half of the race being one of few notable highlights.

Mike Hawthorn drove another excellent race in his Cooper-Bristol, working his way up from tenth on the grid to claim another podium finish that will only serve to reinforce the rumours that the British driver will be driving for Ferrari next year. Unfortunately, despite his heroics, Hawthorn's third wasn't quite good enough to keep him in the title race heading into the final round in Monza. Robert Manzon continued his good form for Gordini with fourth, although he too is now out of title contention.

But while Taruffi and Farina enjoyed the kind of domination that is expected of Ferrari drivers this season, their teammate Alberto Ascari endured yet another difficult afternoon, cementing 1952 as a year he will want to forget. Ascari could only finish fifth, and now faces the very real prospect of going the entire season without scoring a single podium, unless he can rectify this at his home Grand Prix.

Ascari wasn't the only Italian to suffer a frustrating weekend, as the Maserati cars also woefully underperformed. After several delays to try and make their cars competitive, the works Maserati team finally turned up in full force here in Zandvoort, although without 1950 Driver's Champion Juan Manuel Fangio, the Argentine still recovering from injuries suffered in a crash during the non-championship race in Monza back in June.

However, Maserati's performance was distinctly sub-par, to the degree that it seems unlikely Fangio would have fared any better. After a mixed qualifying session, in which Alfredo Pian - substituting for Fangio - qualified sixth, but Gonzalez and Bonetto could only manage 14th and 15th, hopes were still high that they could muster some decent points finishes and prove that their car is good enough for a full season of racing. However, both Gonzalez and Bonetto were out of the race by lap 7 with engine troubles, whilst Pian's race pace was poor, seeing him drop down to 11th at the finish, 5 laps behind Taruffi's victorious Ferrari.

It's a result that casts serious doubt over Maserati's ability to be competitive in 1953, although the one championship point scored by local man Jan Flinterman and his customer Maserati for sixth place will provide a glimmer of hope. The team will be hoping to perform better in Monza to give them momentum heading into next year.

Taruffi's win moves him up to 25 points, with Farina's second place giving him 26. It's a slender advantage for Farina with one race to go, although the situation is made slightly more complicated by the drop points system. Taruffi will win the championship in Monza if:
  • He wins the race
  • He finishes second, and Farina does not win
  • He finishes third, and Farina finishes fifth or lower
In any other circumstance, it will be Giuseppe Farina who claims the title, after two runner-up finishes in the previous two seasons.

Regardless of the result, however, it promises to be a memorable occasion for the Italian fans, with two of their drivers in two Ferraris fighting for championship honours at their fabled home circuit.

QUALIFYING RESULTS

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RACE RESULTS

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CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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Momus1986
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Re: Historical Formula Dice - rewriting F1 history, using dice

Post by Momus1986 »

GUISEPPE FARINA DRIVER'S CHAMPION WITH ITALIAN GP VICTORY

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Guiseppe "Nino" Farina has clinched the 1952 HFD World Championship of Drivers after victory at the season-ending Italian Grand Prix, following a superb duel with Alberto Ascari.

With a one-point lead over fellow Italian and Ferrari teammate Piero Taruffi heading into the season finale, Farina was the favourite to become champion. This was mainly due to the drop-point system that meant Taruffi needed to finish in the top three, and ahead of Farina, to stand any chance of denying the title from the man who has finished runner-up the previous two years.

Despite qualifying 11th, Farina's chances of taking the trophy looked to have increased when Taruffi could only qualify his Ferrari 10th in what was the first ever knockout qualifying session in HFD history - with only the fastest 24 drivers from the 35 entrants allowed to start the race.

Both Ferrari drivers started the race well, picking up positions in the early laps, much to the delight of the home crowd. However, when Taruffi's car developed a fuel leak, he was forced to pit, losing several minutes whilst the mechanics repaired the car, effectively ending his chances of claiming an unlikely Driver's Championship trophy.

Farina, meanwhile, continued his march to the front, accompanied by another fast Italian in a Ferrari, Alberto Ascari. Ascari has suffered a torrid 1952 season, and with a best finish of only fourth place so far this year, the Milan-born driver was determined to finish the season on a high, despite only qualifying 15th.

After their respective pit stops, Farina and Ascari battled hard for the race lead, but it was Farina who prevailed, taking the chequered flag and the championship that came with it.

Behind them, British driver Dennis Poore scored a memorable podium finish, the first for him and the Connaught team. Toulo De Graffenried finished fourth for Maserati, showing that their severely delayed, much-troubled car does have some potential heading into 1953 - a confidence that will be backed up by Jose Froilan Gonzalez's charge from 21st on the grid to finishing eighth.

In a race of low attrition, Mike Hawthorn's Cooper was one of only five non-classified drivers, but the Brit still held on to finish third in the championship as Robert Manzon could only manage 13th, and Rudi Fischer picked up just one point for sixth.

QUALIFYING RESULTS

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RACE RESULTS

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FINAL CHAMPIONSHIP STANDINGS

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