The star corner of the circuit was the Pontlieue hairpin, virtually inside Le Mans town and later removed. The current state of the place can be seen here.
1921 French Grand Prix | 2. The race
Race day is reached with some news. Due to different strikes affecting car factories, FIAT and Sunbeam finally withdraw form the event. Deusenberg also looses one of his drivers: Murphy with Inghilbert as co-driver had crashed heavily during a recognition lap a week ago and both had been hospitalized. Only Murphy will race (against medical advice). Inghilbert will be replaced by flying ace André Dubonnet (son of famous Dubonnet vermut founder).
The exotic and stylized Deusengers are the most admired cars in the “2x2” grid, arranged by ballot as was the norm in those days. Like most of its rivals, they feature the new straight-eight engine. And, although two-seaters weigh the same as a period small car, power it's five times greater (slightly breaking the 100 bHP barrier). Curiously, Talbot-Darracq cars, now british backed, will race painted in blue as they are still assembled in their native Paris.
After Murphy is helped to enter the cockpit cars are released in pairs in 30 seconds intervals. Just in lap 1 Ballot looses one car but holds a trial of strength with american cars, De Palma disputing the lead with Boyer. The race progresses and those poor postwar roads start to transform themselves in a infernal rocky ground surrounded by a thick smog. In this kind of surface Deusenberg's hydraulic brakes make a difference and soon Murphy takes the lead. Although windscreens and radiators are shielded with wire mesh, free pebbles fly out of control and would cause plenty of breakdowns (they even impacted on some drivers seriously).
Motorgrafico #002
2. The Race | 1921 French Grand Prix
From the Boyer-Chasange-De Palma pursuer group, only the latter will success in finishing the race. At the controls of his Ballot 3L, he would never get close to the leader's pace, who crosses the line after 321,8 miles and a elapsed time of 4 h 7 min and 11,4 seconds. Third place would go to Jules Goux on board of the other Ballot, and a commendable forth to André Dubonnet. The day was an absolute disaster for the S.T.D. group: their best driver was Boillot (5nd), Talbots finishing a way back behind after the numerous tyre changes they needed. The british team had invested a not inconsiderable GBP 50.000 in preparing the event (equivalent to around 6 million pounds nowardays).
This unparalleled win on european soil by young Murphy, who a few hours before was lying in a hospital bed, wasn't handled properly by french men. First, the american and his co-driver were booed at the finish line. Later in the dinner following the race the bad gestures continued. Both men finally decided to leave the place, and in fact they did it with a historic victory in the right pocket and a mean speed record of 79,18 mph in the left one.
Motorgrafico #002
