Tripoli Grand Prix

The Tripoli Grand Prix in Libya was first held in 1925 and ended in 1940 following the onset of World War II. Part of the Grand Prix circuit, the race was held on a 71.10 km road course in Tripoli until 1933 when a new track was built, bringing the best drivers in the world to compete for the £80,000 purse, a very substantial amount at the time.

Libya was then a colony of Italy and the new race course was opened at Mellaha Lake on May 7, 1933 by the country's Governor, Marshal Italo Balbo. The new track was an 8.165 mile (13.140 km) clockwise track with 15 turns situated in a salt basin between Tripoli and Tagiura. Designated a "Formula Libre" race, it meant there were neither engine nor weight restrictions applicable on what was then the fastest racetrack in the world. The race was held in conjunction with the state lottery and the 1933 inaugural event has become notorious for allegations of result fixing.

1933 - Accusation of Foul Play

The legend goes that a handful of the drivers colluded to fix who won the race. This story first appears in Alfred Neubauer’s 1958 book Speed Was My Life (Männer, Frauen und Motoren: Die Erinnerungen des Mercedes- Rennleiters). However research suggests that the story is a myth, abet a popular one ^[1]

Winners

• 1925 - Renato Balestrero (O.M.)
• 1926 - François Eysermann (Bugatti)
• 1927 - Emilio Materassi (Bugatti)
• 1928 - Tazio Nuvolari (Bugatti)
• 1929 - Gastone Brilli-Peri (Talbot)
• 1930 - Baconin Borzacchini (Maserati)
• 1933 - Achille Varzi (Bugatti)
• 1934 - Achille Varzi (Alfa Romeo)
• 1935 - Rudolf Caracciola (Mercedes-Benz)
• 1936 - Achille Varzi (Auto-Union)
• 1937 - Hermann Lang (Mercedes-Benz)
• 1938 - Hermann Lang (Mercedes-Benz)
• 1939 - Hermann Lang (Mercedes-Benz)
• 1940 - Giuseppe Farina (Alfa Romeo)

Notes

1. ^  H. Donald Capps. Tripoli 1933 - A Hard Look at the Legend

External links

• Grand Prix History, Gran Premio di Tripoli
• Grand Prix History, Triumph: A Victor's Report