1937 Donington Grand Prix

Race report

Away beyond the woods we heard the approaching scream of a well-tuned E.R.A. and down the winding slope towards us came Raymond Mays. He changed down, braked, skirted round the Hairpin and was gone.
"There's the winner," remarked one of my friends. "Knows this course backwards."
Half a minute later came the deeper note of a 2.9-litre Maserati, and "B. Bira" shot past us, cornering with that precision which marked him as the master he was.
"Or him," said another.
We waited again. Then they came.
Far away in the distance we heard an angry, deep-throated roaring – as someone once remarked, like hungry lions impatient for the arena. A few moments later, Manfred von Brauchitsch, red helmeted, brought a great, silver projectile snaking down the hill, and close behind, his teammate Rudolf Caracciola, then at the height of his great career. The two cars took the hairpin, von Brauchitsch almost sideways, and rocketed away out of sight with long plumes of rubber smoke trailing from their huge rear tyres, in a deafening crash of sound.
The startled Pressmen gazed at each other, awe-struck.
"Strewth," gasped one of them, "so that's what they're like!"
That was what they were like.

Entries

• Arthur Dobson was entered with both number 10 and 19.
• Christian Kautz was a reserve driver but took part in practice sessions.
• Charles Martin used both an ERA and a Maserati during the practice sessions.

  Classification

Starting grid positions

• Arthur Hyde withdrew before qualifying, thinking he was too slow.

  Race

Pos	No	Driver	Constructor	Laps	Time/Retired	Grid
1	5	Bernd Rosemeyer	Auto Union	80	3:01:02.5	2
2	3	Manfred von Brauchitsch	Mercedes-Benz	80	+37.5	1
3	1	Rudolf Caracciola	Mercedes-Benz	80	+ 1:16.3	6
4	7	Hermann Paul Müller	Auto Union	80	+3:47.5	6
5	6	Rudolf Hasse	Auto Union	80	+ 8:47.5	7
6	8	Prince Bira	Maserati	78	+ 2 Laps	11
NC	9	Earl Howe	ERA	77	+ 3 Laps	10
NC	19	Arthur Dobson	ERA	74	+ 6 Laps	12
NC	15	Robin Hanson	ERA	72	+ 8 Laps	11
Ret	20	Percy Maclure	Riley	67	Rear axle	15
Ret	8	Raymond Mays	ERA	51	Brakes	9
Ret	4	Richard Seaman	Mercedes-Benz	29	Rear suspension	4
Ret	2	Hermann Lang	Mercedes-Benz	26	Front shock absorber	3
Ret	18	Charles Martin	ERA	18	Piston	13
Ret	16	Peter Whitehead	ERA	11	Engine	14
DNS	16	Peter Walker	ERA
DNS	12	Arthur Hyde	Maserati
DNS	2	Christian Kautz	Mercedes-Benz