The Talbot-Lago T26C (pronounced TAL-bo) competed in Formula 1 during the 1950 season, with their cars also driven by various teams and constructors.
Talbot-Lago emerged as a car manufacturer following the 1935 collapse of the STD (Sunbeam-Talbot-Darracq) car manufacturing group. Venetian-born engineer Antonio Lago acquired the French Talbot company.
Starting in 1935, Lago introduced new designs by Walter Becchia while developing the engines, helping the company to expand. In the 1940s, Talbot-Lago produced the T26C, which raced in numerous competitions with different drivers. Notably, a version of this car secured an outright victory at the 1950 Le Mans 24-Hour race.
The T26C appeared on the grid during the 1950 and 1951 Formula 1 seasons, achieving podium finishes with driver Louis Rosier. However, in 1952, rule changes rendered the T26C obsolete, and Talbot-Lago withdrew from Formula 1.
Formula 1 Factory Team
The factory team lineup in 1950, competing under the banner “Automobiles Talbot-Darracq,” featured a rotating roster of French drivers, including Yves Giraud-Cabantous, Eugène Martin, Louis Rosier, Philippe Étancelin, and Raymond Sommer. Each of these drivers had opportunities to drive for the factory team throughout the 1950 season.
Additionally, Henri Louveau, Johnny Claes, Harry Schell, Eugène Chaboud, Pierre Levegh, Guy Mairesse, and Charles Pozzi also competed in T26Cs during the championship.
The team started the season strongly at Silverstone, with Yves Giraud-Cabantous finishing 4th and Louis Rosier 5th, earning valuable points. However, the 1950 Monaco Grand Prix saw no points scored by the drivers.
The 1950 Swiss Grand Prix at Bremgarten was challenging, highlighted by a severe accident for Eugène Martin that ended his Formula 1 career. Despite this, Louis Rosier secured the team’s first podium finish with a 3rd place.
At the 1950 Belgian Grand Prix, Raymond Sommer led several laps before being overtaken by the Alfa Romeos. His engine failure ended his bid for a great result, but it marked one of only two instances that season where an Alfa Romeo was not in the lead. Sommer’s retirement allowed Louis Rosier to achieve another podium finish, coming in 3rd. The French Grand Prix proved tough, with many Talbot-Lagos retiring due to overheating. However, Philippe Étancelin and Eugène Chaboud managed to score points with a shared 5th place.
In the final race of the season, Philippe Étancelin finished 5th, promoted into the points following the retirements of drivers ahead, including Raymond Sommer, who showed strong form until another engine failure. Louis Rosier finished 4th, securing 4th place in the World Championship.
In addition to their Formula 1 efforts, Talbot-Lago also competed in sports car racing. Louis Rosier and his son achieved an outright victory in the Le Mans 24 Hour race in 1950, driving a modified version of the T26C.
Talbot-Lago Formula One Results
The Formula One World Constructors’ Championship did not start until 1958.
| First entry | 1950 British Grand Prix |
|---|---|
| Races Entered | 4 |
| Constructors’ Championships | n/a |
| Drivers’ Championships | 0 |
| Race victories | 0 (Best finish 3rd) |
| Podiums | 2 |
| Points | n/a |
| Pole positions | 0 (Best grid 4th) |
| Fastest laps | 0 |
| Final entry | 1950 French Grand Prix |
Talbot-Lago Complete Formula One World Championship Results
The Formula One World Constructors’ Championship did not start until 1958.
| Year | Chassis | Engine | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | T26C-DA | Talbot L6 | GBR | MON | 500 | SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA | |
| Yves Giraud-Cabantous | 4 | DNA | Ret | Ret | 8 | |||||
| Eugene Martin | Ret | Ret | ||||||||
| Louis Rosier | 3 | 3 | 6* | |||||||
| Philippe Étancelin | Ret | |||||||||
| Raymond Sommer | Ret |
Results of other Talbot-Lago cars
Results in bold indicate pole position; results in italics indicate fastest lap.
| Year | Entrant | Chassis | Engine | Driver | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950 | Ecurie Rosier | T26C | Talbot L6 | GBR | MON | 500 | SUI | BEL | FRA | ITA | ||
| Louis Rosier | 5 | Ret | 4 | |||||||||
| Henri Louveau | Ret | |||||||||||
| Charles Pozzi | DNA | |||||||||||
| private | 6* | |||||||||||
| Raymond Sommer | Ret | Ret | ||||||||||
| Pierre Levegh | DNA | 7 | Ret | Ret | ||||||||
| Guy Mairesse | Ret | |||||||||||
| Ecurie Belge | Johnny Claes | 11 | 7 | 10 | 8 | Ret | Ret | |||||
| Ecurie Bleue | Harry Schell | 8 | ||||||||||
| Ecurie Leutitia | Eugene Chaboud | Ret | ||||||||||
| Philippe Étancelin | 5* | |||||||||||
| T26C T26C-DA | Philippe Étancelin | 8 | Ret | Ret | 5* | 5 | ||||||
| 1951 | Ecurie Rosier | T26C T26C-DA T26C-GS | SUI | 500 | BEL | FRA | GBR | GER | ITA | ESP | ||
| Louis Rosier | 9 | 4 | Ret | 10 | 8 | 7 | 7 | |||||
| Louis Chiron | Ret | 6 | Ret | Ret | Ret | Ret | ||||||
| Ecurie Belge | Johnny Claes | 13 | 7 | Ret | 13 | 11 | Ret | Ret | ||||
| Ecurie Belgique | Jacques Swaters | 10 | Ret | |||||||||
| André Pilette | 6 | |||||||||||
| private | Yves Giraud-Cabantous | Ret | 5 | 7 | Ret | 8 | Ret | |||||
| Philippe Étancelin | 10 | Ret | Ret | Ret | 8 | |||||||
| Guy Mairesse | 14 | 9 | ||||||||||
| Eugene Chaboud | 8 | |||||||||||
| Henri Louveau | Ret | |||||||||||
| Pierre Levegh | 8 | 9 | Ret | |||||||||
| Duncan Hamilton | 12 | Ret | ||||||||||
| Jose Froilan Gonzalez | Ret | |||||||||||
| Georges Grignard | Ret |
Sources: Wikipedia.com and fandom.com
