1957 French Grand Prix

Championship standings

Fangio leads the championship after two Formula One rounds. His Monaco victory cemented his advantage over the rest of the field, with the Ferrari drivers yet to recover the ground lost to Maserati in Argentina.

Previous race

At Monaco, Fangio won after a chaotic early phase reduced the leading group. On lap 4, Moss went straight through the chicane and into the barriers; Collins swerved to avoid the debris and struck the harbour wall, while Hawthorn’s attempt to brake hard ended with him being rear-ended, losing a wheel. Fangio threaded through undamaged and led throughout. Brooks, who had been second before Hawthorn hit him, recovered to finish second. Masten Gregory took third — the first Formula One podium for an American driver in a non-Indianapolis race. Jack Brabham pushed his Cooper home from the harbour area to be classified sixth after the engine cut out five laps from the end.

Between-race developments

The Belgian Grand Prix, scheduled for 2 June, and the Dutch Grand Prix, planned for 16 June, have both been cancelled due to disputes over appearance fees driven by the Suez Crisis fuel prices. The six-week gap between Monaco and France is the result.

Herbert MacKay-Fraser, the American driver making his Formula One debut here with BRM, joins the entry. Stuart Lewis-Evans also joins Vanwall from this race, extending their lineup to three drivers.

Circuit

The French Grand Prix has moved from Reims-Gueux to Rouen-Les-Essarts for this season. The Rouen circuit has been extended from the layout used when it last hosted the race in 1952.