The 1933 Grand Prix season was in an intermediate year, as it would be the last season for the current AIACR regulations before a new weight-formula was introduced in 1934. As such, the European Championship was not held and the manufacturers held back on further developments of their existing models. Alfa Romeo, following an Italian government financial bailout and like Mercedes-Benz the previous year, had shut down its Alfa Corse works team. Scuderia Ferrari, their regular customer team took up the role of racing Alfa Romeos and a number of ex-works drivers moved across to join their ranks. They were not allowed, however, to buy the impressive Tipo B that had been so dominant in the previous season.
The season had some exceptional races and fell into two distinct halves. Initially it was Tazio Nuvolari, driving for the Scuderia Ferrari, that dominated. However, after winning the Tunisian Grand Prix he was plagued by mechanical problems and retiring out of race-winning positions. A thrilling race-long battle with Achille Varzi at the Monaco Grand Prix was decided on the second-to-last lap when the engine on Nuvolari's Alfa broke. He was untouchable at a wet Nürburgring but retired in the French Grand Prix - a race won by the veteran Giuseppe Campari in the new Maserati model. In the middle of these was one of the most controversial pre-war races yet held – the Tripoli Grand Prix. It was held in conjunction with a multi-million national lottery to win tickets for each of the drivers. In the race, it again became a Varzi-Nuvolari duel, decided at the last corner when Varzi outbraked Nuvolari to win by a fifth of a second.
The frustration came to a head after a third axle-failure and Nuvolari, with close friend Borzacchini, walked out of Ferrari straight across to Maserati. Luigi Fagioli, lead-driver of the Maserati works-team, was furious that his great rival had been approached and in response took the vacant position at Ferrari, soon to be joined by Campari. Nuvolari won successive races with the Maserati at Spa, Montenero and Nice. Alfa Romeo, now concerned that they were losing their pre-eminence, released their Tipo B cars to Ferrari. Fagioli won on the car's return, at the Coppa Acerbo after Nuvolari had a mechanical retirement.
In the Italian Grand Prix, Fagioli benefited from Nuvolari's misfortune after he got a puncture while leading with two laps remaining. The Monza GP was run in the afternoon, held as three heats to qualify for the final. In the second heat, Campari and Borzacchini both crashed on the oval banking and were killed. Then, in the final, Stanisław Czaykowski was also killed at almost the same place. Subsequently, known as the "Black Day of Monza", it was a further tragic weekend in a deadly year of motorsport.
The last major race of the year was the Spanish Grand Prix that finally saw the debut of Bugatti's new Type 59, the model for the new formula. A mid-race downpour saw Nuvolari aquaplane off the track and crash, thereby giving Chiron his third victory of the season and Ferrari its third 1-2 finish.
Grand Épreuves This year the AIACR elevated the Monaco Grand Prix to the exclusive rank of Grand Épreuve, hitherto only held by the other six national races of their member bodies, alongside the Indianapolis 500 for the US and the Tourist Trophy for Great Britain. These held special scheduling privileges that the CSI would set the racing calendar around, and other international events could not be held on the same day opposite those races. They also attempted, unsuccessfully, to tighten up on the usage of “Grand Prix” to limit it to the premier event of each of the affiliated associations.
Date Name Circuit RaceRegulations Weather RaceDistance Winner'sTime Winning driver Winningconstructor Fastestlap Report 1 23 Apr V Grand Prix de Monaco Monte Carlo Georgano 1971, p.115-6 Formula Libre sunny 320 km 3h 28m Achille Varzi Bugatti Type 51 Achille Varzi Bugatti Report 30 May XXI International 500 Mile Sweepstakes Indianapolis Georgano 1971, p.95-100 AAA fine 500 miles 4h 48m Louis Meyer Miller not recorded Report 2 11 Jun XXVII Grand Prix de l’ACF Montlhéry Georgano 1971, p.118-9 AIACR overcast,late rain 500 km 3h 49m Giuseppe Campari Maserati 8C-3000 Giuseppe Campari Maserati Report 3 9 Jul IV Grand Prix de Belgique Spa-Francorchamps Georgano 1971, p.143-4 AIACR overcast 590 km 4h 09m Tazio Nuvolari Maserati 8CM Tazio Nuvolari Maserati Report 2 Sep XII RAC Tourist Trophy Ards-Belfast sports,handicap fine 480 miles 5h 57m Tazio Nuvolari MG K3 Magnette Tim Rose-RichardsAlfa Romeo Report 4 10 Sep XI Gran Premio d’Italia Monza Georgano 1971, p.119-20 AIACR overcast, drying track 500 km 2h 52m Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo Tipo B Luigi FagioliAlfa Romeo Report 5 24 Sep VI Gran Premio de España Lasarte AIACR rain 520 km /530 km 3h 51m Louis Chiron Alfa Romeo Tipo B Tazio Nuvolari Maserati Report 1 Oct German Grand Prix Nürburgring Georgano 1971, p.123Postponed, then cancelled A pink background indicates the race was run for Sports Cars or Touring Cars this year, while a grey background indicates the race was not held this year. Sources: Rendall 1993, p.363
Major Races Multiple classes are mentioned when they were divided and run to different race lengths. Date Name Circuit RaceRegulations Weather RaceDistance Winner'sTime Winning driver Winningconstructor Report 19 Feb II Grand Prix de Pau Pau Formula Libre snow 210 km 2h 54m Marcel Lehoux Bugatti Type 51 Report (23 Feb) /26 Feb III Sveriges Vinter Grand Prix Lake Rämen Formula Libre sunny 370 km 4h 28m Per-Viktor Widengren Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report 20 Mar VI Australian Grand Prix Phillip Island Formula Librehandicap sunny 200 miles 3h 09m Bill Thompson Riley Brooklands Report A 26 Mar /(29 Mar) V Grand Prix de Tunisie Carthage Formula Libre dry, then rain 470 km 3h 29m Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report 30 Apr IX Circuito di Alessandria(Circuito Pietro Bordino) Alessandria Formula Libre,heats heavy rain 120 km 1h 02m Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Report B7 May VII Gran Premio di Tripoli (I Lotteria di Tripoli) Mellaha Formula Libre sunny 390 km 2h 20m Achille Varzi Bugatti Type 51 Report II Eläintarhanajot(Djurgårdsloppet) Eläintarharata Formula Libre sunny 100 km 1h 03m Karl Ebb Mercedes-Benz SSK Report C21 May III Internationales Avusrennen AVUS Georgano 1971, p.65 Formula LibreVoiturette sunny 300 km 1h 25m Achille Varzi Bugatti Type 54 Report IX Grand Prix de Picardie Péronne Formula LibreVoiturette ? 200 km 1h 26m Philippe Étancelin Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report D28 May VII Eifelrennen Nürburgring Formula LibreVoiturette overcast 340 km 3h 01m Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Report XXIV Targa Florio Piccolo Madonie Targa Florio sunny 500 km 6h 35m Marchese Antonio Brivio Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report 4 Jun II Trophée de Provence Nîmes Formula LibreVoiturette sunny 105 km 1h 03m Marcel Jacob Bugatti Type 35C Report II Grand Prix de Nîmes Nîmes Formula Libre sunny 210 km 1h 52m Tazio Nuvolari Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Report VIII Grand Prix des Frontières Chimay Formula LibreVoiturette sunny 160 km 1h 21m Willy Longueville Bugatti Type 35B Report 11 Jun III Grand Prix Lwowa(Großer Preis von Lemberg) Lviv Georgano 1971, p.109-110 Formula Libre rain 300 km 3h 40m Eugen Bjørnstad Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report Florence Circuit Florence Formula Libre ? Conde Carlo Felice Trossi Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Report 25 Jun IV Gran Premio de Penya Rhin (I Copa Barcelona) Montjuïc Park Formula Libre ? 150 km 1h 36m Juan Zanelli Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report 1 Jul II British Empire Trophy Brooklands Formula Libre ? 125 miles 1h 00m Stanislas Czaykowski Bugatti Type 54 Report E 2 Jul VIII Grand Prix de la Marne Reims-Gueux Formula Libre sunny 400 km 2h 45m Philippe Étancelin Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report 12 Jul Mannin Beg Douglas Voiturette sunny 230 miles 4h 13m Freddie Dixon Riley 1500/6 Report 14 Jul Mannin Moar Douglas Formula Libre sunny 230 miles 3h 35m Brian Lewis, Baron Essendon Alfa Romeo 8C 2300 Monza Report (15 Jul) /16 Jul V Grand Prix de Dieppe Dieppe Formula Libre overcast 588 km(winner) 3 hours Marcel Lehoux Bugatti Type 51 Report 30 Jul VII Coppa Ciano Montenero Formula LibreVoiturette hot 240 km 2h 45m Tazio Nuvolari Maserati 8CM Report F6 Aug II Grand Prix de Nice Nice Formula Libre sunny 300 km 2h 56m Tazio Nuvolari Maserati 8CM Report I Sveriges Sommer Grand Prix Norra Vram Formula Libre sunny 360 km 2h 52m Antonio Brivio Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Report 13 Aug IX Grand Prix de la Baule La Baule beach Formula Libre sunny 200 km 1h 25m William Grover-Williams Bugatti Type 54 Report G 15 Aug /(13 Aug) IX Coppa Acerbo Pescara Georgano 1971, p.129-30 Formula LibreVoiturette hot 310 km 2h 09m Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo Tipo B Report 20 Aug IX Grand Prix du Comminges Saint-Gaudens Formula Libre fine, thenrain at end 390 km 2h 41m Luigi Fagioli Alfa Romeo 8C 2600 Report H27 Aug II Grand Prix de Marseille Miramas Formula Libre hot 500 km 2h 49m Louis Chiron Alfa Romeo Tipo B Report Grand Prix d’Albi Les Planques, Albi Georgano 1971, p.60 Formula LibreVoiturette ? 200 km 1h 24m Louis Braillard Bugatti Type 51 Report J 10 Sep VI Gran Premio di Monza Monza oval Formula Libre,heats dry 200 km 21mins Marcel Lehoux Bugatti Type 51 Report K17 Sep IV Masarykuv Okruh Masaryk-Ring, Cimarosti 1997, p.88Brno Formula LibreVoiturette rain, then drying 500 km 4h 50m Louis Chiron Alfa Romeo Tipo B Report II Grand Prix de l’UMF Montlhéry Formula LibreVoiturette ? 80 km 38mins Raymond Sommer Alfa Romeo Monza Report 7 Oct Donington Park Trophy Donington Park Formula Libre rain 70 km 43mins Earl Howe Bugatti Type 51 Report 8 Oct Grande Prêmio da Cidade de Rio de Janeiro Gávea Formula Libre ? 220 km 3h 19m Baron Manuel de Teffé Alfa Romeo 1750 Report
Regulations and Technical The 1933 season was to be the final one run to Formula Libre (open formula) regulations. The CSI regulatory body of the AIACR had announced a new 750kg, weight-based formula coming into effect from 1934. For unknown reasons, the European Championship was discontinued after only two years, despite five of the national races being planned to be held. The Italian and Swiss associations held their own national championships anyway.
The only significant change to the regulations was to change the minimum race distance from 5 hours to 500km. Cimarosti 1997, p.94
The Monaco Grand Prix was elevated to the esteemed Grandes Épreuves status, held by the six European national races (of France, Italy, Spain, Belgium and Germany), the Indianapolis 500 and the British Tourist Trophy (run as a sports car race). This year, it also started a new process where the times recorded in the practice sessions before the race would decide the grid order, with the fastest cars in practice at the front. Up till now, the grid order had been decided by random ballot or just by the order the entries were received in. This idea was picked up by several other events and is now the standard practice across motor-racing.
To allow for the new German cars for the next season to compete, the German Grand Prix was initially postponed from July to October and moving from the Nürburgring to AVUS. However, when insufficient entries were confirmed by August the race was instead cancelled. Reuss 2008, p.96
Since the Targa Florio's inception in 1906, Vincenzo Florio had bankrolled the race out of his personal fortune. However, the economic downturn had had a severe impact on the family funds and in 1933 the organisation of the event was taken over by the Royal Italian Automobile Club from their regional office in Palermo. Fondi 2006, p.120