On June 26, 1906 the first ever nationwide automobile circuit race took place. It was organized by a French Auto Club and was held near Le Mans. To participate, the organizers invited the best motorsportsmen of the time. There were 34 cars in the start list. Although the pilots came from different countries, there were automobile brands from only three countries — France, Italy and Germany. According to the regulations, the weight of the car could not exceed 1 ton and the fuel tank capacity could not exceed 30 liters per lap. The competition lasted two days, during which the pilots covered about 1200 kilometers. The length of the lap was a little more than 100 kilometers, which had to be completed six times a day. The winner was the Hungarian racer Ferenc Szisz onboard a Renault 90CV car (90 hp). Soon, competitions of this kind began to be held in other countries, which ultimately led to the appearance of Formula 1.
Cover: McLaren
