After the completion of the second heat race, the grid for the 35 lap final was set. The grid was determined by times set during practice prior to each individual heat race. Therefore, Ulmen’s time of two minutes and ten seconds enabled Toni to start the final race from 19th on the grid, which was on the 6th row of the 4-3-4 arranged grid.
Starting as far back as he did, chances at a top-five finish were remote. However, a top-ten could have been a better possibility. In the final, attrition was rather light, but it did strike a number of the top cars. Driving a steady pace, Ulmen was helped by these troubles and moved up the order. In the end, Lance Macklin won the race in his HWM-Alta. Fellow HWM-Alta pilot Tony Rolt finished the race 2nd, ten seconds behind. Emmanuel de Graffenried finished on the podium in 3rd in the Plate/Maserati. Ulmen drove a solid race, but just missed out on a top-ten finish. Toni piloted the Veritas-Meteor to an 11th place finish.
One week after his first race of his season, Ulmen was back on the European continent to take part in the first round of the Formula One World Championship. The race was the Swiss Grand Prix and it was held on the Bremgarten 4.52 mile road course near Berne, Switzerland.
Scuderia Ferrari had become the dominant team in grand prix racing throughout the course of the 1951 season. The departure of Alfa Romeo firmly planted Ferrari as the favorite team coming into 1952 season, despite running in Formula 2 specifications.
In practice, the former World Champion and Ferrari driver, Giuseppe Farina would set the fastest lap and would take the pole. His Ferrari teammate Piero Taruffi would establish a time a little over two and a half seconds slower and would start 2nd. Robert Manzon, of Equipe Gordini, would upset Ferrari’s bid to occupy the front row when he was able to qualify 3rd. Ulmen’s pace in his Veritas wasn’t anywhere near that of the Ferraris. Recording a time just over eighteen seconds slower, Toni would start the race 16th.
The race was 62 laps and began with Farina leading the way at the front. While all of the drivers were trying to settle into a pace for the race, Toni’s race came undone. Four laps into the event, Ulmen’s Veritas Meteor developed a fuel leak that could not be repaired. Thus, the German retired from his first ever Formula One World Championship race, and after only 4 laps.
Magneto problems would end up striking Farina causing his race to also come to an end. In all, only eight of the original twenty-two starters would end up making it to the finish. Taruffi would win the race leading the final 46 laps. Rudolf Fischer, driving for Ecurie Espadon, would end up finishing 2nd. Jean Behra, of Equipe Gordini would finish 3rd.
Another week after the failed attempt at the Swiss Grand Prix, Ulmen returned to Germany, and the Nordschleife at the Nurburgring, for the 16th running of the ADAC Eifelrennen.
Sixteen drivers would qualify for the 7 lap race around the 14 mile Nordschleife. Fischer, for Ecurie Espadon would start from the pole. Right beside him on the front row were three Brits Stirling Moss, Duncan Hamilton and Ken Wharton.
Out of the sixteen that would start the race, the long and twisty Nordschleife would reduce those numbers dramatically. This time, Toni would be one of those still running at the end. Fischer, in the Ferrari 500 would lead the way and would win the race. Stirling Moss finished 2nd forty seconds behind. Ken Wharton would complete the podium with a 3rd place finish. Five cars would remain still running at the end. The 5th place car was Ulmen in his Veritas. Toni would finish the race seven minutes behind Fischer, but still on the same lap.
Ulmen’s next race for 1952 was the 5th Grand Prix of the Autodromo of Monza on the 8th of June. The grand prix consisted of two heat races, whereby the winner was declared by the aggregate time of the two heats. Each heat race was 35 laps of the 3.91 Monza road course.
Toni faced off against a slew of Ferraris. Alberto Ascari would take the pole in the first heat race. The rest of the four-wide front row consisted of Farina, Gonzalez and Villoresi. The best Ulmen could do was to start the race from 18th.
The race started with the front of the field awash with Ferraris. Twenty-nine drivers would start the race. But attrition would reduce that number quite quickly. One of those targeted by attrition very early on was Toni. He hadn’t even completed ten laps when his race came to an end. With the total race being an aggregate of the two heats, Toni didn’t bother to enter the second heat. His Grand Prix of Monza last only 9 laps, instead of 70.
After a victory earlier on in the sports car 2.0-liter class of the Grand Prix of Nurburgring, Ulmen prepared to take part in the Formula One German Grand Prix on the 3rd of August. The German Grand Prix was also part of another championship in 1952. It counted toward the West German Championship.
