The first Swiss Grand Prix was a non-championship race; it was won by Hans Stuck in an Auto Union; British driver Hugh Hamilton died in a horrific accident in his Maserati.

Despite this occurrence (there was hardly any, if any, thought put into safety in those days), the Swiss Grand Prix counted toward the European Championship from 1935 to 1939, during which time it was dominated by the German Silver Arrows.

This event, which was perhaps the blackest and most tragic Grand Prix of the 1940s saw multiple fatalities and serious injuries from massive accidents all around the circuit throughout the weekend.

Three drivers including Nino Farina went off and crashed while trying to avoid the motionless Frenchman, who survived after multiple serious injuries and spending 8 days in a coma.

1952 saw Briton up-and-comer Stirling Moss run as high as third in his underfunded Alta-powered HWM, and Italian Piero Taruffi scored his first and only F1 victory; it was also the only championship race (other than the Indianapolis 500) not won that year by his Ferrari teammate and countryman Alberto Ascari.

1954 saw Fangio (now driving a Mercedes) lead from start to finish in rainy weather and he took his second Drivers' Championship from countryman José Froilán González.

The 1982 race, also held at Dijon, was organized by the Swiss Auto Club and was the first F1 win by Finland's Keke Rosberg, driving for Williams, in what proved to be his Championship-winning season.

[2] In 2015 the Swiss government allowed a relaxation of the law, permitting head-to-head racing events to be held in Switzerland for electric vehicles only.

[3] As a result, on 10 June 2018, Switzerland hosted its first motor race in 64 years when the first Zürich ePrix was held as a round of the all-electric Formula E championship.