1955 Formula One season


The 1955 Formula One season was the ninth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1955 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 16 January 1955 and ended on September 11 after seven races. Juan Manuel Fangio won his second consecutive World Championship title in a season that was curtailed by tragedies.
The season also included a number of non-championship Formula One races.

Season summary

drivers again dominated the championship, with Fangio taking four races, and his new teammate Stirling Moss the British Grand Prix. Ferrari won at Monaco after all of the Mercedes cars broke down and Lancia driver Alberto Ascari crashed into the harbour. Although Ascari was apparently unscathed, the double World Champion crashed fatally at Monza while testing sportscars four days later.
The disaster at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 11 June which killed Pierre Levegh and over 80 spectators led to the cancellations of the French, German, Spanish and Swiss Grands Prix. The French round, which was supposed to be held at Reims between the Dutch and British rounds, on 3 July, was first rescheduled to 25 September and subsequently cancelled. Then the German event, scheduled for 31 July at the Nürburgring, the Swiss round at Bremgarten, planned to take place on 21 August, and the Spanish round, on 23 October at Pedralbes, followed suit. Pedralbes and Bremgarten were then abandoned and never used again for racing; motor racing was banned altogether in Switzerland and no motor-race was held in Switzerland until the 2018 Zürich ePrix. These cancellations effectively handed the Drivers' title to Fangio after he finished 2nd to Moss at the British Grand Prix; although he wasn't actually crowned champion until well after the British Grand Prix, because the German, Swiss and Spanish rounds were cancelled after the British Grand Prix took place.
1955 would be the final season for Mercedes Benz as a constructor until the team's revival in 2010. It would also mark the final win for Mercedes until the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix.
Aside from Ascari's death this year, Italian Mario Alborghetti died at the non-championship Pau Grand Prix in France driving a Maserati; and during the Indianapolis 500, two drivers were killed during the month-long event: Americans Manny Ayulo in practice and previous race winner Bill Vukovich during the race 2 weeks later.

Season review

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1955 FIA World Championship.
EntrantConstructorChassisEngineTyreDriverRounds
Daimler Benz AGMercedesW196Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 Juan Manuel Fangio1–2, 4–7
Daimler Benz AGMercedesW196Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 Karl Kling1, 4–7
Daimler Benz AGMercedesW196Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 Stirling Moss1–2, 4–7
Daimler Benz AGMercedesW196Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 Hans Herrmann1–2
Daimler Benz AGMercedesW196Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 André Simon2
Daimler Benz AGMercedesW196Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 Piero Taruffi6–7
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Giuseppe Farina1–2, 4, 7
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Umberto Maglioli1, 7
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 José Froilán González1
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Maurice Trintignant1–2, 4–7
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Harry Schell2, 4
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Piero Taruffi2, 4
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Paul Frère2, 4
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Mike Hawthorn5–7
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Eugenio Castellotti5–7
Scuderia FerrariFerrari
Lancia		625
555
D50		Ferrari 555 2.5 L4
Lancia DS50 2.5 V8		 Luigi Villoresi7
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Jean Behra1–2, 4–7
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Roberto Mieres1–2, 4–7
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Sergio Mantovani1
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Luigi Musso1–2, 4–7
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Carlos Menditeguy1, 7
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Clemar Bucci1
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Harry Schell1
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Cesare Perdisa2, 4
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 André Simon6
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Peter Collins7
Officine Alfieri MaseratiMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Horace Gould7
Alberto UriaMaseratiA6GCMMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Alberto Uria1
Scuderia LanciaLanciaD50Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 Alberto Ascari1–2
Scuderia LanciaLanciaD50Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 Luigi Villoresi1–2
Scuderia LanciaLanciaD50Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 Eugenio Castellotti1–2, 4
Scuderia LanciaLanciaD50Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 Louis Chiron2
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Élie Bayol1–2
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Pablo Birger1
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Jesús Iglesias1
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Robert Manzon2, 5–6
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Jacques Pollet2, 5, 7
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Hermano da Silva Ramos5–7
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Mike Sparken6
Equipe GordiniGordiniT16Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Jean Lucas7
Ecurie RosierMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Louis Rosier2, 4–5
Vandervell ProductsVanwallVW 55Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 Mike Hawthorn2, 4
Vandervell ProductsVanwallVW 55Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 Ken Wharton6–7
Vandervell ProductsVanwallVW 55Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 Harry Schell6–7
Stirling Moss LtdMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Lance Macklin2, 6
Stirling Moss LtdMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Johnny Claes4
Stirling Moss LtdMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Peter Walker5
Stirling Moss LtdMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 John Fitch7
E.N. WhiteawayHWM-Alta53Alta GP 2.5 L4 Ted Whiteaway2
Equipe Nationale BelgeFerrari625Ferrari 625 2.5 L4 Johnny Claes5
Gould's Garage Maserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Horace Gould5–6
Connaught EngineeringConnaught-AltaBAlta GP 2.5 L4 Kenneth McAlpine6
Connaught EngineeringConnaught-AltaBAlta GP 2.5 L4 Jack Fairman6
R.R.C. Walker Racing TeamConnaught-AltaBAlta GP 2.5 L4 Tony Rolt6
R.R.C. Walker Racing TeamConnaught-AltaBAlta GP 2.5 L4 Peter Walker6
Leslie MarrConnaught-AltaBAlta GP 2.5 L4 Leslie Marr6
Cooper Car CompanyCooper-BristolT40Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 Jack Brabham6
Owen Racing OrganisationMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Peter Collins6
Gilby EngineeringMaserati250FMaserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Roy Salvadori6
Scuderia VolpiniArzani-Volpini-MaseratiF1Maserati 4CLT 2.5 L4 Luigi Piotti7

1955 Drivers' Championship – final standings

Championship points were awarded on an 8–6–4–3–2 basis for the first five places at each race. One point was awarded for fastest race lap at each race. Only the best 5 results counted towards the Championship. Numbers without parentheses are Championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.

  • Italics indicate fastest lap
  • Bold indicates pole position
  • † = Car driven by more than one driver

    Non-championship race results

Other Formula One races also held in 1955, which did not count towards the World Championship.
Race NameCircuitDateWinning driverConstructorReport
VII Gran Premio del ValentinoValentino Park27 March Alberto Ascari LanciaReport
XVI Pau Grand PrixPau11 April Jean Behra MaseratiReport
III Glover TrophyGoodwood11 April Roy Salvadori MaseratiReport
IV Grand Prix de BordeauxBordeaux25 April Jean Behra MaseratiReport
VII BRDC International TrophySilverstone7 May Peter Collins MaseratiReport
VIII Gran Premio di NapoliPosillipo8 May Alberto Ascari LanciaReport
XVII Grand Prix d'AlbiAlbi29 May André Simon MaseratiReport
III Curtis TrophySnetterton29 May Roy Salvadori MaseratiReport
III Cornwall MRC Formula 1 RaceDavidstow30 May Leslie Marr Connaught-AltaReport
III London TrophyCrystal Palace30 July Mike Hawthorn MaseratiReport
III Daily Record TrophyCharterhall6 August Bob Gerard MaseratiReport
III RedeX TrophySnetterton13 August Harry Schell VanwallReport
II Daily Telegraph TrophyAintree3 September Roy Salvadori MaseratiReport
II International Gold CupOulton Park24 September Stirling Moss MaseratiReport
I Avon TrophyCastle Combe1 October Harry Schell VanwallReport
V Gran Premio di SiracusaSyracuse23 October Tony Brooks Connaught-AltaReport

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