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F1.History, London (2026)

13/10/2020

Cars that raced during the 1958 Formula 1 season.

#1958

13/10/2020

Lotus Engineering.

Lotus 16.

Following on Cooper's example Lotus also decided to enter Formula One. Colin Chapman had established the company in 1952 and soon built a formidable reputation on British sportscar scene with the Mark XI.

Formula Two Lotus 12 had followed, gaining a reputation for being fast but fragile; the new Lotus 16 was planned for the Formula One assault, powered by the 2.2l Coventry Climax V8. Cliff Allison and ex-mechanic Graham Hill, who had both driven Lotuses at British events, were set as drivers.

#1958

13/10/2020

BRM (British Racing Motors).

BRM P25.

Despite largely striking out in championship events, BRM had continued to make progress in 1957, though reliability remained a considerable issue.

While the P25 still had numerous problems their main Achilles' heel had been a disrupted driver line-up; however, when the Maserati works team closed Arthur Owen moved fast to sign up Jean Behra and Harry Schell. The loyal Ron Flockhart also remained on the strength.

#1958

13/10/2020

Cooper Cars.

Cooper T43.

Cooper had delivered a few scares with their underpowered but agile cars in 1957 and planned to continue in the same vein in 1958. While they would still be using the enlarged but under capacity Coventry Climax engines plans were on the board for an enlarged version of the T43 to accept larger powertrains.

Jack Brabham and Roy Salvadori stayed on as works drivers while Rob Walker would also be running a car.

#1958

12/10/2020

Connaught.

Connaught B Type.

The Connaught team had seemingly folded after the 1957 Monaco Grand Prix when Kenneth McAlpine withdrew his financial support and a public subscription attempt has failed.

However, a pair of the B Type cars had been purchased by ex-Formula Three racer, a young Bernard Ecclestone, business manager of Stuart Lewis-Evans. While Lewis-Evans was contracted to Vanwall for the season ahead, Ecclestone planned to develop the team as a berth for his friend and client.

#1957

12/10/2020

Scuderia Ferrari.

Ferrari 246.

Ferrari endured a difficult season in 1957, with no championship wins for the first time since 1950. The Lancia-based cars and V8 were discarded in favour of the new 246, basically the 156 Dino Formula Two car with a true 2.5l V6 engine. The interim version had campaigned well at the end of the previous season, also allowing Ferrari a head start on testing with aviation fuel.

Its driver line-up remained strong with Mike Hawthorn, Peter Collins and Luigi Musso as lead drivers. Other drives like Olivier Gendebien, Wolfgang von Trips and Phil Hill would be available to drive for the team when needed.

#1958

12/10/2020

Vanwall.

Vanwall VW5.

After their strong finish to 1957 and with Maserati seemingly out of the way, Vanwall inherited the mantle of favourites for the season.

Its strong driver line-up of Stirling Moss, Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans remained intact. Cars also remained unchanged aside from continuing work to improve handling for slower circuits. Change in fuel regulations seems to be the main weakness of the team with the car still spotty reliability record.

#1958

12/10/2020

Maserati.

Maserati 250F.

During the winter, Maserati had announcing their withdraw of the competition. Despite taking the title with Juan Manuel Fangio the company's sportscar programme and the failed V12 engine had proved a great strain on the Modenese firm then dissolving the works team.

However, the Grand Prix wing was kept open to maintain and develop cars for private owners, with a much-lightened version of the 250F planned. Guglielmo Dei's Scuderia Centro Sud would continue to run Maseratis with Francesco Godia Sales and Joakim Bonnier as its drivers. Fangio, despite of rumors, was uncertain whether retiring or not.

#1958

12/10/2020

1958 Season.

While engine capacity remained at 2.5l for 1958, considerable changes were made to the actual format of championship Grand Prix for the new season. To differentiate Formula One further from endurance competitions, races were limited to 300 km or 2h (according to race organisers' discretion). Points would now only be awarded to drivers who drove the complete distance and did not share their car. Commercial fuel was made obligatory (rather than alcohol-based teams used to use). Aviation fuel, which was also permissible, became standard.

A larger calendar than ever was also planned with a total of eleven championship events. They are Argentine, Monaco, Dutch, Indianapolis 500, Belgian, French, British, German, Portuguese, Italian and Moroccan Grand Prix.

For the first time in Formula One a constructors title was to be awarded alongside the drivers, with the best six results out of the ten Grand Prix (the Indy 500 being excluded from the manufacturers table) counting towards the final total.

The championship points were awarded in followed basis:

1st – 8 points
2nd – 6 points
3rd – 4 points
4th – 3 points
5th – 2 points
Fastest Lap – 1 point (only for drivers’ standings).

• Drivers Championship: Only the best 6 of 11 results counted towards the Championship.
• Constructors Championship: Only the best 6 of 10 results – Indy 500 did not count towards the Championship.

#1958

08/10/2020

Maserati 250F drawings.

#1957

08/10/2020

Engine of Maserati 250F.

The 250F principally used the SSG 220 bhp (@ 7400 rpm) 2.5-litre Maserati A6 straight-six engine.

In 1956, Giulio Alfieri devised a new engine in 1956. Very much a clean-sheet design, this was a sophisticated V12 engine with twin overhead camshafts. These were driven by a series of gears from the front of the engine. As was common on Maserati engines of the day, a twin spark ignition system was fitted.

By the end of 1957 season, Maserati retired from international racing, but it was not the end of the line for V12 engine itself. It would go on to be used in various sports cars and ultimately in the back of a Cooper F1 car in three litre form. In this guise it would score two Grand Prix victories nearly a decade after it was first introduced.

#1957

08/10/2020

Maserati 250F, winning car of the 1957 F1 season.

The 250F was built by Gioacchino Colombo, Vittorio Bellentani and Alberto Massimino; the tubular work was by Valerio Colotti. It was designed for the 2.5 litre Formula 1 regulations new for the 1954 season. The car followed the lines of Maserati’s Formula 2 races of 1952 and 1953. A simple tubular frame carried the suspension, aluminium body panels and engine. The front suspension was independent by wishbones and coil springs.

Maserati gradually developed every aspect of the 250F’s design. Much of this work focused on the shape of the body, reflecting an ever growing emphasis on reducing drag.

The 250F first raced in the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix where Juan Manuel Fangio won. In 1955 a 5-speed gearbox; SU fuel injection and Dunlop disc brakes were introduced. Jean Behra drove this in a five-member works team which included Luigi Musso.

In 1956 Stirling Moss won the Monaco and Italian Grands Prix, both in a works car.

In 1956 three 250F Tipo2 cars first appeared for the works drivers. Developed by Giulio Alfieri using lighter steel tubes they sported a slimmer, stiffer body and sometimes the new 315 bhp V12 engine, although it offered little or no real advantage over the older straight 6.

In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio drove to four more championship victories, including his legendary final win at German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring.

By the end of 1957, Maserati retired from international racing. The surviving 250Fs were sold to privateers either with the familiar straight six engine or without an engine altogether.

In total, the 250F competed in 46 Formula One championship races with 277 entries, leading to eight wins. Success was not limited to World Championship events with 250F drivers winning many non-championship races around the world.

Stirling Moss later said that the 250F was the best front-engined F1 car he drove.

#1957

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