1955 Formula One season

Juan Manuel Fangio in a Mercedes Benz W196, pictured at the Nurburgring in 1986

The 1955 Formula One season was the sixth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1955 World Championship of Drivers,^[1] which commenced on January 16, 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

Mercedes drivers again dominated the championship, with Fangio taking four races, and his new team mate 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.^[2] These cancellations effectively handed the driver's 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.

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 Grand Prix of China.

Season review

Rnd	Race	Circuit	Date	Pole position	Fastest lap	Winning driver	Constructor	Tyre	Report
1	Argentine Grand Prix	Oscar Gálvez	January 16	José Froilán González	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	C	Report
2	Monaco Grand Prix	Monaco	May 22	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Maurice Trintignant	Ferrari	E	Report
3	Indianapolis 500	Indianapolis	May 30	Jerry Hoyt	Bill Vukovich	Bob Sweikert	Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser	F	Report
4	Belgian Grand Prix	Spa-Francorchamps	June 5	Eugenio Castellotti	Juan Manuel Fangio	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	C	Report
5	Dutch Grand Prix	Zandvoort	June 19	Juan Manuel Fangio	Roberto Mieres	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	C	Report
6	British Grand Prix	Aintree	July 16	Stirling Moss	Stirling Moss	Stirling Moss	Mercedes	C	Report
7	Italian Grand Prix	Monza	September 11	Juan Manuel Fangio	Stirling Moss	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	C	Report

Teams and drivers

The following teams and drivers competed in the 1955 FIA World Championship.

Entrant	Constructor	Chassis	Engine	Tyre	Driver	Rounds
Daimler Benz AG	Mercedes	W196	Mercedes M196 2.5 L8	C	Juan Manuel Fangio	1–2, 4–7
					Karl Kling	1, 4–7
					Stirling Moss	1–2, 4–7
					Hans Herrmann	1
					André Simon	2
					Piero Taruffi	6–7
Scuderia Ferrari	Ferrari Lancia	625 555 D50	Ferrari 555 2.5 L4 Lancia DS50 2.5 V8	E	Giuseppe Farina	1–2, 4, 7
					Umberto Maglioli	1, 7
					José Froilán González	1
					Maurice Trintignant	1–2, 4–7
					Harry Schell	2
					Piero Taruffi	2
					Paul Frère	2, 4
					Mike Hawthorn	5–7
					Eugenio Castellotti	5–7
					Luigi Villoresi	7
Officine Alfieri Maserati	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	P	Jean Behra	1–2, 4–7
					Roberto Mieres	1–2, 4–7
					Sergio Mantovani	1
					Luigi Musso	1–2, 4–7
					Carlos Menditeguy	1, 7
					Clemar Bucci	1
					Harry Schell	1
					Cesare Perdisa	2, 4
					André Simon	6
					Peter Collins	7
					Horace Gould	7
Alberto Uria	Maserati	A6GCM	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	P	Alberto Uria	1
Scuderia Lancia	Lancia	D50	Lancia DS50 2.5 V8	P	Alberto Ascari	1–2
					Luigi Villoresi	1–2
					Eugenio Castellotti	1–2, 4
					Louis Chiron	2
Equipe Gordini	Gordini	T16	Gordini 23 2.5 L6	E	Élie Bayol	1–2
					Pablo Birger	1
					Jesús Iglesias	1
					Robert Manzon	2, 5–6
					Jacques Pollet	2, 5, 7
					Hernando da Silva Ramos	5–7
					Mike Sparken	6
					Jean Lucas	7
Ecurie Rosier	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	P	Louis Rosier	2, 4–5
Vandervell Products	Vanwall	VW 55	Vanwall 254 2.5 L4	P	Mike Hawthorn	2, 4
					Ken Wharton	6–7
					Harry Schell	6–7
Stirling Moss Ltd	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	D	Lance Macklin	2, 6
					Johnny Claes	4
					Peter Walker	5
					John Fitch	7
E.N. Whiteaway	HWM	53	Alta GP 2.5 L4	D	Ted Whiteaway	2
Equipe Nationale Belge	Ferrari	625 500	Ferrari 625 2.5 L4	E	Johnny Claes	5
Gould's Garage (Bristol)	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	D	Horace Gould	5–6
Connaught Engineering	Connaught	B	Alta GP 2.5 L4	D	Kenneth McAlpine	6
					Jack Fairman	6
					Tony Rolt	6
					Peter Walker	6
					Leslie Marr	6
Cooper Car Company	Cooper	T40	Bristol BS1 2.0 L6	D	Jack Brabham	6
Owen Racing Organisation	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	D	Peter Collins	6
Gilby Engineering	Maserati	250F	Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6	D	Roy Salvadori	6
Scuderia Volpini	Arzani-Volpini	F1	Maserati 4CLT 2.5 L4	P	Luigi Piotti	7

1955 Drivers Championship final standings

Pos. Driver ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBR ITA Pts. 1 Juan Manuel Fangio 1 Ret 1 1 2 1 40 (41) 2 Stirling Moss 4† / Ret 9 2 2 1 Ret 23 3 Eugenio Castellotti Ret† 2 Ret 5 6† / Ret 3 12 4 Maurice Trintignant 2† / 3† / Ret 1 6 Ret Ret 8 11 1⁄3 5 Nino Farina 2† / 3† 4 3 DNS 10 1⁄3 6 Piero Taruffi 8† 4 2 9 7 Bob Sweikert 1 8 8 Roberto Mieres 5 Ret 5† 4 Ret 7 7 9 Jean Behra 6† / Ret† / Ret 3† / Ret† 5† / Ret 6 Ret 4 6 10 Luigi Musso 7† / Ret† Ret 7 3 5 Ret 6 11 Karl Kling 4† / Ret Ret Ret 3 Ret 5 12 Jimmy Davies 3 4 13 Tony Bettenhausen 2† 3 14 Paul Russo 2† 3 15 Paul Frère 8† 4 3 16 Johnny Thomson 4 3 17 José Froilán González 2† 2 18 Cesare Perdisa 3† / Ret† 8 2 19 Luigi Villoresi Ret† / Ret 5 DNS 2 20 Carlos Menditeguy Ret† / Ret 5 2 21 Umberto Maglioli 3† 6 1 1⁄3 22 Hans Herrmann 4† DNQ 1 23 Walt Faulkner 5† 1 24 Bill Homeier 5† 1 25 Bill Vukovich Ret 1 — Mike Hawthorn Ret Ret 7 6† 10 0 — Harry Schell 6† / 7† / Ret† Ret DNS 9† / Ret Ret 0 — Louis Chiron 6 0 — Andy Linden 6 0 — Jacques Pollet 7 10 Ret 0 — Al Herman 7 0 — Mike Sparken 7 0 — Sergio Mantovani 7† / Ret† 0 — Hernando da Silva Ramos 8 Ret Ret 0 — Lance Macklin DNQ 8 0 — Pat O'Connor 8 0 — Louis Rosier Ret 9 9 0 — Ken Wharton 9† Ret 0 — Jimmy Daywalt 9 0 — John Fitch 9 0 — Pat Flaherty 10 0 — Duane Carter 11 0 — Johnny Claes DNS 11 0 — Chuck Weyant 12 0 — Eddie Johnson 13 0 — Jim Rathmann 14 0 — Robert Manzon Ret Ret Ret 0 — Horace Gould Ret Ret Ret 0 — Alberto Ascari Ret Ret 0 — Élie Bayol Ret Ret 0 — André Simon Ret Ret 0 — Peter Collins Ret Ret 0 — Peter Walker Ret Ret† 0 — Jesus Iglesias Ret 0 — Pablo Birger Ret 0 — Alberto Uria Ret 0 — Don Freeland Ret 0 — Cal Niday Ret 0 — Art Cross Ret 0 — Shorty Templeman Ret 0 — Sam Hanks Ret 0 — Keith Andrews Ret 0 — Johnnie Parsons Ret 0 — Eddie Russo Ret 0 — Ray Crawford Ret 0 — Jimmy Bryan Ret 0 — Jack McGrath Ret 0 — Al Keller Ret 0 — Johnny Boyd Ret 0 — Ed Elisian Ret 0 — Rodger Ward Ret 0 — Jerry Hoyt Ret 0 — Jimmy Reece Ret 0 — Fred Agabashian Ret 0 — Kenneth McAlpine Ret 0 — Jack Brabham Ret 0 — Roy Salvadori Ret 0 — Leslie Marr Ret 0 — Jean Lucas Ret 0 — Clemar Bucci Ret† 0 — Tony Rolt Ret† 0 — Ted Whiteaway DNQ 0 — Jack Fairman DNS 0 — Luigi Piotti DNS 0 Pos. Driver ARG MON 500 BEL NED GBR ITA Pts.

Key Colour Result Gold Winner Silver 2nd place Bronze 3rd place Green Points finish Blue Non-points finish Non-classified finish (NC) Purple Did not finish (Ret) Red Did not qualify (DNQ) Did not pre-qualify (DNPQ) Black Disqualified (DSQ) White Did not start (DNS) Race cancelled (C) Light blue Practiced only (PO) Friday test driver (TD) (from 2003 onwards) Blank Did not practice (DNP) Excluded (EX) Did not arrive (DNA) Withdrew entry before the event (WD)

• Italics indicate fastest lap (1 point awarded – point shared equally between drivers sharing fastest lap)
• Bold indicates pole position
• † = Car driven by more than one driver
• 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.

Non-Championship race results

Other Formula One races also held in 1955, which did not count towards the World Championship.

Race Name	Circuit	Date	Winning driver	Constructor	Report
Gran Premio Ciudad de Buenos Aires	Buenos Aires	January 30	Juan Manuel Fangio	Mercedes	Report
VII Gran Premio del Valentino	Valentino Park	March 27	Alberto Ascari	Lancia	Report
XVI Pau Grand Prix	Pau	April 11	Jean Behra	Maserati	Report
III Glover Trophy	Goodwood	April 11	Roy Salvadori	Maserati	Report
IV Grand Prix de Bordeaux	Bordeaux	April 25	Jean Behra	Maserati	Report
VII BRDC International Trophy	Silverstone	May 7	Peter Collins	Maserati	Report
VIII Gran Premio di Napoli	Posillipo	May 8	Alberto Ascari	Lancia	Report
XVII Grand Prix d'Albi	Albi	May 29	André Simon	Maserati	Report
III Curtis Trophy	Snetteron	May 29	Roy Salvadori	Maserati	Report
III Cornwall MRC Formula 1 Race	Davidstow	May 30	Leslie Marr	Connaught-Alta	Report
III London Trophy	Crystal Palace	July 30	Mike Hawthorn	Maserati	Report
III Daily Record Trophy	Charterhall	August 6	Bob Gerard	Maserati	Report
III RedeX Trophy	Snetterton	August 13	Harry Schell	Vanwall	Report
II Daily Telegraph Trophy	Aintree	September 3	Roy Salvadori	Maserati	Report
II International Gold Cup	Oulton Park	September 24	Stirling Moss	Maserati	Report
I Avon Trophy	Castle Combe	October 1	Harry Schell	Vanwall	Report
V Gran Premio di Siracusa	Syracuse	October 23	Tony Brooks	Connaught-Alta	Report

Notes