The 1958 Formula One season was the 12th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 9th World Championship of Drivers, the first International Cup for F1 Manufacturers and five non-championship Formula One races. The World Championship was contested over eleven races between 19 January and 19 October 1958. The Indianapolis 500 counted towards the Drivers' Championship but not the Manufacturers' Cup.
1958 was a watershed year that saw the end of the dominance of Italian teams, and the end of the career of five time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio. The Maestro took pole and fastest lap in the first round, took a leave to test for the Indy 500, then retired after finishing fourth again in his second race, realizing his time and that of Maserati had gone. Nearly all 1958 races were won by British drivers, and no less than five Brits led the final standings. British engineering took over, too. The season began with two wins for the nimble Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout cars that would dominate F1 from onwards. After the two Cooper-Climax wins, scored by the private Rob Walker team, not by the Cooper "factory" nor by a Coventry Climax entry, newcomer Vanwall with a standard layout front engine car won six of the eight remaining GPs and the Manufacturers Cup, without producing cars for customers to take advantage of the new title. Maseratis failed to score a podium and were outclassed without Fangio, but Ferraris won twice, and were quick and reliable enough to win six second places and the Drivers' Championship.
British driver Mike Hawthorn driving for Ferrari won his first and only Drivers' Championship after a close battle with compatriot and perpetual runner-up Stirling Moss, becoming the first British driver to become Formula One World Champion. Following the Portuguese Grand Prix, Hawthorn faced a penalty, but Moss sportingly spoke up for him. Moss would go on to win four races over Hawthorn's one, but the points from the Portuguese round enabled Hawthorn to claim the title. It was the first of only two occasions in Formula One history where a driver won the championship, having won only one race in the season, the other being Keke Rosberg in . Vanwall won the inaugural Manufacturers' Cup.
Four drivers died during the season: American Pat O'Connor during the Indianapolis 500, Italian Luigi Musso (Ferrari) during the French Grand Prix, his British teammate Peter Collins during the German Grand Prix, and Brit Stuart Lewis-Evans (Vanwall) during the Moroccan Grand Prix. After Collins' accident, Hawthorn had decided to retire from racing at the end of the season. So he did, but then was killed in a road accident three months later.
Since the early 1900s, Grand Prix racing had been dominated by front-engined cars, but this was the last championship to be won by one. In single seaters, the driver either has to sit on top of the drive shaft, or next to an asymmetric drive train. Even though Porsche-designed Auto Union Silver Arrows had successfully demonstrated the Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout in the 1930s, and some of the Porsche 550 sportscars that had been introduced in 1953 even ran competitively as Formula Two in the 1957 German Grand Prix, no F1 driver was put in front of his engine until the Bugatti Type 251 showed up in 1956. From on, mid-engined cars, with their better road holding, increased driving comfort, lighter weight, and ease on tyres and mechanical components (particularly brakes), would have the upper hand.
Teams and drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 1958 FIA World Championship. Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre Driver Rounds Scuderia Sud Americana Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Juan Manuel Fangio 1 Carlos Menditeguy 1 Ken Kavanagh Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Jean Behra 1 Luigi Taramazzo 2 Ken Kavanagh 2, 5 Jo Bonnier Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Harry Schell 1 Jo Bonnier 2–3, 5, 7, 9 Phil Hill 6 Giulio Cabianca 10 Hans Herrmann 10–11 Francesco Godia Sales Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Paco Godia 1–2, 5–6 H.H. Gould Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Horace Gould 1–3 Masten Gregory 3 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Cooper-Climax T43T45 Climax FPF 2.0 L4 Stirling Moss 1 Maurice Trintignant 2–3, 7–11 Ron Flockhart 2 T43 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Wolfgang Seidel 8 François Picard 11 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 246 Ferrari 143 2.4 V6 Luigi Musso 1–3, 5–6 Peter Collins 1–3, 5–8 Mike Hawthorn 1–3, 5–11 Wolfgang von Trips 2, 6–10 Olivier Gendebien 5, 10–11 Phil Hill 10–11 156 Ferrari D156 1.5 V6 Phil Hill 8 Owen Racing Organisation BRM P25 BRM P25 2.5 L4 Jean Behra 2–3, 5–11 Harry Schell 2–3, 5–11 Maurice Trintignant 6 Jo Bonnier 10–11 Ron Flockhart 11 Bernie C. Ecclestone Connaught-Alta B Alta GP 2.5 L4 Bernie Ecclestone 2, 7 Bruce Kessler 2 Paul Emery 2 Jack Fairman 7 Ivor Bueb 7 Cooper Car Company Cooper-Climax T45T44 Climax FPF 2.0 L4 Jack Brabham 2–3, 5–7, 9–10 Roy Salvadori 2–3, 5–11 Ian Burgess 7 Jack Fairman 11 T45 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Bruce McLaren 8, 11 Jack Brabham 8, 11 Team Lotus Lotus-Climax 1216 Climax FPF 2.0 L4Climax FPF 2.2 L4 Cliff Allison 2–3, 5–8, 10–11 Graham Hill 2–3, 5–7, 9–11 Alan Stacey 7 16 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Graham Hill 8 Vandervell Products Vanwall VW 5 Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 Stirling Moss 2–3, 5–11 Tony Brooks 2–3, 5–11 Stuart Lewis-Evans 2–3, 5–7, 9–11 Maria Teresa de Filippis Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Maria Teresa de Filippis 2, 5, 10 Giorgio Scarlatti Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Giorgio Scarlatti 2–3 Jo Bonnier 6 Scuderia Centro Sud Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Gerino Gerini 2, 6–7, 10–11 Maurice Trintignant 5 Masten Gregory 5 Wolfgang Seidel 5, 11 Carroll Shelby 6–7, 10 Troy Ruttman 6, 8 Jo Bonnier 8 Hans Herrmann 8 Cliff Allison 9 Maria Teresa de Filippis 9 OSCA Automobili OSCA F2 OSCA 372 1.5 L4 Giulio Cabianca 2 Luigi Piotti 2 André Testut Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 André Testut 2 Louis Chiron 2 Ecurie Maarsbergen Porsche RSK Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 Carel Godin de Beaufort 3 RS550 Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 Carel Godin de Beaufort 8 Juan Manuel Fangio Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Juan Manuel Fangio 6 Dick Gibson Cooper-Climax T43 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Dick Gibson 8 Dr Ing F. Porsche KG Porsche RSK Porsche 547/3 1.5 F4 ? Edgar Barth 8 High Efficiency Motors Cooper-Climax T43 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Ian Burgess 8 Ecurie Eperon d'Or Cooper-Climax T43 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Christian Goethals 8 Ecurie Demi Litre Lotus-Climax 12 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Ivor Bueb 8 J.B. Naylor Cooper-Climax T45 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Brian Naylor 8 Tony Marsh Cooper-Climax T45 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Tony Marsh 8 Temple Buell Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Carroll Shelby 9–10 Masten Gregory 10–11 André Guelfi Cooper-Climax T45 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 André Guelfi 11 British Racing Partnership Cooper-Climax T45 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Tom Bridger 11 Robert La Caze Cooper-Climax T45 Climax FPF 1.5 L4 Robert La Caze 11
The above list does not include drivers who only contested the Indianapolis 500. Pink background denotes Formula Two cars at the German and Moroccan Grand Prix.
Team and driver changes
Due to financial difficulties, Maserati had withdrawn their works team after , despite their 250F still being competitive. Multiple private teams adopted the existing chassis. Lotus made their debut. Colin Chapman's team would go on to win six Drivers' and seven Constructors' Championships in the next twenty years. For BRM, it was their first full-time season, and they hired ex-Maserati drivers Jean Behra and Harry Schell. Cooper also entered more races than ever, while retaining their drivers from 1957.
Mid-season changes Ferrari driver Luigi Musso was fatally injured during the French Grand Prix when he ran wide, his car struck a ditch and somersaulted. He was airlifted to hospital with critical head injuries and died later that day. His teammate Peter Collins was killed in a very similar crash during the German Grand Prix. Collins ran wide, encountered a ditch and flipped into the air. Collins was thrown out and struck a tree, suffering critical head injuries, and died in hospital later that day. Ferrari drafted in their sports car drivers Olivier Gendebien and Phil Hill. Five-time World Champion Juan Manuel Fangio retired after the French race. The Argentine had earned so much respect that champion-to-be Mike Hawthorn braked on the final straight, so that Fangio could unlap himself and complete the full race distance. Fangio still holds the record for the highest percentage of races won, the highest percentage of pole positions and the highest percentage of fastest laps. Swedish driver Jo Bonnier had entered the season under his own name but moved to BRM for the final two races of the season. Nevertheless, Giulio Cabianca and Hans Herrmann finished the season for Bonnier's team.
Calendar Round Grand Prix Circuit Date 1 Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires 19 January 2 Monaco Grand Prix Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo 18 May 3 Dutch Grand Prix Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort 26 May 4 Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway 30 May 5 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 15 June 6 French Grand Prix Reims-Gueux, Gueux 6 July 7 British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 19 July 8 German Grand Prix Nürburgring, Nürburg 3 August 9 Portuguese Grand Prix Circuito da Boavista, Porto 24 August 10 Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza 7 September 11 Moroccan Grand Prix Ain-Diab Circuit, Casablanca 19 October
Calendar changes The Dutch and Belgian Grand Prix returned to the calendar after being cancelled in 1956 and 1957 due to the Suez Crisis. The Pescara Grand Prix was dropped from the calendar, as it had merely been a replacement for the cancelled rounds. The Portuguese and Moroccan Grand Prix hosted their first World Championship Grands Prix. After one year at Rouen-Les-Essarts, the French Grand Prix was moved back to Reims-Gueux. The British Grand Prix was moved from Aintree Motor Racing Circuit to Silverstone Circuit, in keeping with the event-sharing arrangement between the two circuits.
Regulation changes
Sporting regulations The International Cup for F1 Manufacturers was awarded for the first time. Minimum race lengths were reduced to or two hours (whichever came first). The practice of sharing cars during a race was discouraged by withholding championship points. (Example: Gregory and Shelby finished fourth in the Italian Grand Prix but were not awarded championship points.)
Technical regulations The use of commercial petrol became compulsory in place of specialised alcohol-based racing fuels.
Championship report Rounds 1 to 4
Because the new regulations around fuel were drawn up late, many of the British teams were not ready in time for the season opener, the Argentine Grand Prix, and the race had just ten entrants, the lowest ever: three from Scuderia Ferrari, six private Maseratis and Stirling Moss in a Cooper from Rob Walker Racing, 1958 being the team's first full season. Five-time and reigning champion Juan Manuel Fangio qualified on pole position in one of the Maseratis he took over from the works team, ahead of the Ferraris of Mike Hawthorn and Peter Collins. At the start, Collins immediately broke a drive shaft. Hawthorn shot into the lead but was quickly repassed by Fangio. Around half distance, however, the Argentinian had to pit for fresh rear tyres. Moss took the lead and gambled on not needing a pit stop. The canvas was showing on both wheels, but he held on to win, just ahead of the Ferrari duo of Luigi Musso and Mike Hawthorn. Apart from being the first World Drivers' Championship race win for Cooper as a constructor it was also the first win for a rear-engined car, the first win for a car entered by a privateer team and the first win for a car powered by an engine built by another manufacturer.