The 1954 Formula One season was the eighth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the fifth World Championship of Drivers, which was contested over nine races between 17 January and 24 October 1954. The season also included several non-championship races for Formula One cars.
Juan Manuel Fangio won his second Drivers' Championship, after previously winning it in . After the first couple of races, he switched teams, going from Maserati to Mercedes-Benz, making him the only F1 driver in history to win a championship driving for more than one team in the same season.
After the championship had been run under Formula Two regulations for two seasons, the maximum engine displacement was increased to 2.5 litres for 1954. This increased average power outputs attracted several new constructors. At the same time, some F2 constructors withdrew, while others intended to compete but could not get an F1 chassis ready in time.
Argentinian Onofre Marimón suffered a fatal accident during practice for the German Grand Prix. Coming over one of the steep hills, he went straight through the corner at the bottom. His Maserati hit a ditch, somersaulted and landed on top of him. It was the first fatality during an F1 championship weekend.
In 1955, the movie The Racers came out, the story of which was based on the life of Rudolf Caracciola. Real-life racing footage from the 1954 F1 season was used, including in-race shots from a camera car that started behind the drivers in the Belgian Grand Prix. This approach would be recreated in the 1966 film Grand Prix.
Teams and drivers The following teams and drivers competed in the 1954 FIA World Championship of Drivers. The list does not include those who only contested the Indianapolis 500.
Entrant Constructor Chassis Engine Tyre Driver Rounds Officine Alfieri Maserati Maserati 250FA6GCM Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6Maserati A6 2.0 L6 Juan Manuel Fangio 1, 3 Onofre Marimón 1, 3–6 Luigi Musso 1, 8–9 Birabongse Bhanudej 1 Sergio Mantovani 3–4, 6–9 Alberto Ascari 4–5 Luigi Villoresi 4–6, 8 Roberto Mieres 7–9 Stirling Moss 7–9 Harry Schell 7 Louis Rosier 8 Paco Godia 9 Scuderia Ferrari Ferrari 625553500 Ferrari 625 2.5 L4Ferrari 554 2.5 L4Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 Giuseppe Farina 1, 3 José Froilán González 1, 3–8 Mike Hawthorn 1, 3–9 Umberto Maglioli 1, 7–8 Maurice Trintignant 3–9 Piero Taruffi 6 Robert Manzon 7 Alberto Ascari 8 Equipe Gordini Gordini T16 Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Jean Behra 1, 3–9 Élie Bayol 1 Roger Loyer 1 Paul Frère 3–4, 6 André Pilette 3, 5–6 Jacques Pollet 4, 9 Clemar Bucci 5–8 Fred Wacker 7–8 Ecurie Rosier FerrariMaserati 500625250F Ferrari 500 2.0 L4Ferrari 625 2.5 L4Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Louis Rosier 1, 4–6, 9 Maurice Trintignant 1 Robert Manzon 4–6, 8–9 Harry Schell Maserati A6GCM250F Maserati A6 2.0 L6Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Harry Schell 1, 4–6, 9 Emmanuel de Graffenried Maserati A6GCM Maserati A6 2.0 L6 Toulo de Graffenried 1, 9 Ottorino Volonterio 9 Roberto Mieres Maserati A6GCM250F Maserati A6 2.0 L6Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Roberto Mieres 1, 3–6 Jorge Daponte Maserati A6GCM Maserati A6 2.0 L6 Jorge Daponte 1, 8 Onofre Marimón Maserati A6GCM Maserati A6 2.0 L6 Carlos Menditeguy 1 Ecurie Francorchamps Ferrari 500 Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 Jacques Swaters 3, 7, 9 Birabongse Bhanudej Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Birabongse Bhanudej 3–6, 9 Ron Flockhart 5 Equipe Moss A.E. Moss Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Stirling Moss 3, 5–6 Daimler Benz AG Mercedes W196 Mercedes M196 2.5 L8 Juan Manuel Fangio 4–9 Karl Kling 4–9 Hans Herrmann 4, 6–9 Hermann Lang 6 Georges Berger Gordini T16 Gordini 23 2.5 L6 Georges Berger 4 HW Motors HWM-Alta 53 Alta GP 2.5 L4 Lance Macklin 4 Owen Racing Organisation Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Ken Wharton 4–7, 9 Guerino Bertocchi 9 Gilby Engineering Maserati 250F Maserati 250F1 2.5 L6 Roy Salvadori 4–5 Scuderia Ambrosiana Ferrari 500 Ferrari 500 2.0 L4 Reg Parnell 5 G.A. Vandervell Vandervell Products Vanwall Special Vanwall 254 2.5 L4 Peter Collins 5, 8–9 Peter Whitehead Cooper-Alta T24 Alta GP 2.5 L4 Peter Whitehead 5 Bill Whitehouse Connaught-Lea-Francis A Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 Bill Whitehouse 5 Leslie Marr Connaught-Lea-Francis A Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 Leslie Marr 5 R.R.C. Walker Racing Team Connaught-Lea-Francis A Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 John Riseley-Prichard 5 Sir Jeremy Boles Connaught-Lea-Francis A Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 Don Beauman 5 Ecurie Ecosse Connaught-Lea-Francis A Lea-Francis 2.0 L4 Leslie Thorne 5 R.J. Chase Cooper-Bristol T23 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 Alan Brown 5 Gould's Garage (Bristol) Cooper-Bristol T23 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 Horace Gould 5 Bob Gerard Cooper-Bristol T23 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 Bob Gerard 5 Ecurie Richmond Cooper-Bristol T23 Bristol BS1 2.0 L6 Eric Brandon 5 Rodney Nuckey 5 Hans Klenk Klenk-BMW Meteor BMW 328 2.0 L6 Theo Helfrich 6 Giovanni de Riu Maserati A6GCM Maserati A6 2.0 L6 Giovanni de Riu 8 Scuderia Lancia Lancia D50 Lancia DS50 2.5 V8 Alberto Ascari 9 Luigi Villoresi 9
Team and driver changes
Cooper and Connaught did not enter with their works team, because they could not get a car prepared in time that adhered to the new regulations. HWM did build an F1 chassis, but it lacked pace. Driver Lance Macklin only entered one championship round and retired with engine failure. Veritas, OSCA and AFM withdrew from the championship because of the changed regulations. Over the winter, Maserati had lost their driver Felice Bonetto when he suffered a fatal accident in the 1953 Carrera Panamericana. First Prince Bira and then Sergio Mantovani took over the drive. After winning two consecutive championships with the team, Alberto Ascari left Ferrari over a salary dispute to join newcomers Lancia. Teammate and personal mentor Luigi Villoresi made the same change. The team hired Maurice Trintignant from Gordini. Gordini hired Élie Bayol, who had driven for OSCA in alongside Louis Chiron, so Harry Schell competed in a private Maserati.
Mid-season changes
Unable to get their cars ready any sooner, Mercedes joined the championship from the French Grand Prix on. Juan Manuel Fangio left Maserati to join the German squad, alongside Karl Kling and Hans Herrmann. At the same race, British Racing Motors, under the name of Owen Racing Organisation, returned to the sport, having done a one-off race in . It would be the start of their 24-years involvement in the championship. Vanwall made their debut in the British Grand Prix with ex-HWM driver Peter Collins. Their chassis was prepared by Cooper. Lancia joined the championship as well, but could only manage to prepare their car for the last race of the season. Drivers Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi were loaned to Maserati and Ferrari in the meantime. Élie Bayol was fired from Gordini after he refused to let team leader Jean Behra take his car during the non-championship Bordeaux Grand Prix. champion Nino Farina became Ferrari's team leader when Ascari left. However, on 27 June, he suffered a crash in the 1954 Supercortemaggiore Grand Prix, a sports car race at Monza, due to which he had to spend 20 days in hospital and did not return to F1 for the rest of the year. After Onofre Marimón suffered his fatal accident, countryman Roberto Mieres and Brit Stirling Moss, who had both been racing Maseratis under their own name, were promoted to the Maserati works team.
Calendar Round Grand Prix Circuit Date 1 Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires 17 January 2 Indianapolis 500 Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway 31 May 3 Belgian Grand Prix Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot 20 June 4 French Grand Prix Reims-Gueux, Gueux 4 July 5 British Grand Prix Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone 17 July 6 German Grand Prix Nürburgring, Nürburg 1 August 7 Swiss Grand Prix Circuit Bremgarten, Bern 22 August 8 Italian Grand Prix Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza 5 September 9 Spanish Grand Prix Pedralbes Circuit, Barcelona 24 October
Calendar changes The Spanish Grand Prix at Pedrables returned to the calendar for the first time since . It was cancelled in the past two years due to monetary reasons. The Dutch Grand Prix was originally scheduled to be held on 6 June but was cancelled due to monetary reasons.
Regulation changes The maximum allowed engine displacement was increased from 2.0 to 2.5 litres for naturally-aspirated engines. The limit for compressed engines was set at 750 cc, as it had been since , but no constructor would build one before they were outright banned in .
Championship report Rounds 1 to 3
The championship started off with the Argentine Grand Prix. Multiple constructors intended to compete, but none of their cars were ready yet. The grid consisted of Ferraris, Maseratis and Gordinis, all of them adapting their chassis for the new regulations. 's champion Nino Farina qualified on pole position - he is the oldest F1 driver in history to start on pole - ahead of teammate José Froilán González and local hero Juan Manuel Fangio in the Maserati. At the start, González fell back to fourth, but after a remarkable recovery drive, he took the lead on lap 15. A third of the way in, a rainstorm arrived and the leader spun off. Farina pitted for a new helmet visor and third Ferrari driver Mike Hawthorn spun off as well. This left Fangio in a comfortable lead, until the track dried and he fell back to third behind González and Farina. A second period of rain caused the order to switch back around, putting Fangio ahead of the two Ferraris, but when the Maserati driver pitted for new tyres, he was back in third. Ferrari's team manager Nello Ugolini protested his rivals' pit stop, claiming they had too many mechanics working on the car. Confident that the protest would be granted, he signalled the leading pair to bring the cars home and not fight the charging Fangio. So they did, and they finished second and third behind the home hero. But then the FIA rejected Ferrari's protest and upheld the results, granting Fangio his first home win.
The Indianapolis 500 was included in the Formula One championship, but no F1 drivers attended. Bill Vukovich won the race for the second year in a row.
In qualifying for the Belgian Grand Prix, Fangio broke his lap record and started on pole position, ahead of González and Farina. The Argentine was contracted by Mercedes, but since their car was not ready yet, he was loaned to his former team. González was allowed into the lead when Fangio messed up the start, but when his engine cut out on the opening lap, Farina was in front. Roberto Mieres's car burst into flames, as his fuel filler cap had been left open and fuel had leaked onto the exhaust. The Maserati driver jumped out, escaping with burns on his back, and the drivers avoided his car. Fangio got up to second place by lap 2 and took the lead on lap 3. When his helmet visor broke on lap 10, he pitted to put on his goggles, but then recovered to pass Farina for the second time, just before the Ferrari engine cut out, sending the Italian out of the race. Hawthorn's exhaust pipe split, sending fumes into the cockpit and making him feel dizzy. He pitted and collapsed over the wheel, so the team dragged him out and González took over his car. The team only found out why the Brit was unwell when González pointed it out a lap later. Fangio took a comfortable win, ahead of Maurice Trintignant (Ferrari) and Stirling Moss (Maserati).
In the Drivers' Championship, Juan Manuel Fangio (Maserati/Mercedes) was in the lead with 17 points, ahead of Maurice Trintignant (Ferrari) and Bill Vukovich (Kurtis Kraft) with 8. Vukovich would not compete in any other rounds.
Rounds 4 to 7