The Maserati 250F was a racing car made by Maserati of Italy used in '2.5 litre' Formula One racing between January 1954 and November 1960. Twenty-six examples were made.
Mechanical details
The 250F principally used the SSG, 220 bhp (at 7400rpm) capacity Maserati A6 straight-six engine, ribbed 13.4" drum brakes, wishbone independent front suspension, a De Dion tube axle, Borrani 16" and 17" wheels and Pirelli Stella Bianca tyres. It was designed by Gioacchino Colombo, Vittorio Bellentani and Alberto Massimino; the tubular work was by Valerio Colotti. A streamlined version with bodywork which partially enclosed the wheels (similar to the 1954 Mercedes-Benz W196 "Typ Monza") was used in the 1956 French Grand Prix.Grand Prix Data Book, David Hayhoe & David Holland, 2006
Technical data 250F250F T2 Engine: Front mounted 6-cylinder in-line engineFront mounted 60° 12 cylinder V engine displacement: 2493 cc2491 cc Bore × stroke: 84 × 75 mm68.7 × 56 mm Max power at rpm: at 8,000 rpm at 9,300 rpm Valve control: 2 overhead camshafts, 2 valves per cylinder Carburetor: 3 Weber 45DCO36 Weber 35IDM Gearbox: 4/5-speed manual, transaxle suspension front: Double wishbones, coil springs, hydraulic shock absorbers suspension rear: De Dion axle, transverse leaf springs, hydraulic shock absorbers Brakes: Hydraulic drum brakes Chassis & body: Fackverk frame with aluminum body steel tubular spaceframe wheelbase: Dry weight: About About Top speed:
Images
Racing history
The 250F first raced in the 1954 Argentine Grand Prix where Juan Manuel Fangio won the first of his two victories before he left for the new Mercedes-Benz team. Fangio won the 1954 Drivers' World Championship, with points gained with both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz; Stirling Moss raced his own privately owned 250F for the full 1954 season. Prince Bira was another driver favouring the 250F.
In 1955 a 5-speed gearbox; SU fuel injection (240 bhp) 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 T2 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 V12 engine of capacity , although it offered little or no real advantage over the older straight 6. It was later developed into the 3 litre V12 that won two races powering the Cooper T81 and T86 from 1966 to 1969, the final "Tipo 10" variant of the engine having three valves and two spark plugs per cylinder.
In 1957 Juan Manuel Fangio drove to four more championship victories, including his final win at German Grand Prix at the Nürburgring (Aug. 4, 1957), where he overcame a 48-second deficit in 22 laps, passing the race leader, Mike Hawthorn, on the final lap to take the win. In doing so he broke the lap record at the Nürburgring, 10 times.
By the 1958 season, the 250F was totally outclassed by the new rear engined F1 cars. However, the car remained a favourite with the privateers, including Maria Teresa de Filippis, and was used by back markers through the 1960 F1 season, the last for the 2.5 litre formula.
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.
World Championship wins Year Race Circuit Driver 1954 Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo 17 de Octubre Juan Manuel Fangio Belgian Grand Prix Spa-Francorchamps Juan Manuel Fangio 1956 Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo Stirling Moss Italian Grand Prix Monza Stirling Moss 1957 Argentine Grand Prix Autódromo 17 de Octubre Juan Manuel Fangio Monaco Grand Prix Monte Carlo Juan Manuel Fangio French Grand Prix Rouen-Les-Essarts Juan Manuel Fangio German Grand Prix Nürburgring Juan Manuel Fangio
Non-World Championship wins Year Race Circuit Driver Non-World Championship wins 1954 II Curtis Trophy Snetterton Roy Salvadori XIII Rome Grand Prix Castelfusano Onofre Marimón I International Gold Cup Goodwood Stirling Moss XXIII Pescara Grand Prix Pescara Luigi Musso VII Goodwood Trophy Goodwood Stirling Moss I Daily Telegraph Trophy Goodwood Stirling Moss 1955 III New Zealand Grand Prix Ardmore Prince Bira XVI Pau Grand Prix Pau Jean Behra I Glover Trophy Goodwood Roy Salvadori IV Bordeaux Grand Prix Bordeaux Jean Behra VII BRDC International Trophy Goodwood Peter Collins XVII Albi Grand Prix Albi André Simon III Curtis Trophy Snetterton Roy Salvadori III London Trophy Crystal Palace Mike Hawthorn III Daily Record Trophy Charterhall Bob Gerard II Daily Telegraph Trophy Aintree Roy Salvadori II International Gold Cup Oulton Park Stirling Moss 1956 IV New Zealand Grand Prix Ardmore Stirling Moss IV Glover Trophy Goodwood Stirling Moss XI BARC Aintree 200 Aintree Stirling Moss I Aintree 100 Aintree Horace Gould I Vanwall Trophy Snetterton Horace Gould IV Caen Grand Prix Circuit de la Prairie Harry Schell 1957 XI Buenos Aires Grand Prix Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez Juan Manuel Fangio XVII Pau Grand Prix Pau Jean Behra V Modena Grand Prix Modena Jean Behra VI Grand Prix de Maroc Ain-Diab Circuit Jean Behra
References Notes
Bibliography
External links
250F Overview Article Case history of 250F article with complete chassis data Top Gear 250F review