The 1953 Formula One season was the seventh season of the FIA's Formula One racing. It consisted only of several non-championship motor races. As in 1952, all races counting towards the World Championship of Drivers, apart from the Indianapolis 500, were held for cars complying with Formula Two regulations rather than with Formula One, with the Indianapolis 500 held to AAA regulations.
The 4th FIA World Championship of Drivers, [1] which commenced on 18 January and ended on 13 September after nine races, [2] was won by Alberto Ascari, [1] driving for Scuderia Ferrari. [3] Ascari became the first driver to successfully defend his title.
In addition to the non-championship Formula One races and the World Championship Formula Two races, numerous other non-championship Formula Two races were also held during the year.
| Round | Grand Prix | Circuit | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Argentine Grand Prix | Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez, Buenos Aires | 18 January |
| 2 |  Indianapolis 500 | Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Speedway | 30 May [lower-alpha 1] |
| 3 |  Dutch Grand Prix | Circuit Zandvoort, Zandvoort | 7 June |
| 4 |  Belgian Grand Prix | Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot | 20 June |
| 5 |  French Grand Prix | Reims-Gueux, Gueux | 5 July |
| 6 |  British Grand Prix | Silverstone Circuit, Silverstone | 18 July |
| 7 |  German Grand Prix | Nürburgring, Nürburg | 2 August |
| 8 |  Swiss Grand Prix | Circuit Bremgarten, Bern | 23 August |
| 9 |  Italian Grand Prix | Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza | 13 September |
The Argentine Grand Prix hosted its first World Championship Grand Prix in 1953, the race was held at Autódromo Oscar Alfredo Gálvez on 18 January.
The Dutch Grand Prix was moved from mid August to early June.
The French Grand Prix was moved from Rouen-Les-Essarts to Reims-Gueux.
The Swiss Grand Prix was moved from mid May to late August.
The Spanish Grand Prix was scheduled to be held on 26 October but it was cancelled for monetary reasons. [2]
Ferrari drivers again dominated the championship, taking seven of the eight Grands Prix. However, Juan Manuel Fangio's challenge in his more fragile Maserati took him to second place in the championship and a win at Monza. Ascari extended his unbeaten run to nine consecutive World Championship Grand Prix wins before his teammate Mike Hawthorn broke the sequence in becoming the first-ever British winner in the French Grand Prix at Reims after a thrilling battle with Fangio.
In 1953, all but one of the races counting towards the World Championship of Drivers were run under Formula 2 regulations, while the remaining one, the Indianapolis 500, was run under AAA Championship Car regulations. The 1953 championship was the first genuinely global World Championship of Drivers, with a championship event staged outside of Europe or the United States for the first time. That race, the 1953 Argentine Grand Prix, was marred by an accident involving the Ferrari of Giuseppe Farina, which crashed into an unprotected crowd, killing nine spectators.
Championship points were awarded to the first five finishers in each race on an 8–6–4–3–2 basis. Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of the number of laps driven by each. One point was also awarded for the fastest lap in each race. The point was shared equally between drivers sharing the fastest lap. Only the best four results from the nine races counted towards a driver's total points in the World Championship. In the points column, numbers without parentheses are retained championship points, and numbers within parentheses are total points scored.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The following Formula One/Formula Two/Formula Libre races, which did not count towards the World Championship of Drivers, were held in 1953.
| Race name | Circuit | Date | Winning driver | Constructor | Report |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| I Strassen-Rennen Karl-Marx-Stadt | Karl-Marx-Stadt | 3 May | Rudolf Krause | BMW-Reif | Report |
| I Paul Greifzu Gedachtnisrennen | Dessau | 7 June | Edgar Barth | EMW | Report |
| IV Strassen-rennen Halle-Saale-Schleife | Halle-Saale-Schleife | 5 July | Edgar Barth | EMW | Report |
| I Dresden Autobahnspinne | Dresden-Hellerau | 26 July | Edgar Barth | EMW | Report |
| V Sachsenringrennen | Sachsenring | 6 September | Edgar Barth | EMW-BMW | Report |
| II Bernau Autobahnschleife | Bernau | 27 September | Arthur Rosenhammer | EMW | Report |
The Bernau race was not part of the East German Championship.
The table below shows the points awarded for each race. Only East German drivers were eligible for points.
| Place | Driver | Entrant | Car | KAR | DES | HAL | DRE | SAC | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edgar Barth | EMW Rennkollektiv | EMW 52/53-BMW 328 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 24 | |
| 2 | Rudolf Krause | Greifzu-Sühl | Greifzu-BMW 328 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 18 | |
| 3 | Karl Weber | BSG Motor | Werkmeister-BMW 328 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 9 | ||
| 4 | Ernst Klodwig | BSG Motor | Lodwig-Heck-BMW 328 | 2 | 3 | 5 | |||
| 5 | Kurt Straubel | BSG Motor | Eigenbau-BMW 328 | 4 | 4 | ||||
| 6 | Paul Thiel | EMW Rennkollektiv | EMW 52/53-BMW 328 | 3 | 3 | ||||
| = | Heinz Melkus | BSGN Sedlitz | ARO-Veritas-Alfa Romeo | 3 | 3 | ||||
| 8 | Bobby Kohlrauch | Greifzu-Sühl | Greifzu-BMW 328 | 2 | 2 |
Alberto Ascari was an Italian racing driver and a two-time Formula One World Champion. Noted for careful precision and finely-judged accuracy, Ascari was a multitalented racer who competed in motorcycle racing before switching to cars. He won consecutive Formula One world titles in 1952 and 1953 for Scuderia Ferrari, being the team's first World Champion, and the last Italian to win the title as of 2024. This was sandwiched by an appearance in the 1952 Indianapolis 500, and winning the 1954 Mille Miglia.
Emilio Giuseppe "Nino" Farina, often known by the name Giuseppe Antonio Farina, was an Italian racing driver. He was the Italian National Champion in 1937, 1938, and 1939, and in 1950 became the first World Drivers' Champion during the FIA's inaugural season of Formula One.
The 1952 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 22 June 1952 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was race 3 of 8 in the 1952 World Championship of Drivers, in which each Grand Prix was run to Formula Two rules rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.
The 1953 Dutch Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 7 June 1953 at the Circuit Zandvoort. It was race 3 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 90-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from pole position. His teammate Nino Farina finished second and Maserati drivers José Froilán González and Felice Bonetto came in third
The 1953 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 21 June 1953 at Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps. It was race 4 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 36-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from second position. His teammate Luigi Villoresi finished second and Maserati driver Onofre Marimón came in third.
The 1953 French Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 5 July 1953 at Reims. It was race 5 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used.
The 1953 British Grand Prix was a Formula Two motor race held on 18 July 1953 at Silverstone Circuit. It was race 6 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. The 90-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari after he started from pole position. Juan Manuel Fangio finished second for the Maserati team and Ascari's teammate Nino Farina came in third.
The 1953 German Grand Prix was a Formula Two motor racing event held on 2 August 1953 at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. It was race 7 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. This race had the highest number of cars on the grid of any World Drivers' Championship race, with 34 starters.
The 1953 Swiss Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 23 August 1953 at Bremgarten Circuit. It was race 8 of 9 in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. World Champion Ferrari driver Alberto Ascari won the race, the last race win and finish of his career.
The 1953 Italian Grand Prix was a Formula Two race held on 13 September 1953 at Monza. It was the ninth and final race in the 1953 World Championship of Drivers, which was run to Formula Two rules in 1952 and 1953, rather than the Formula One regulations normally used. This made it the last World Championship race to run under the Formula Two regulations. The 80-lap race was won by Maserati driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from second position. Nino Farina finished second for the Ferrari team and his teammate Luigi Villoresi came in third.
The 1958 Formula One season was the 12th season of Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1958 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 19 January 1958 and ended on 19 October after eleven races. This was the first Formula One season in which a manufacturers title was awarded, the International Cup for F1 Manufacturers being contested concurrently with the World Championship of Drivers except the Indianapolis 500 which did not count towards the Cup. Englishman Mike Hawthorn won the Drivers' title after a close battle with compatriot Stirling Moss and Vanwall won the inaugural Manufacturers award from Ferrari. Hawthorn retired from racing at the end of the season, only to die three months later after a road car accident. 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 1982.
The 1957 Formula One season was the 11th season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1957 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 13 January 1957 and ended on 8 September after eight races. Juan Manuel Fangio won his fourth consecutive title, his fifth in total, in his final championship. A feat that would not be beaten until Michael Schumacher in 2003. The season also included numerous non-championship races for Formula One cars. Until the 2006 season, this was the last season during which all championship Grand Prix races were won by cars powered by an engine built by the same constructor that also built chassis.
The 1956 Formula One season was the tenth season of FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the seventh World Championship of Drivers, and numerous non-championship races. The championship series commenced on 22 January 1956 and ended on 2 September after eight races. Juan Manuel Fangio won his third consecutive title, the fourth of his career. Until the 2006 season, this was the last season during which no British constructor won any championship race.
The 1955 Formula One season was the ninth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1955 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 16 January 1955 and ended on 11 September after seven races. Juan Manuel Fangio won his second consecutive World Championship title in a season curtailed by tragedies.
The 1954 Formula One season was the eighth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1954 World Championship of Drivers, and several non-championship races. The World Championship of Drivers was contested over a nine-race series which commenced on 17 January and ended on 24 October 1954. The championship was won by Juan Manuel Fangio, who drove, and won races for both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz throughout the series. Argentine drivers gained the first two positions in the championship, with José Froilán González placing second to his compatriot Fangio.
The 1952 Formula One season was the sixth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. In comparison to previous seasons, the 1952 season consisted of a relatively small number of Formula One races, following the decision to run all the Grand Prix events counting towards the World Championship of Drivers to Formula Two regulations rather than Formula One. The Indianapolis 500, which also counted towards the World Championship, was still run to AAA regulations as in previous seasons. Since this season racing helmets were made mandatory in Formula One.
The 1951 Formula One season was the fifth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1951 World Championship of Drivers, which commenced on 27 May 1951 and ended on 28 October after eight races. The season also included 14 races open to Formula One cars but did not count towards the championship standings.
The 1950 Formula One season was the fourth season of the FIA's Formula One motor racing. It featured the inaugural FIA World Championship of Drivers, as well as several non-championship races. The championship, which commenced on 13 May and ended on 3 September, consisted of six Grand Prix races, each held in Europe and open to Formula One cars, plus the Indianapolis 500, which was run to AAA National Championship regulations. Giuseppe Farina won the championship from Juan Manuel Fangio and Luigi Fagioli.
The Ferrari 500 was a Formula 2 racing car designed by Aurelio Lampredi and used by Ferrari in 1952 and 1953, when the World Championship was run to F2 regulations.
