1959 World Sportscar Championship

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The 1959 World Sportscar Championship was the seventh FIA World Sportscar Championship. It was a series for sportscars that ran in many worldwide endurance events. It ran from 21 March 1959 to 5 September 1959, and comprised five races, following the 1000 km Buenos Aires being removed from the calendar, although the race did return in 1960.

Contents

The championship was won by Aston Martin.

Season

Aston Martin won the championship with its DBR1/300 model (similar to the 1957 DBR1 pictured above) 1957AstonMartinDBR1.jpg
Aston Martin won the championship with its DBR1/300 model (similar to the 1957 DBR1 pictured above)
Ferrari placed second with the 250 TR (pictured) and 250 GT models Ferrari 250 TR Fantuzzi.jpg
Ferrari placed second with the 250 TR (pictured) and 250 GT models
Porsche placed third with its 718 RSK Retromobile 2015 - Porsche 718 RSK - 1959 - 001.jpg
Porsche placed third with its 718 RSK
Maserati placed fourth with its Maserati A6GCS 1954 Maserati A6 GCS.jpg
Maserati placed fourth with its Maserati A6GCS

The championship comprised five qualifying rounds; the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Targa Florio run over 1000 km, the Nürburgring 1000 km, the 24 Hours of Le Mans, and the RAC Tourist Trophy run over 6 hours. [1]

At the Sebring 12 Hours in Florida, the Scuderia Ferrari scored a 1–2 with Porsche filling the next three places. Aston Martin sent a single DBR1, as a favour to the organisers, in the hands of Salvadori and Shelby but it retired early in the race. Porsche dominated the Targa Florio [2] winning with the little Porsche 718 RSK whilst 2-3-4 places were filled by other Porsche models. Meanwhile, the works Ferraris all retired. Aston Martin missed the event as back in England, David Brown of Aston Martin had initially ruled against a World Championship challenge, on financial grounds. But, Stirling Moss wangled one DBR1/300 works car to win the Nürburgring 1000 km, [3] with Jack Fairman beating the Hill/Gendebien Ferrari by over 40 seconds with the best placed Porsche in fourth. At Le Mans, the Astons of Roy Salvadori/Carroll Shelby and Maurice Trintignant/Paul Frère finished one-two!. [4] The works Ferrari Testa Rossas all retired as did the works Porsches leaving privately entered Ferrari 250GTs to complete the minor placings. So David Brown's company simply had to field a full three-car team in what had become the title-deciding race, the RAC Tourist Trophy. Despite setting fire to their race leading car during a schedule refuelling stop, the sister car of Shelby/Fairman/Moss took victory and saw Aston Martin become the first British manufacturer ever to win the FIA World Sportscar Championship. [5]

Season results

Results

RoundDateEventCircuit or LocationWinning driverWinning teamWinning carResults
1March 21 Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg 12-Hour Florida International Grand Prix of Endurance for the Amoco Trophy Sebring International Raceway Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Dan Gurney
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Chuck Daigh
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Phil Hill
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg Olivier Gendebien
Flag of Italy.svg Scuderia Ferrari Flag of Italy.svg Ferrari 250 TR 59 Results
2May 24 Flag of Italy.svg 43° Targa Florio Circuito Piccolo delle Madonie Flag of Germany.svg Edgar Barth
Flag of Germany.svg Wolfgang Seidel
Flag of Germany.svg Porsche KG Flag of Germany.svg Porsche 718 RSK Results
3June 7 Flag of Germany.svg ADAC 1000 Kilometre Rennen Nürburgring Nürburgring Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Fairman
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Brown Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Aston Martin DBR1/300 Results
4June 20–21 Flag of France.svg 24 Heures du Mans Circuit de la Sarthe Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Roy Salvadori
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg Carroll Shelby
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Brown Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Aston Martin DBR1/300 Results
5September 5 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg News of the World sponsor the 24th R.A.C. Tourist Trophy Goodwood Circuit Flag of the United States (1959-1960).svg Carroll Shelby
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Jack Fairman
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Stirling Moss
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg David Brown Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Aston Martin DBR1/300 Results

Championship

Note:

  • Championship points were awarded for the first six places in each race in the order of 8-6-4-3-2-1. [6]
  • Manufacturers were awarded points only for their highest finishing car with no points awarded for positions filled by additional cars. [6]
  • Only the best 3 results out of the 5 races could be retained by each manufacturer. [7] Points earned but not counted towards the championship totals are listed within brackets in the table below.
PosManufacturer Flag of the United States.svg SEB Flag of Italy.svg TGA Flag of Germany.svg NÜR Flag of France.svg LMS Flag of the United Kingdom.svg GWD Total
1 Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Aston Martin 88824
2 Flag of Italy.svg Ferrari 864(4)18 (22)
3 Flag of Germany.svg Porsche 48(3)618 (21)
4 Flag of Italy.svg Maserati 22
5= Flag of Italy.svg Alfa Romeo 11
5= Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Lola 11

† - Ferrari declared second due to having the same number of wins, one, and second places, one, as Porsche but having two 3rd-place finishes to Porsche's one.

The cars

The following models contributed to the net championship point scores of their respective manufacturers.

References

  1. www.racingsportscars.com
  2. www.targaflorio.info
  3. Stirling Moss, “Stirling Moss: All My Races" (Haynes Publishing, ISBN   978-1 84425 700 3, 2009)
  4. Carroll Shelby Looks Back at 1959 Le Mans Victory, June 12, 2009, sportscardigest.com
  5. Peter Swinger, “Motor Racing Circuits in England" (Ian Allan Publishing, ISBN   978 0 7110 3104 3, 2005)
  6. 1 2 Peter Higham, The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing, 1995, page 260
  7. Peter Higham, The Guinness Guide to International Motor Racing, 1995, page 267
  8. www.classicscars.com Retrieved 6 April 2018