Teams and drivers
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1954 FIA World Championship of Drivers.
The 1954 Formula One season was the eighth season of FIA Formula One motor racing. It featured the 1954 World Championship of Drivers, [1] and several non-championship races. The World Championship of Drivers was contested over a nine-race series [1] which commenced on 17 January and ended on 24 October 1954. The championship was won by Juan Manuel Fangio, [1] who drove, and won races for both Maserati and Mercedes-Benz throughout the series (making him the only driver in F1 history to win a championship driving for more than one team in the same season). Argentine drivers gained the first two positions in the championship, with José Froilán González placing second to his compatriot Fangio.
The following teams and drivers competed in the 1954 FIA World Championship of Drivers.
| 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 [lower-alpha 1] |
| 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 |
The Spanish Grand Prix returned to the calendar for the first time since 1951, It was cancelled in 1952 and 1953 due to monetary reasons.
The Dutch Grand Prix was initially scheduled to be held on 6 June but was cancelled because there was no money for the race to be held. [2]
With Formula One changing to 2.5 litre unsupercharged engines for 1954, Mercedes re-entered Grand Prix racing for the first time since the Second World War at the French Grand Prix with the Mercedes-Benz W196, a streamlined single seater [3] which Fangio and Karl Kling took to a 1–2 win. Fangio's French success had come after switching from the Maserati team, with whom he had won the first two Grands Prix of the season. Although the streamlined, closed-wheel body proved unsuitable for Silverstone, Mercedes produced a more conventional open-wheel body for the Nürburgring race; Fangio won three of the remaining four races.
Reigning champion Alberto Ascari had a less successful switch of teams, choosing to leave Ferrari for the newly formed Lancia team. Lancia's car, the D50, was not ready until the final World Championship race, meaning he had to sit out most of his title defence.
Championship points were awarded for the first five places in each race on an 8-6-4-3-2 basis, with 1 point awarded for the fastest lap. [4] Only the best five of nine scores counted towards the championship. [5] Points for shared drives were divided equally between the drivers, regardless of who had driven more laps unless one of the drivers was deemed to have completed "insufficient distance". Drivers who shared more than one car during a race received points only for their highest finish.[ citation needed ] [6] [7]
Argentine Onofre Marimón was killed during practice for the German Grand Prix driving a Maserati 250F. It was the first fatality at a championship Formula One race weekend.
Points were awarded on an 8–6–4–3–2 basis to the top five finishers at each race, with an additional point scored for the fastest lap. Only the best five results counted towards the championship. Numbers without parentheses are championship points; numbers in parentheses are total points scored.
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The following is a summary of the races for Formula One cars staged during the 1954 season that did not count towards the 1954 World Championship of Drivers.
Juan Manuel Fangio, was an Argentine racing driver. Nicknamed El Chueco or El Maestro, he dominated the first decade of Formula One racing, winning the World Drivers' Championship five times.
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.
The 1954 Belgian Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Spa-Francorchamps on 20 June 1954. It was race 3 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. The 36-lap race was won by Maserati driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole position. Maurice Trintignant finished second for the Ferrari team with Fangio's teammate Stirling Moss in third.
The 1954 French Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Reims on 4 July 1954, the same date as the 1954 Football World Cup Final. It was race 4 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. The 61-lap race was won by Mercedes driver Juan Manuel Fangio after he started from pole position. His teammate Karl Kling finished second and Ferrari driver Robert Manzon came in third. This race was held the same day as the 1954 FIFA World Cup Final in Bern, Switzerland, but that event took place later in the day from this Grand Prix.
The 1954 German Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Nürburgring on 1 August 1954. It was race 6 of 9 in the 1954 World Championship of Drivers. It was the 17th German Grand Prix since the race was first held in 1926 and the 16th to be held at the Nürburgring complex of circuits. The race was won by 1951 world champion, Argentine driver Juan Manuel Fangio driving a Mercedes-Benz W196. Ferrari 625 drivers Mike Hawthorn and Maurice Trintignant finished second and third for Scuderia Ferrari.
The 1955 Monaco Grand Prix was a Formula One motor race held at Monaco on 22 May 1955. It was race 2 of 7 in the 1955 World Championship of Drivers and was given an honorary name, Grand Prix d'Europe. The 100-lap race was won by Ferrari driver Maurice Trintignant after he started from ninth position. Eugenio Castellotti finished second for the Lancia team and Maserati drivers Jean Behra and Cesare Perdisa came in third.
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 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 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.
Luigi Cristiano Fagioli, nicknamed "the Abruzzi robber", was an Italian motor racing driver. Having won his last race at 53 years old, Fagioli holds the record for the oldest Formula One driver to win a race. He is also the only Formula One Grand Prix winner born in the 19th century, and the only Grand Prix racing driver to have won a championship race in both the AIACR European Championship and the World Drivers' Championship.
Luigi Villoresi was an Italian Grand Prix motor racing driver who started racing in Formula One at the time of its inception.
Piero Taruffi was an Italian racing driver. He raced in Formula One from 1950 to 1956, winning the 1952 Swiss Grand Prix and finishing 3rd in the 1952 World Drivers' Championship. His most notable motorsports victory was the 1957 Mille Miglia, the final running of the cross-country sports car race.
The Mercedes-Benz W196 was a Formula One racing car produced by Mercedes-Benz for the 1954 and 1955 F1 seasons. Successor to the W194, in the hands of Juan Manuel Fangio and Stirling Moss it won 9 of 12 races entered and captured the only two world championships in which it competed.
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.
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.
The Lancia D50 was a Formula One racing car designed by Vittorio Jano for Lancia in 1954. The car's design made use of many innovative features, such as the use of the engine as a stressed chassis member, the off-centre positioning of the engine to allow a lower overall height, and pannier fuel cells for better weight distribution and aerodynamics. Six of the cars were built, and two of them are displayed in Italian museums.
