F1 All-GP Championship

[watka]

Hi guys,

Been a while since I've done any alternate championship stuff but I've decided to jump back in! I was wondering what the F1 championships would be like if ALL GPs in a season were given championship status. In the early seasons, there were more GPs than there are even now on the massive current calendar. This means including GPs with very few entrants and fairly obscure winners.

The scoring systems are those used in the F1 championship that season, with the "best results" rule being scrapped.

1950

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship [number of GP entries in square brackets]
1/ JUAN MANUEL FANGIO - 75pts [15] - 7 wins, 7 FLs

2/ Nino Farina - 47pts [10] - 5 wins, 4 FLs
3/ Louis Rosier - 39pts [14] - 2 wins
4/ Luigi Fagioli - 32pts [7]
5/ Reg Parnell - 29pts [11] - 2 wins, 3 FLs
6/ Peter Whitehead - 28pts [10] - 2 wins, 1 FL
7/ Alberto Ascari - 27pts [14] - 1 win, 1 FL
8/ Emmanuel de Graffenried - 25pts [13]
9/ Bob Gerard - 21pts [7] - 1 win
10/ Luigi Villoresi - 19pts [9] - 1 FL
11/ Cuth Harrison - 16pts [8]
12/ Prince Bira - 13pts [15]
13/ Brian Shawe-Taylor - 13pts [7]
14/ Raymond Sommer - 11pts [12] - 2 FLs
15/ Johnnie Parsons - 9pts [1] - 1 win, 1 FL
16/ Dorino Serafini - 9pts [4]
17/ Piero Taruffi - 9pts [3] - 1 FL
18/ Philippe Étançelin - 9pts [12]
19/ Georges Grignard - 8pts [5] - 1 win
20/ Pierre Levegh - 8pts [9]
21/ Robert Manzon - 7pts [7]
=22/ Louis Gérard - 6pts [1]
=22/ Bill Holland - 6pts [1]
=22/ José Froilan González - 6pts [7]
25/ Stirling Moss - 6pts [4]
26/ Yves Giraud-Cabantous - 5pts [9]
=27/ Alfredo Piàn - 4pts [2]
=27/ Louis Chiron - 4pts [10]
=27/ Marc Versini - 4pts [1]
=27/ Mauri Rose - 4pts [1]
=27/ Maurice Trintignant - 4pts [5]
=32/ David Hampshire - 3pts [7] - 1 FLs
=32/ Roberto Vallone - 3pts [1]
=32/ Cecil Green - 3pts [1]
=32/ Joe Kelly - 3pts [5]
=36/ Graham Whitehead - 2pts [4]
=36/ Franco Rol - 2pts [7]
=36/ Felice Bonetto - 2pts [6]
=36/ Franco Cortese - 2pts [1]
=36/ Torrie Large - 2pts [1]
=41/ Joie Chitwood - 1pt [1]
=41/ Tony Bettenhausen - 1pt [2]
=41/ Eugène Chaboud - 1pt [2]

Fangio walks this one. From the first Grand Prix at Pau, which he wins, Fangio never lets go of the championship lead. Whilst irl, Farina had the luck and the pace to match Fangio at the championship GPs, Fangio was fast week in, week out and had 9 podiums to Farina's 5. Reg Parnell finishes high up in 4th which reflects the number of GPs held on British soil, many of which only attracted British entrants. Ascari's victory comes at the last race of the year in Pedralbes. Cuth Harrison's victory in an ERA came in a 4 car race.

Constructors Championship
1/ ALFA ROMEO - 159pts - 11 wins, 10 FLs

2/ Ferrari - 98pts - 3 wins, 3 FLs
3/ Maserati - 81pts - 2 wins, 5 FLs
4/ Talbot-Lago - 75pts - 3 wins, 2 FLs
5/ ERA - 52pts - 1 win
6/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser - 14pts - 1 win, 1 FL
7/ Simca-Gordini - 11pts
=8/ Delage - 10pts
=8/ Deidt-Offenhauser - 10pts
10/ BRM - 9pts - 1 win, 1 FL
11/ HWM-Alta - 6pts
=12/ Alta - 3pts


The real F1 constructors title was not contested until 1958 irl. The Alfa Romeo is the class of 1950 and dominates with 11 wins. The other constructors are left fighting over the scraps in the minor races where Alfa Romeo didn't turn up. Maseratis were abundant in the field across the GPs, but the Ferraris were better race cars and edged them out in the battle for best of the rest.

[tommykl]

Out of pure curiosity, which database are you using to determine the Grands Prix count?

[watka]

Out of pure curiosity, which database are you using to determine the Grands Prix count?

ChicaneF1

[Aislabie]

I've often wanted to do something like this, but have never had the perseverance to get past about the quarter-season point. Hats off to you (and to Mr Fangio, naturally).

1953 will be fun!

[watka]

I've often wanted to do something like this, but have never had the perseverance to get past about the quarter-season point. Hats off to you (and to Mr Fangio, naturally).

Gonna be a slog, I aim to churn out at least one a week. Fortunately, I'm a bit of a spreadsheet monkey so I know a few things to make my life easier!

1951

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ NINO FARINA - 52pts [16] - 4 wins, 4 FLs

2/ Juan Manuel Fangio - 50pts [11] - 4 wins, 7 FLs
3/ Louis Rosier - 49pts [18] - 2 wins, 1 FL
4/ José Froilan González - 48pts [9] - 2 wins, 1 FL
5/ Alberto Ascari - 39pts [14] - 3 wins, 3 FLs
6/ Luigi Villoresi - 34pts [12] - 2 wins
7/ Reg Parnell - 26pts [10] - 1 win, 1 FL
8/ Rudi Fischer - 17pts [8]
=9/ Philippe Étançelin - 14pts [12]
=9/ Piero Taruffi - 14pts [6]
11/ Prince Bira - 12pts [6] - 1 win, 1 FL
12/ Dorino Serafini - 12pts [3]
13/ Duncan Hamilton - 12pts [8]
14/ Maurice Trintignant - 11pts [10] - 1 win, 1 FL
15/ Brian Shawe-Taylor - 10pts [5]
16/ Stirling Moss - 10pts [7]
17/ Lee Wallard - 9pts [1] - 1 win, 1 FL
18/ Yves Giraud-Cabantous - 9pts [13]
19/ Louis Chiron - 7pts [14]
20/ Felice Bonetto - 7pts [5]
=21/ Mike Nazaruk - 6pts [1]
=21/ Peter Whitehead - 6pts [10]
=21/ Henri Louveau - 6pts [7]
=21/ Bob Gerard - 6pts [5]
25/ Johnny Claes - 5pts [14]
26/ Luigi Fagioli - 4pts [2] - 1 shared win
=27/ Graham Whitehead - 4pts [4]
=27/ Tony Rolt - 4pts [2]
=29/ Harry Schell - 3pts [11]
=29/ Consalvo Sanesi - 3pts [5]
=29/ Andy Linden - 3pts [1]
=29/ André Simon - 3pts [9]
=33/ Manny Ayulo - 2pts [1]
=33/ Jack McGrath - 2pts [1]
=33/ Emmanuel de Graffenried - 2pts [13]
=33/ Bobby Ball - 2pts [1]
=37/ André Pilette - 1pt [2] - 1 FL

Wow, what a close championship! Fangio earned his first F1 title in 1951 in real life but Farina, who was a non-factor in 1951 irl pips him to this title. It was Luigi Villoresi who got off to a flyer with 2 wins at Syracuse and Pau. Thai Prince Bira won the Richmond Trophy at Goodwood. By the Swiss GP, 7 GPs had already been run and Louis Rosier had the championship lead by virtue of a win in Bordeaux and 4 other points finishes. Victories in the Ulster Trophy and Belgian GP then put Farina firmly in control in the mid-point of the year on 33 points with 7 point lead over Rosier. Fangio at this point was struggling; he'd won the Swiss GP but only entered 3 other races and stuck on 14 points only. The second half of the season held more prestigious events as well as 3 races in Italy, and Fangio began to strike back. He drove to victory with Luigi Fagioli at the ACF (French) GP and then recorded 2nd and a fastest lap at the British GP, won by Jose Froilan Gonzalez (Ferrari's first F1 victory irl). The Scottish GP followed, which was of no relevance to the title race. At this stage, the title chase was as follows with 8 races left:

Farina - 36pts, Villoresi - 28pts, Rosier - 26pts, Fangio - 25pts, Ascari - 20pts, Parnell - 20pts, Gonzalez - 17pts

A nice buffer for Farina? Well it would vanish quickly. Over the next 5 GPs he'd skip 2 and retire in the other 3. After the Bari GP, the picture was somewhat different:

Rosier - 49pts, Fangio - 41pts, Farina - 36pts, Gonzalez - 36pts, Villoresi - 31pts, Ascari - 28pts

Rosier, in the unfancied Talbot-Lago, had a very real possibility to win the title. Rosier's cars proved reliable enough to rack up points consistently and then grab podiums when the big boys were absent. But with the 3 GPs left being including 2 real life championship GPs; the Italian GP and Spanish GP, could he hold on?

Well obviously not if you look above, but it was mighty close. Had he known what was on the line, he'd have breathed a sigh of relief as he was outclassed at the Italian GP. Championship outsider Ascari won the race, with Gonzalez 2nd, whilst Farina car-shared in earning his 3rd place and Fangio retired. Farina was the only title contender to enter the Goodwood Trophy; this would prove crucial to the title as duly won and took fastest lap. Rosier's championship lead had been whittled down to 1 point over Farina going into the Spanish GP, with Gonzalez and Fangio still having an outside shot on 42 and 41 points respectively. Qualifying produced an intriguing grid. Ascari, out of the title chase, was on pole, with Fangio 2nd, Gonzalez 3rd and Farina 4th. Rosier was an absolute non-factor, 36 seconds off pole and dead last on the grid, nonetheless there was a glimmer that maybe a couple of other cars could push Farina out of the points in the race and that Ascari could win. It was not to be, Farina finished a solid 3rd, behind Fangio and Gonzalez.


Constructors Championship
1/ FERRARI - 188pts - 8 wins, 5 FLs

2/ Alfa Romeo - 105pts - 7 wins, 10 FLs
3/ Talbot-Lago - 105pts - 2 wins, 2 FLs
4/ Maserati - 27pts - 2 wins, 1 FL
5/ ERA - 24pts
6/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser - 19pts - 1 win, 1 FL
7/ Simca-Gordini - 15pts - 1 win, 2 FLs
8/ HWM-Alta - 10pts
9/ Delage-ERA - 4pts
10/ Sherman-Offenhauser - 3pts
=11/ Schroeder-Offenhauser - 2pts
=11/ BRM - 2pts

Again, it really comes down to the number of cars on the grid and whilst the top 2 in the drivers' championship were principally Alfa Romeo drivers, the volume of Ferraris and their ability to match the Alfas means the Prancing Horse sweeps to the title. Talbot-Lago got their results mainly at the French races and through Rosier, whilst Maseratis were popular in Britain, acting as the bane of British constructors.

[watka]

Thought it would be good to tidy things up a bit presentation-wise and add a bit more information - specifically the number of GP entries per driver - in order to give a bit more context.

Currently looking at 1952 but there are a mammoth 51 races!

[watka]

Can anyone else get onto chicanef1.com? I keep getting an "ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE" error which I'm told means the problem is specific to my computer but I have tried on different browsers, my phone and my work computer and can't get to the site on any of them.

[Enforcer]

Getting website can't be reached, so it's obviously down for now.

Also I predict a WDC for Moss. (waits to be told that Moss drove everything BUT non-championship F1 races)

[Bobby Doorknobs]

Yeah, Chicane F1 can be a bit dodgy sometimes. It's not entirely safe to visit at times, actually... I'd suggest using silhouet.com instead. Just be mindful of the Libre races (the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, for example) that get grouped with all the F1 races. You can usually tell by the cars that wouldn't fit contemporary regs. Formula2.net also has non-championship races for most years, but again, watch out for the Libre events.

Also, since 1952 is coming up, I'm guessing only the F2 races are going to count? There were four F1 races held that year, IIRC.

[Nuppiz]

Yeah, Chicane F1 can be a bit dodgy sometimes. It's not entirely safe to visit at times, actually... I'd suggest using silhouet.com instead. Just be mindful of the Libre races (the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, for example) that get grouped with all the F1 races. You can usually tell by the cars that wouldn't fit contemporary regs. Formula2.net also has non-championship races for most years, but again, watch out for the Libre events.

Also, since 1952 is coming up, I'm guessing only the F2 races are going to count? There were four F1 races held that year, IIRC.

StatsF1 also has a pretty good non-championship GP database, which discards the 40s/50s Formula Libre races that featured normal road cars.

[dr-baker]

Also, since 1952 is coming up, I'm guessing only the F2 races are going to count? There were four F1 races held that year, IIRC.

I would still like to see the 4-race mini-championship results, though...

[Bobby Doorknobs]

Also, since 1952 is coming up, I'm guessing only the F2 races are going to count? There were four F1 races held that year, IIRC.

I would still like to see the 4-race mini-championship results, though...

Okay then (I've actually done this before... and yeah, it was 6):

Race Calendar

1. Valentino Grand Prix - Valentino Park (6th April)
2. Richmond Trophy - Goodwood (14th April)
3. Eläintarhan ajot - Eläintarha (11th May)
4. Albi Grand Prix - Albi (1st June)
5. Ulster Trophy - Dundrod (7th June)
6. Daily Mail Trophy - Boreham (2nd August)

Championship

1. Luigi Villoresi - 17 pts. (2 wins, 1 FL)
2. Mike Hawthorn - 16 pts. (2 2nds, 1 3rd)
3. Piero Taruffi - 15 pts. (1 win, 1 2nd, 1 FL)
4. Louis Rosier - 13 pts. (1 win, 1 4th, 1 5th)
5. Chico Landi - 12 pts. (2 2nds)
6. José Froilán González - 10 pts. (1 win, 2 FLs)
7. Roger Laurent - 9 pts. (1 win, 1 FL*)
8. Erik Lundgren - 6 pts. (1 2nd)
9. Peter Whitehead - 5 pts. (1 4th, 1 5th)
=. Philippe Étancelin - 5 pts. (1 4th, 1 5th)
11. Rudi Fischer - 4 pts. (1 3rd)
=. Duncan Hamilton - 4 pts. (1 3rd)
=. Carl Stausland - 4 pts. (1 3rd)
=. Yves Giraud-Cabantous - 4 pts. (1 3rd)
=. Joe Kelly - 4 pts. (1 3rd)
16. George Abecassis - 3 pts. (1 4th)
=. Einar Nyhus - 3 pts. (1 4th)
=. Alberto Crespo - 3 pts. (1 4th)
19. Alberto Ascari - 2 pts. (1 5th)
=. Graham Whitehead - 2 pts. (1 5th)
=. Leo Mattila - 2 pts. (1 5th)
22. Giuseppe Farina - 1 pt. (1 FL)

*Laurent awarded fastest lap in Finland in absence of any solid evidence

Eläintarha's a tricky one; sources say it was an F1 race, but only one F1 car was actually entered and it may really have been a Libre race. Some drivers (most notably Hawthorn) also raced F2 cars with success in these F1 events.

[watka]

Hmmm, it's a bit of a pain that ChicaneF1 is down as their stuff is easy to cope into a spreadsheet, do some tidy up, run some formulas and boom, it's done.

StatsF1 looks good (a lot more professional) and thanks for the tip regarding Formula Libre. I was thinking that surely all the races that ChicaneF1 was listing can't be Grand Prix.

What I might do is continue to use ChicaneF1 when it comes back up, just for ease, but then cross-refer to StatsF1 as a check.

[watka]

OK, so I'm jumping back on this horse after a little while. Given the feedback I've been given I've gone back over 1950 and 1951 to take out the races that aren't listed as non-championship GPs for STATS F1. For 1950, these were the Nottingham Trophy and the Sheffield Telegraph Trophy and for 1951, just the Scottish GP. These have a minimal effect on the championships as they were small races with mainly British entrants.

ChicaneF1 has a large number of races for 1952 so I'm grateful to be able to trim it down!

[watka]

1952

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ ALBERTO ASCARI - 99.5pts [17] - 11 wins (1 shared win), 9.5 FLs

2/ Nino Farina - 69pts [18] - 2 wins, 4 FLs
3/ Piero Taruffi - 58pts [11] - 3 wins, 3 FLs
4/ Luigi Villoresi - 51.5pts [13] - 4 wins, 3.5 FLs
5/ Mike Hawthorn - 51.5pts [13] - 3 wins, 1.5 FLs
6/ Rudi Fischer - 44pts [15] - 2 wins, 2 FLs
7/ Louis Rosier - 41pts [16] - 2 wins
8/ Jean Behra - 37pts [17] - 2 wins, 1 FL
9/ José Froilan González - 23pts [6] - 1 win, 3 FLs
10/ Dennis Poore - 18pts [6] - 1 win, 1 FL
11/ Emmanuel de Graffenried - 17pts [16]
12/ Lance Macklin - 15.5pts [16] - 1 win
13/ Robert Manzon - 15.5pts [17]
14/ Alan Brown - 15pts [13]
15/ Ken Downing - 14pts [6] - 1 win
16/ Tony Gaze - 14pts [12] - 1 FL
17/ André Simon - 13pts [7] - 1 win (1 shared win)
18/ Ken Wharton - 13pts [12]
19/ Peter Whitehead - 12.5pts [16] - 0.5 FLs
20/ Chico Landi - 12pts [7]
21/ Paul Frère - 11pts [4] - 1 win, 1 FL
22/ Yves Giraud-Cabantous - 11pts [13]
23/ Peter Collins - 10.5pts [14]
24/ Maurice Trintignant - 10pts [15] - 1 win
=25/ Harry Schell - 10pts [14] - 1 FL
=25/ George Abecassis - 10pts [5] - 1 FL
27/ Prince Bira - 9.5pts [12]
28/ Roy Salvadori - 9pts [6] - 1 win, 1 FL
29/ Stirling Moss - 9pts [12]
=30/ Bill Dobson - 9pts [9]
=30/ Graham Whitehead - 9pts [5]
=32/ Troy Ruttman - 8pts [1] - 1 win
=32/ Reg Parnell - 8pts [3] - 1 win
34/ Ken McAlpine - 8pts [6]
=35/ Johnny Claes - 8pts [18]
=35/ Ninian Sanderson - 8pts [5]
37/ Duncan Hamilton - 7pts [6]
=38/ John Barber - 6pts [6]
=38/ Tony Rolt - 6pts [2]
=38/ Jim Rathmann - 6pts [1]
=38/ Hans Klenk - 6pts [3]
42/ Eric Brandon - 6pts [13]
43/ Armand Philippe - 6pts [5]
=44/ Philippe Étançelin - 5pts [5]
=44/ Élie Bayol - 5pts [7]
=46/ Franco Comotti - 4pts [8]
=46/ Robin Montgomerie-Charrington - 4pts [6]
=46/ Fritz Riess - 4pts [3]
=46/ Joe Kelly - 4pts [3]
=46/ Sam Hanks - 4pts [1]
=46/ Mike Oliver - 4pts [1]
52/ Sergio Sighinolfi - 4pts [3]
=53/ Giuseppe Rossi - 3pts [1]
=53/ Duane Carter - 3pts [1]
=53/ Alberto Crespo - 3pts [6]
=53/ Marcel Masuy - 3pts [1]
=53/ Peter Walker - 3pts [1]
=53/ Richard Peacock - 3pts [1]
=53/ Geoff Richardson - 3pts [3]
=60/ Felice Bonetto - 2pts [3]
=60/ Hans Stuck - 2pts [8]
=60/ Toni Ulmen - 2pts [6]
=60/ Charles de Tornaco - 2pts [7]
=60/ Bobby Baird - 2pts [5]
=60/ Eugène Martin - 2pts [4]
=60/ Art Cross - 2pts [1]
=60/ Eric Thompson - 2pts [2]
=60/ Michel Aunaud - 2pts [1]
=60/ Jack Walton - 2pts [2]
=60/ Rex Woodgate - 2pts [1]
=60/ Alastair Birrell - 2pts [1]
72/ Bill Vukovich - 1pt [1] - 1 FL

Didn't really need to tell you that this was Ascari's championship did I? Fangio was out for the season and Ascari's 11 wins puts him well ahead of defending champion Farina. Ferrari's were battling for victory at the majority of GPs over the course of the season, but it was Ascari who was clearly the cream of their driver roster, even getting the chance to tackle the Indy 500 (unsuccessfully) whilst he was at it. Note a young Mike Hawthorn finishing 5th in the championship for Cooper.


Constructors Championship
1/ FERRARI - 445.5pts - 26 wins, 24.5 FLs

2/ Cooper-Bristol - 78.5pts - 2 wins, 1.5 FLs
3/ HWM-Alta - 77pts - 2 wins, 3 FLs
4/ Gordini - 64pts - 3 wins, 2 FLs
5/ Connaught-Connaught/Francis - 54pts - 3 wins, 1 FL
6/ Simca-Gordini - 23pts
7/ Maserati - 21pts, 1 FL
8/ Platè-Maserati - 20pts
9/ Frazer-Nash-Frazer-Nash/Bristol - 18pts
10/ Talbot-Lago - 16pts
11/ Veritas-Veritas/Meteor - 15pts
12/ Alta - 14pts
13/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser - 13pts, 1 FL
14/ ERA - 11pts
15/ BRM - 9pts - 1 win, 1 FL
16/ Kuzma-Offenhauser - 8pts - 1 win
17/ OSCA - 5pts
18/ Aston-Butterworth - 4pts
19/ Stanguellini-Fiat - 3pts
19/ Lesovsky-Offenhauser - 3pts
19/ RRA-ERA - 3pts
22/ Jicey-Veritas - 2pts
22/ DB-Panhard - 2pts

Well Ferrari absolutely obliterated the field. With Alfa Romeo and Maserati largely out of the picture, works Ferraris won pretty much all the races they entered. Along with the 26 wins came 17 2nds and 14 3rds. Ferraris were only less dominant when in the hands of privateers. Amongst the British manufacturers, Cooper took over the mantle from HWM, narrowly beating them out with a 4th in the Joe Fry Memorial Trophy.

[watka]

1953

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ ALBERTO ASCARI - 67.5pts [14] - 7 wins, 6.5 FLs

2/ Mike Hawthorn - 61.5pts [14] - 3 wins, 2.5 FLs
3/ Nino Farina - 57pts [15] - 4 wins, 1 FL
4/ Tony Rolt - 56pts [12] - 4 wins, 2 FLs
5/ Juan Manuel Fangio - 48.5pts [13] - 2 wins, 3 FLs
6/ Emmanuel de Graffenried - 40.5pts [17] - 3 wins, 1.5 FLs
7/ Ken Wharton - 39pts [15] - 2 wins, 2 FLs
8/ Roy Salvadori - 38pts [16] - 1 win, 3 FLs
9/ Luigi Villoresi - 32pts [12] - 1 FL
10/ Maurice Trintignant - 29pts [19] - 2 wins, 2 FLs
11/ José Froilan González - 27.5pts [9] - 1.5 FLs
12/ Louis Rosier - 27pts [15] - 2 wins
13/ Bob Gerard - 21pts [11] - 1 win, 2 FLs
14/ Peter Whitehead - 21pts [11]
15/ Stirling Moss - 20pts [14] - 1 win
16/ Louis Chiron - 16pts [11]
17/ Harry Schell - 16pts [16]
18/ Élie Bayol - 13pts [10] - 1 win
19/ Horace Gould - 13pts [5]
20/ Rodney Nuckey - 12pts [8]
21/ Onofre Marimón - 10pts [9]
22/ Lance Macklin - 10pts [15]
=23/ Eric Thompson - 9pts [1] - 1 win, 1 FL
=23/ Bill Vukovich - 9pts [1] - 1 win, 1 FL
25/ Jacques Swaters - 8pts [5] - 1 win
=26/ Les Leston - 8pts [4]
=26/ Bobby Baird - 8pts [5]
28/ Leslie Marr - 7pts [6]
29/ Jean Behra - 7pts [13] - 1 FL
30/ Felice Bonetto - 6.5pts [9]
=31/ Roger Laurent - 6pts [2]
=31/ Alan Brown - 6pts [8]
=31/ Paul Frère - 6pts [3]
=31/ Hans Klenk - 6pts [2]
=31/ Piero Taruffi - 6pts [1]
=31/ Art Cross - 6pts [1]
=37/ Theo Helfrich - 5pts [3] - 1 FL
=37/ Ron Flockhart - 5pts [3] - 1 FL
39/ Yves Giraud-Cabantous - 5pts [8]
=40/ Fred Wacker - 4pts [5]
=40/ Peter Collins - 4pts [10]
=40/ Philippe Étançelin - 4pts [1]
=43/ Roberto Mières - 3pts [7]
=43/ Prince Bira - 3pts [10]
=43/ Hans Stuck - 3pts [4]
=43/ Ken McAlpine - 3pts [11]
=43/ Eric Brandon - 3pts [4]
=43/ Hans Herrmann - 3pts [3]
=43/ Kurt Adolff - 3pts [3]
=43/ Cliff Davis - 3pts [1]
=43/ John Fitch - 3pts [2]
=52/ Sam Hanks - 2pts [1]
=52/ Duane Carter - 2pts [1]
=54/ Ian Stewart - 2pts [3]
=54/ Oscar Gálvez - 2pts [2]
=54/ Edgar Barth - 2pts [3]
=54/ Tony Crook - 2pts [5]
=54/ Charles de Tornaco - 2pts [4]
=54/ Pierre Levegh - 2pts [1]
=54/ Robert Manzon - 2pts [2]
=54/ Georges Berger - 2pts [2]
=54/ Hermann Lang - 2pts [1]
=54/ Bernie Ecclestone - 2pts [1]
=54/ Jack McGrath - 2pts [1]
=65/ Paul Russo - 1.5pts [1]
=65/ Fred Agabashian - 1.5pts [1]

This title is kind of up for debate, depending on which races you take into account. I must admit that I calculated that championship on the basis of the Grand Prix listed on Stats F1, but I didn't get the result I wanted so I then took out 3 races that I'm not sure are really up to the title of GP (2 were club races, the other had only 10 entrants). Even then, we were not far off having an unusual winner.

This championship was fought on 2 front. On the one hand, we have the big name globetrotters; Fangio, Farina, Ascari, Hawthorn, Villoresi, Gonzalez. They met at all the big name races and real-life championship GPs. After an impressive 1952, Mike Hawthorn joined Ferrari alongside Alberto Ascari, Nino Farina and Luigi Villoresi. Maserati however also made their intent with a strong lead pair of Jose Froilan Gonzalez and the returning Jean Manuel Fangio. It would not be so easy for Ascari.

Back on blighty, a number of GPs were contested across the country's great circuits. The grids for these events would be full of Coopers and Connaughts. Whilst these races would largely be contested by British gents (as well as Swiss baron Emmanuel de Graffenried), in this series, all races are treated as equal. One man emerged from these races unparalleled, Tony Rolt. Yes, the man who supposedly won the 1953 Le Mans race whilst drunk.

For the strength of his opposition, Ascari still managed to be the man to beat. The ACF (French) GP proved to be pretty much the only race all season that he didn't win for non-mechanical reasons (finishing 4th in an epic slipstreaming battle with Hawthorn, Fangio and Gonzalez. Fangio always managed to drag the best out of his Maserati and earned 2 victories over the course of the season, whilst Hawthorn did well to beat Farina in his first season at Ferrari.

However, Ferrari and Maserati were very much focused on the world tour. Beyond the end-of-June race at Rouen, the main championship contenders did not enter a non-championship GP. This left the door open for the Brits. Tony Rolt teamed up with Rob Walker on the national circuit which proved to be a winning combination. Driving for Connaught, he chalked up 4 wins and 4 other podiums. Whilst always remaining behind Ascari in the championship (although he was within 4 points at one point), it would be unfair to say that he had not been exerting pressure on Ascari (had Ascari known about this championship!). Of the 3 races I removed from the championship, Rolt won 2 which would have been enough for the title.

In only one instance did Ascari and Rolt go head to head, the British GP. Rolt qualified 10th and retired 70 laps into the 90 lap distance, whilst Ascari won by a minute from pole.


Constructors Championship
1/ FERRARI - 278pts - 17 wins, 11 FLs

2/ Cooper-Bristol/Alta - 141pts - 3 wins, 3 FLs
3/ Maserati - 134pts - 5 wins, 6 FLs
4/ Connaught - 120pts - 6 wins, 7 FLs
5/ Gordini - 61pts - 2 wins, 3 FLs
6/ OSCA - 29pts - 1 win
7/ HWM-Alta - 25pts
8/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser - 24pts - 1 win, 1 FL
9/ BRM - 15pts - 1 win, 1 FL
10/ Veritas - 14pts - 1 FL
11/ Talbot-Lago - 6pts
=12/ AFM-Kuchen - 3pts
=12/ Tojeiro-Frazer-Nash - 3pts
=14/ Simca-Gordini - 2pts
=14/ EMW - 2pts

Ferrari swept the board once again but Maserati kept them honest with their Maserati A6GCM, the predecessor to the famous 250F. Despite Rolt's successes, Cooper gathered more points on the British scene, enough to finish 2nd overall. Reject team OSCA finished 6th and even won a race (Circuit du Lac GP). Kurtis Kraft took all 5 points scoring places at the Indy 500.

[Wallio]

I'm quite enjoying this.

When you the to the '70s, will you include the AFX series?

[watka]

I'm quite enjoying this.

When you the to the '70s, will you include the AFX series?

I don't intend to, as I don't think these were ever considered to be Grand Prix, although I do respect that these were Formula 1 races.

This series is only likely to alter the championships in the 50s and early 60s as past then, there are only a few non-championship GPs each year.

[dr-baker]

So I assume you won't be adding the South African series to this either? And certainly not the A1GP series!

[watka]

Haha, yes I did see that there was also a South African series. No, I will not be adding either of these.

Just calculated 1954, but not got time tonight to do a post. Will put it up in the next few days though.

[watka]

1954

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ MAURICE TRINTIGNANT - 66pts [16] - 3 wins, 1 FL

2/ Juan Manuel Fangio - 64.14pts [10] - 6 wins, 3.14 FLs
3/ José Froilan González - 54.64pts [14] - 4 wins, 4.14 FLs
4/ Reg Parnell - 49.5pts [10] - 5 wins, 3.5 FLs
5/ Stirling Moss - 40.64pts [14] - 3 wins, 3.64 FLs
6/ Jean Behra - 35.14pts [21] - 2 wins, 1.64 FLs
7/ Mike Hawthorn - 31.14pts [12] - 1 win, 0.64 FLs
8/ Roy Salvadori - 27.5pts [10] - 1.5 FLs
9/ Prince Bira - 27pts [14] - 1 win, 1 FL
10/ Onofre Marimón - 20.14pts [10] - 1 win, 3.14 FLs
11/ Karl Kling - 20pts [7] - 1 win, 1 FL
12/ André Pilette - 19.5pts [9] - 0.5 FLs
13/ Harry Schell - 19pts [17]
14/ Roberto Mières - 19pts [14]
15/ Nino Farina - 18pts [5] - 1 win
16/ Don Beauman - 17pts [8]
17/ Sergio Mantovani - 15pts [10]
18/ Luigi Musso - 14pts [5] - 1 win
19/ Bob Gerard - 13pts [6]
20/ Peter Collins - 12pts [5]
21/ Hans Herrmann - 12pts [6] - 1 FL
22/ Robert Manzon - 10pts [15]
23/ Bill Vukovich - 8pts [1] - 1 win
24/ Louis Rosier - 8pts [19]
25/ Élie Bayol - 7pts [4]
26/ Jimmy Bryan - 6pts [1]
27/ Jacques Pollet - 6pts [5] - 1 FL
28/ Horace Gould - 6pts [7]
29/ Rodney Nuckey - 6pts [3]
30/ André Simon - 5.5pts [3]
31/ Jack McGrath - 5pts [1] - 1 FL
32/ Jorge Daponte - 5pts [5]
=33/ Ken McAlpine - 4pts [2]
=33/ Jimmy Somervail - 4pts [3]
=33/ Tony Rolt - 4pts [3]
=36/ Bill Whitehouse - 3pts [5]
=36/ Jock Lawrence - 3pts [3]
=36/ Georges Berger - 3pts [3]
=36/ Roger Laurent - 3pts [1]
=36/ Lance Macklin - 3pts [3]
=36/ Fred Wacker - 3pts [4]
42/ Umberto Maglioli - 2pts [5]
=43/ Michael Young - 2pts [6]
=43/ Leslie Marr - 2pts [6]
=43/ Jacques Swaters - 2pts [5]
=43/ Luigi Villoresi - 2pts [5]
=43/ Arthur Legat - 2pts [1]
=43/ Keith Hall - 2pts [3]
=43/ Fernand Navarro - 2pts [1]
=43/ Mike Nazaruk - 2pts [1]
=51/ Duane Carter - 1.5pts [1]
=51/ Troy Ruttman - 1.5pts [1]
53/ Alberto Ascari - 1.14pts [4] - 1.14 FLs

For 1954, the drivers' market was all change. Alberto Ascari signed a fateful contract with Lancia which saw him sit out most of the season until the Lancia D50 was ready (he was allowed to drive for Maserati twice). And sure enough, there he is, at the bottom of the standings having points only from 2 fastest laps (1 shared) and finishing none of his 4 entries. Juan Manuel Fangio drove a Maserati early in the season before joining the new, mighty Mercedes-Benz team later on with the German trio of Karl Kling, Hans Herrmann, and Hermann Lang. Maserati used a plethora of drivers, whilst Ferrari's main drivers were Giuseppe Farina, Mike Hawthorn and a returning Jose Froilan Gonzalez, until Farina's injury in a sports car race after the Belgian GP opened up a seat to Frenchman Maurice Trintignant.

With Lancia's delays and Mercedes not arriving on the scene until the French GP on 4th July, it was the commonplace Maseratis and Ferraris that would dominate the season early on, with Connaughts and Gordinis in the mix in the British and French races respectively. And it was Maurice Trintignant that was in excellent form over this time, picking up a win at the Buenos Aires GP and 5 other podiums in 8 race entries, including an impressive 2nd in his first time subbing for Farina at the Belgian GP. Jose Froilan Gonzalez, his Ferrari teammate and Trintignant's only real challenger at this time, had won 3 GPs but suffered a plethora of retirements. Fangio's commitment to Mercedes meant that he only focused on the big GPs (championship GPs) irl, whilst Farina and Hawthorn both suffered with injuries.

After the Belgian GP:
Maurice Trintignant - 42pts
Jose Froilan Gonzalez - 35.64pts
Reg Parnell - 27.5pts
Jean Behra - 23.14pts
Jean Manuel Fangio - 19.14pts
Nino Farina - 18pts
Mike Hawthorn - 2.14pts

From the French (ACF) GP onwards, aside from a blip at the British GP, Mercedes dominated whenever they showed up. The French, German, Swiss and Italian GP were all won by Juan Manuel Fangio in the spectacular W196. However, with his teammates not being quite so competent, the Ferrari trio found ways of racking up plenty of points. Whilst Gonzalez and a returning Hawthorn were probably the better drivers, Trintignant persisted with entering some of the smaller races in France, taking wins in Caen and Rouen to extend his championship lead. Alongside solid if unspectacular performances at the real life championship GP, Le Petoulet was in a commanding position by the season-ending Spanish GP where only the great Jean Manuel Fangio could deny him this title. A 4th place would be enough to guarantee the title regardless of what Fangio managed.

Only Ascari's Lancia denied Fangio a pole position, whilst Trintignant qualified only 8th. In the race though, Trintignant made brilliant progress to lead for several of early laps but retired with transmission failure. This left the door open for Fangio, who battled Hawthorn for the lead. But misfortune struck the Argentine also; a loss of oil dropping him back to 3rd, which in the event of Trintignant's retirement was one place short of what he needed to claim this title.

Constructors Championship
1/ FERRARI - 235.79pts - 14 wins, 8.79 FLs

2/ Maserati - 201.43pts - 7 wins, 9.43 FLs
3/ Mercedes - 79.14pts - 5 wins, 4.14 FLs
4/ Gordini - 79.14pts - 2 wins, 3.14 FLs
5/ Connaught - 47pts - 1 win, 1 FL
6/ Cooper - 34pts
7/ Kurtis Kraft - 18pts - 1 win, 1 FL
8/ Vanwall - 12.5pts - 0.5 FLs
9/ Kuzma - 6pts
10/ HWM - 3pts
11/ Veritas - 2pts
12/ Lancia - 1pt - 1 FL

The above really just shows how Mercedes didn't turn up enough (Gordini matched them for crying out loud!), so the old, established elite picked up a glut of points across most of the prestigious events and the national races. Ferrari in the end held off Maserati by a relatively narrow margin; a testament to the ability of some of Fangio's proteges; Roberto Mieres and Onofre Marimon (who died during the season). Maseratis were furthermore the choice of top American racer Harry Schell as well as a certain Brit called Stirling Moss. Cooper fell back dramatically, whilst you may notice this is the first appearance of Vanwall.

[watka]

1955

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ JUAN MANUEL FANGIO - 49pts [7] - 5 wins, 3 FLs

2/ Stirling Moss - 47pts [13] - 2 wins, 5 FLs
3/ Roy Salvadori - 44.5pts [10] - 3 wins, 3.5 FLs
4/ Jean Behra - 29pts [11] - 2 wins, 2 FLs
5/ Harry Schell - 27pts [12] - 2 wins, 1 FL
6/ Bob Gerard - 24.5pts [7] - 1 win, 0.5 FLs
7/ Luigi Musso - 24pts [13]
8/ Horace Gould - 23pts [11]
9/ Eugenio Castellotti - 21pts [9]
10/ Roberto Mières - 21pts [11] - 1 FL
11/ Alberto Ascari - 19pts [5] - 2 wins, 1 FL
12/ Tony Brooks - 17pts [4] - 1 win, 1 FL
13/ Luigi Villoresi - 17pts [7]
14/ Mike Hawthorn - 15pts [8] - 1 win, 1 FL
15/ Maurice Trintignant - 13.33pts [9] - 1 win
16/ Louis Rosier - 12.5pts [13] - 0.5 FLs
17/ André Simon - 12pts [6] - 1 win, 1 FL
18/ Nino Farina - 10.33pts [7]
19/ Piero Taruffi - 9pts [4]
20/ Peter Collins - 8.5pts [6] - 1 win, 0.5 FLs
21/ Bob Sweikert - 8pts [1] - 1 win
22/ Karl Kling - 8pts [6]
=23/ Ken Wharton - 6pts [4]
=23/ Archie Scott-Brown - 6pts [2]
25/ Jack Brabham - 6pts [5]
26/ José Froilan González - 4pts [2]
=27/ Don Beauman - 4pts [2]
=27/ Prince Bira - 4pts [3]
=27/ Jimmy Davies - 4pts [1]
=27/ Jimmy Somervail - 4pts [3]
=27/ Desmond Titterington - 4pts [1]
=32/ Tony Bettenhausen - 3pts [1]
=32/ Paul Russo - 3pts [1]
=34/ Reg Parnell - 3pts [3]
=34/ Paul Frère - 3pts [2]
=34/ Charles Boulton - 3pts [3]
=34/ Jacques Pollet - 3pts [7]
=34/ Mike Keen - 3pts [3]
=34/ Johnny Thomson - 3pts [1]
40/ Cesare Perdisa - 2pts [3]
=41/ Paul Emery - 2pts [4]
=41/ John Young - 2pts [5]
=41/ Robert Manzon - 2pts [8]
=41/ Bill Holt - 2pts [4]
=41/ Giorgio Scarlatti - 2pts [3]
=41/ Pierre Levegh - 2pts [1]
=41/ Carlos Menditéguy - 2pts [3]
=41/ Leslie Marr - 2pts [3]
49/ Umberto Maglioli - 1.33pts [3]
50/ Hans Herrmann - 1pt [3]
=51/ Walt Faulkner - 1pt [1]
=51/ Bill Homeier - 1pt [1]
53/ Bill Vukovich - 1pt [1] - 1 FL

This is an example of a driver having done well enough in the World Championship GPs alone to walk away with this title. Juan Manuel Fangio was undoubtedly the best driver on the grid after the tragic loss of Alberto Ascari, and the Mercedes W196 was one of the most dominant cars ever. Nonetheless, with Fangio concentrating on the World Championship GPs (he only entered the Bueno Aires GP in addition to these, which he won), you might have been expecting Stirling Moss to have been top of the pile, given that 9 of the 16 non-championship GPs were held in the UK.

However, Moss didn't make the best of these chances, being hampered by retirements. In the 6 additional races that Moss entered, he picked up a 1st, a 3rd and a 4th alongside three retirements; just short of making up the gap. In fact, Roy Salvadori was the more dominant force in the UK, often benefiting from Moss' misfortune, taking three wins in the season although never really in contention for the title. Moss' championship challenge effectively ended at the Italian GP; an engine failure coupled with another Fangio victory meant that even victory for Moss in the International Gold Cup was not enough.

Maurice Trintignant's title defense was fairly feeble, although he did secure the highlight of his career with victory at the Monaco GP. Peter Collins announced himself to the world by winning the International Trophy, maybe the biggest of the "non-championship" GPs. And whilst future stars were emerging, others were dying out. Whether Ascari could have challenged for this title, we will never know. He took victories in the Naples GP and Turin GP but retirements came in the Argentine GP and Monaco GP before his death. This left his protege Eugenio Castellotti to lead the Lancia team, who achieved reasonable results. Owing to the death of Ascari, Nino Farina decided to retire at the end of the season. Jose Froilan Gonzalez had already scaled back his race entries as a result of Onofre Marimon's death in 1954. Indy legend Bill Vukovich also lost his life in 1955, at the Great Race.

Constructors Championship
1/ MASERATI - 224pts - 10 wins, 13 FLs

2/ Mercedes - 96pts - 6 wins, 5 FLs
3/ Lancia-Ferrari - 53pts - 2 wins, 1 FL
4/ Ferrari - 44pts - 1 win
5/ Vanwall - 33pts - 2 wins, 1 FL
6/ Connaught-Alta/Lea-Francis - 33pts - 1 win, 1 FL
7/ Cooper-Alta/Bristol - 29pts
8/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser - 21pts - 1 win, 1 FL
9/ Lister-Bristol - 6pts
10/ Gordini - 5pts
11/ Kuzma-Offenhauser - 3pts
12/ Emeryson-Alta - 2pts

There is a reason why the Maserati 250F is such a famous car, despite other cars in its era being arguably more successful or spectacular. The Maserati was a very popular and widely available vehicle for privateer racers across the globe. And as such, it won a lot of races. Like 1954, Mercedes focus was on the World Championship, which they dominated, leaving Maserati to clear up everywhere else. Ferrari were tied up with the unsuccessful Lancia project (a car with so much unfulfilled potential) which set them back and left Maserati to be only real challengers to Mercedes.

[watka]

1956

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ STIRLING MOSS - 59pts [11] - 5 wins, 4 FLs

2/ Juan Manuel Fangio - 52.5pts [10] - 5 wins (1 shared win), 6 FLs
3/ Peter Collins - 31pts [10] - 2 wins
4/ Jean Behra - 26pts [9]
5/ Archie Scott-Brown - 15pts [5] - 1 win, 1 FL
6/ Roy Salvadori - 15pts [8] - 1 FL
7/ Harry Schell - 11pts [8] - 1 win
8/ Luigi Musso - 11pts [7] - 1 win (1 shared win), 1 FL
=9/ Robert Manzon - 8pts [9] - 1 win
=9/ Pat Flaherty - 8pts [1] - 1 win
11/ Horace Gould - 8pts [7]
12/ Eugenio Castellotti - 7.5pts [10]
13/ Gerino Gerini - 7.5pts [4]
14/ Tony Brooks - 7pts [4] - 1 FL
15/ Les Leston - 7pts [3]
16/ Jack Fairman - 7pts [4]
=17/ Sam Hanks - 6pts [1]
=17/ Paul Frère - 6pts [1]
=17/ André Simon - 6pts [3]
=17/ Stuart Lewis-Evans - 6pts [1]
=21/ Bob Gerard - 6pts [5]
=21/ Chico Godia - 6pts [5]
23/ Mike Hawthorn - 5pts [9] - 1 FL
=24/ Luigi Villoresi - 5pts [7]
=24/ Louis Rosier - 5pts [9]
=26/ Jack Brabham - 4pts [3]
=26/ Desmond Titterington - 4pts [4]
=26/ Don Freeland - 4pts [1]
=26/ Ron Flockhart - 4pts [2]
30/ Alfonso de Portago - 3pts [4]
31/ Cesare Perdisa - 3pts [5]
=32/ Giorgio Scarlatti - 3pts [4]
=32/ Carlos Menditéguy - 3pts [2]
=32/ Georges Burgraff - 3pts [1]
=32/ Johnnie Parsons - 3pts [1]
=36/ Ottorino Volonterio - 2pts [2]
=36/ Hermano da Silva Ramos - 2pts [4]
=36/ Reg Parnell - 2pts [3]
=36/ Hermanos da Silva Ramos - 2pts [3]
=36/ Jean Lucas - 2pts [1]
=36/ Olivier Gendebien - 2pts [3]
=36/ Dick Rathmann - 2pts [1]
43/ Chico Landi - 1.5pts [2]
=44/ Dick Gibson - 1pt [3]
=44/ Bob Berry - 1pt [1]
46/ Paul Russo - 1pt [1] - 1 FL

With Mercedes pulling out of Formula 1, Juan Manuel Fangio would have a tough time defending his title in 1956, and so it proved. Stirling Moss, whilst not having the best performances in championship GPs this year, proved pretty unbeatable elsewhere. 2nd at the Buenos Aires GP, as well as wins at the Glover Trophy, Aintree 200 and perhaps most importantly, the International Trophy, made up for retirement at the Argentine GP, which Fangio won alongside Luigi Musso. Consolidating his position with one of his more famous wins, at the Monaco GP, Moss had a 11.5 point cushion over Fangio. Peter Collins and Jean Behra, the two men that could have denied Fangio the 1956 title in real life at the Italian GP, were nowhere close to Fangio and Moss.

Moss' lead was just enough to carry him home to the end of the season. Fangio's retirement in Belgium extended the gap to 13.5 points, but then the tables begun to turn. Neither got a great result at the ACF GP. Peter Collins won his second GP on the trot, but it still wasn't enough to really bring him into championship contention. Fangio finished 4th, which was better than Moss' shared 5th with Cesare Perdisa. Then Moss suffered a big blow on home turf. Leading at Silverstone, engine problems and then axle failure led to his retirement, whilst a seriously unwell Fangio fortuitously inherited the win. The gap now: 3.5 points.

The German GP proved to be an important damage limitation exercise for Moss. Fangio was untouchable but Moss finished 2nd to keep a slender lead of 1.5 points going to Monza. In the end, it wasn't a lead that he needed. Despite Fangio being on pole and Moss only 6th, it wasn't long before Moss had moved to the head of the race. Worse still Fangio retired and despite Peter Collins' kind offer of his Ferrari, Fangio was really relying on a Moss retirement as any points would now only count as half. It didn't happen, Moss wins the championship.

Just a footnote, as part of my research I saw that Colin Chapman won a Formula 2 race, but obviously this was not included in the results above. He did in fact enter the ACF (French) GP, but did not start due to a collision with teammate Mike Hawthorn in practice.

Constructors Championship
1/ MASERATI - 149pts - 5 wins, 5 FLs

2/ Ferrari - 89pts - 5 wins, 4 FLs
3/ Connaught-Alta/Lea-Francis - 50pts - 1 win, 1 FL
4/ Lancia - 29pts - 2 wins, 3 FLs
5/ Gordini - 21pts - 1 win
6/ Vanwall - 11pts - 1 win
7/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser/Novi - 9pts - 1 FL
8/ Watson-Offenhauser - 8pts - 1 win
9/ BRM - 8pts - 2 FLs
10/ Phillips-Offenhauser - 4pts
=11/ Kuzma-Offenhauser - 3pts
=11/ Cooper-Bristol - 3pts

With Moss' drivers' title comes another constructors' title for Maserati. Again, simply a reflection of the plenitude of Maserati 250F's around at the time. In terms of race wins, Maseratis and Ferraris were pleasing matched. Worth noting also this is the first year that the Indy 500 was not won by Kurtis Kraft.

[watka]

1957

Scoring system: 8-6-4-3-2, fastest lap 1pt

Drivers Championship
1/ JEAN BEHRA - 62.5pts [14] - 5 wins, 4.5 FLs

2/ Juan Manuel Fangio - 59pts [10] - 5 wins, 4 FLs
3/ Luigi Musso - 43.5pts [11] - 1 win, 1.5 FLs
4/ Harry Schell - 31pts [15]
5/ Peter Collins - 30.5pts [12] - 2 wins
6/ Stirling Moss - 30pts [9] - 3 wins (1 shared win), 4 FLs
7/ Stuart Lewis-Evans - 23pts [10] - 1 win
8/ Mike Hawthorn - 23pts [10] - 1 FL
9/ Masten Gregory - 17pts [9]
10/ Tony Brooks - 12pts [10] - 1 win (1 shared win), 2 FLs
11/ Roy Salvadori - 10pts [10]
12/ Sam Hanks - 8pts [1] - 1 win
13/ Ron Flockhart - 8pts [6]
14/ Maurice Trintignant - 7.5pts [5]
15/ Jim Rathmann - 7pts [1] - 1 FL
16/ Jack Fairman - 6pts [3]
17/ Ivor Bueb - 6pts [6]
18/ Jo Bonnier - 6pts [8]
19/ Horace Gould - 5pts [12]
=20/ Bruce Halford - 4pts [10]
=20/ Jimmy Bryan - 4pts [1]
=20/ Carlos Menditéguy - 4pts [6]
=20/ Wolfgang von Trips - 4pts [4]
=24/ Jack Brabham - 3pts [11]
=24/ Piero Taruffi - 3pts [1]
=24/ Paul Russo - 3pts [1]
27/ Giorgio Scarlatti - 3pts [7]
=28/ Jim Russell - 2pts [2]
=28/ Les Leston - 2pts [4]
=28/ Andy Linden - 2pts [1]
=31/ Eugenio Castellotti - 1pt [2]
=31/ José Froilan González - 1pt [2]
=31/ Alfonso de Portago - 1pt [1]

Juan Manuel Fangio had achieved 29 Grand Prix victories (one shared) before the start of the 1957 season and on reflection, two All-GP Championships is a pretty low conversion rate. And it was as if he knew this, making an off season switch from Ferrari to Maserati; the team that took Stirling Moss to the 1956 All-GP title and themselves to the All-GP constructors title. Maserati retained Jean Behra, who'd proven to be a reliable driver since his move from Gordini in 1955, and brought in Harry Schell from Vanwall as their other full time drivers. Moss meanwhile jumped ship to lead the emerging Vanwall team alongside two other talented Brits in Tony Brooks and Stuart Lewis-Evans. Ferrari's roster after Fangio's departures included Peter Collins, Mike Hawthorn, Luigi Musso, Maurice Trintignant and Eugenio Castelloti, who would die in a testing incident early in the season.

Fangio took to the Maserati 250F like a duck to water. Taking both home GPs (the championship Argentine GP and non-championship Buenos Aires GP), the Monaco GP and French GP would have been exactly the return the great man was looking for when switching to Maserati. On top of this, the 250F in general was the package to have, with Behra and Schell able to back up their team leader, the former winning the tricky Pau GP. Musso and Collins in the Ferraris were only able to keep ground by successes on Italian soil.

The Reims GP and British GP represented a blip for the Maserati team; Fangio crashed at the Reims GP where Musso was able to come home with victory, whilst all three works Maseratis retired at the British GP where Moss took the first win in a championship GP for Vanwall.

Maserati came back with a win for Behra winning the Caen GP. This was followed my Fangio's majestic win at the Nurburgring, coming back from a minute down on the Ferraris to win the race, setting 10 fastest laps in the process. Moss won the subsequent Pescara and Italian GPs, but Fangio was 2nd in both, enough to open up a 17.5 point lead over teammate Behra in this championship, with consistent podium finisher Musso a further point behind and Moss completely out of the running with a 26 point deficit.

After such a strong season, perhaps his best ever, it was going to be Fangio's third championship. Wrong. Fangio did not enter either the International Trophy or the Modena GP and Behra won both. He had the best car for sure but it was no mean feat: The International Trophy considered the most prestigious race in Britain behind the British GP, and then having to beat the Ferraris of Collins and Musso in Modena.

The debut of the Moroccan GP (initially a non-championship GP) was the final race of the season, for which Fangio returned. What Fangio met was a Jean Behra who was just plain quick. What's more, Fangio was hit with a bout of the flu which had swept across the paddock, the same bug that caused Stirling Moss to withdraw from the event. Tony Brooks had qualified on pole but was out of the race by lap 12 and this left the door open for fellow front-row man Behra to power home to a relatively straightforward victory. Even a 2nd place would not have been enough for Fangio to stop Behra taking thi title, and in the event he finished 4th. Gutting - in more than one sense - for Fangio, and after 1957 he bowed out of Grand Prix racing.

Constructors Championship
1/ MASERATI - 173.5pts - 8 wins, 7.5 FLs

2/ Ferrari - 107.5pts - 3 wins, 2.5 FLs
3/ Vanwall - 55pts - 3 wins, 5 FLs
4/ BRM - 36pts - 2 wins, 2 FLs
5/ Connaught-Alta - 25pts - 1 win
6/ Epperly-Offenhauser - 15pts - 1 win, 1 FL
7/ Cooper-Climax - 11pts
8/ Kurtis Kraft-Offenhauser/Novi - 5pts
9/ Kuzma-Offenhauser - 4pts

A third consecutive constructors title for Maserati which was never really in doubt despite Ferrari's and Vanwall's best efforts. Ferrari lacked pace and suffered tragedy with Eugenio Castelloti and Alfonso di Portago, whilst Vanwall were not quite established enough to enter enough GPs to truly challenge. Nonetheless, with Moss as team leader and 5 fastest laps, they had become the dominant British force in Grand Prix racing.