The Peter Collins Cup

[Aislabie]

Inspired by a discussion on the Discord server, the rules for this one are simple:

The driver who finishes on the podium with the most different drivers over the course of the season wins the championship. No point having 10 podiums if they're all HAM-BOT-VER! Should be interesting especially with shared drives.

Champions
Podium Diversity Championship
1950 - Luigi Fagioli
1951 - Juan Manuel Fangio
1952 - Alberto Ascari
1953 - Alberto Ascari (2)
1954 - Juan Manuel Fangio (2)
1955 - Juan Manuel Fangio (3)
1956 - Peter Collins
1957 - Juan Manuel Fangio (4)

Peter Collins Cup | Named in honour of the deceased 1956 Champion.
1958 - Mike Hawthorn

100% Seasons
1951 - Juan Manuel Fangio *
1952 - Alberto Ascari *
1953 - Alberto Ascari *
1957 - Juan Manuel Fangio *

* Excluding Indianapolis 500 drivers

[Aislabie]

1. Luigi Fagioli - 7
(Farina, Parnell, Fangio, Rosier, Whitehead, Ascari, Serafini)
=2. Alberto Ascari - 5
(Fangio, Chiron, Farina, Serafini, Fagioli)
=2. Juan Manuel Fangio - 5
(Ascari, Chiron, Fagioli, Rosier, Whitehead)
=2. Giuseppe Farina - 5
(Fagioli, Parnell, Rosier, Ascari, Serafini)
=5. Louis Rosier - 3
(Farina, Fagioli, Fangio)
=5. Dorino Serafini - 3
(Farina, Ascari, Fagioli)
=7. Louis Chiron - 2
(Fangio, Ascari)
=7. Bill Holland - 2
(Parsons, Rose)
=7. Reg Parnell - 2
(Farina, Fagioli)
=7. Johnnie Parsons - 2
(Holland, Rose)
=7. Mauri Rose - 2
(Parsons, Holland)
=7. Peter Whitehead - 2
(Fangio, Fagioli)

Not much to say about such a short season where there's one guy who podiums in almost every race, except that Dorino Serafini offers us a glimpse at the fun to come as we enter the era of the shared drive.

[Aislabie]

1. Juan Manuel Fangio - 7
(Taruffi, Farina, Fagioli, Ascari, Gonzalez, Villoresi, Bonetto)
=2. Alberto Ascari - 6
(Farina, Villoresi, Fangio, Gonzalez, Bonetto, Farina)
=2. Jose Froilan Gonzalez - 6
(Fangio, Fagioli, Ascari, Villoresi, Farina, Bonetto)
=2. Giuseppe Farina - 6
(Fangio, Taruffi, Ascari, Villoresi, Gonzalez, Bonetto)
5. Luigi Villoresi- 5
(Farina, Ascari, Fangio, Fagioli, Ascari)
6. Luigi Fagioli - 4
(Fangio, Ascari, Gonzalez, Villoresi)
=7. Felice Bonetto - 3
(Ascari, Gonzalez, Farina)
=7. Manny Ayulo - 3
(Wallard, Nazaruk, McGrath)
=7. Jack McGrath - 3
(Wallard, Nazaruk, Ayulo)
=7. Mike Nazaruk - 3
(Wallard, Ayulo, McGrath)
=7. Lee Wallard - 3
(Nazaruk, Ayulo, McGrath)
12. Piero Taruffi - 2
(Fangio, Farina)

Things were close at the top, but ultimately Fangio was the only contender to catch all three of Taruffi, Fagioli and Bonetto and therefore one the Championship. Big shout out to Fagioli again though, as his four co-podium finishers were all collected at the same Grand Prix.

[Aislabie]

1. Alberto Ascari - 7
(Farina, Manzon, Taruffi, Hawthorn, Fischer, Gonzalez, Villoresi)
=2. Giuseppe Farina - 5
(Ascari, Manzon, Taruffi, Fischer, Villoresi)
=2. Piero Taruffi - 5
(Fischer, Behra, Ascari, Farina, Hawthorn)
4. Rudi Fischer - 4
(Taruffi, Behra, Ascari, Farina)
5. Luigi Villoresi - 3
(Ascari, Farina, Gonzalez)
=6. Jean Behra - 2
(Taruffi, Fischer)
=6. Jose Froilan Gonzlez - 2
(Ascari, Villoresi)
=6. Sam Hanks - 2
(Ruttman, Rathman)
=6. Robert Manzon - 2
(Ascari, Farina)
=6. Jim Rathman - 2
(Ruttman, Hanks)
=6. Troy Ruttman - 2
(Rathman, Hanks)

There's not much stopping someone who wins more or less every race in the season, even if most of them saw his teammate Farina in second place. He also gambled to try to rack up some extra points by running in the Indy 500, but he didn't reach the finish after qualifying 25th so that came to nought.

[Aislabie]

1. Alberto Ascari - 7
(Villoresi, Gonzalez, Farina, Bonetto, Marimon, Fangio, Hawthorn)
=2. Giuseppe Farina - 6
(Ascari, Gonzalez, Bonetto, Fangio, Hawthorn, Villoresi)
=2. Jose Froilan Gonzalez - 6
(Ascari, Villoresi, Farina, Bonetto, Hawthorn, Fangio)
=4. Juan Manuel Fangio - 5
(Hawthorn, Gonzalez, Ascari, Farina, Villoresi)
=4. Luigi Villoresi - 5
(Ascari, Gonzalez, Marimon, Fangio, Farina)
6. Mike Hawthorn - 4
(Fangio, Gonzalez, Farina, Ascari)
=7. Felice Bonetto - 3
(Ascari, Farina, Gonzalez)
=7. Duane Carter- 3
(Vukovich, Cross, Hanks)
=7. Art Cross - 3
(Vukovich, Hanks, Carter)
=7. Sam Hanks - 3
(Vukovich, Cross, Carter)
=7. Bill Vukovich - 3
(Cross, Hanks, Carter)
12. Onofre Marimon - 2
(Ascari, Villoresi)

This season offered a little bit of an insight into the value of finishing as a part of some weird podiums. With the benefit of three really weird podiums, Jose Froilan Gonzalez managed joint second for the season. Of course, five wins from Ascari rendered this point moot.

[Aislabie]

1. Juan Manuel Fangio - 10
(Farina, Gonzalez, Trintignant, Moss, Kling, Manzon, Hawthorn, Herrman, Magioli, Musso)
2. Jose Froilan Gonzalez - 7
(Fangio, Farina, Hawthorn, Marimon, Trintignant, Herrman, Magioli)
3. Mike Hawthorn - 6
(Gonzalez, Marimon, Fangio, Trintignant, Magioli, Musso)
4. Maurice Trintignant - 4
(Fangio, Moss, Gonzalez, Hawthorn)
5. Umberto Magioli - 3
(Fangio, Hawthorn, Gonzalez)
=6. Jimmy Bryan - 2
(Vukovich, McGrath)
=6. Giuseppe Farina - 2
(Fangio, Gonzalez)
=6. Hans Herrmann - 2
(Fangio, Gonzalez)
=6. Karl Kling - 2
(Fangio, Manzon)
=6. Robert Manzon - 2
(Fangio, Kling)
=6. Onofre Marimon - 2
(Gonzalez, Hawthorn)
=6. Jack McGrath - 2
(Vukovich, Bryan)
=6. Stirling Moss - 2
(Fangio, Trintignant)
=6. Luigi Musso - 2
(Hawthorn, Fangio)
=6. Bill Vukovich - 2
(Bryan, McGrath)

Well that certainly was a wild season. Not a great one for the Championship fight as despite all the wild podiums, there was still one man who finished on all but one of them: Juan Manuel Fangio. So far it has been a bit of a "who finished on the most podiums" championship, but hopefully things will get a bit more nuanced as we progress towards the 1955 Argentine Grand Prix.

[Aislabie]

1. Juan Manuel Fangio - 9
(Trintignant, Farina, Gonzalez, Magioli, Moss, Musso, Kling, Taruffi, Castellotti)
2. Maurice Trintignant - 7
(Fangio, Farina, Gonzalez, Magioli, Castellotti, Behra, Perdisa)
3. Eugenio Castellotti - 6
(Trintignant, Behra, Perdisa, Fangio, Taruffi)
4. Giuseppe Farina - 6
(Fangio, Trintignant, Gonzalez, Magioli, Moss)
=5. Jose Froilan Gonzalez - 4
(Fangio, Trintignant, Farina, Magioli)
=5. Umberto Magioli - 4
(Fangio, Trintignant, Farina, Gonzalez)
=5. Stirling Moss - 4
(Fangio, Farina, Musso, Kling)
=8. Jean Behra - 3
(Trintignant, Castellotti, Perdisa)
=8. Tony Bettenhausen - 3
(Sweikert, Russo, Davies)
=8. Jimmy Davies - 3
(Sweikert, Bettenhausen, Russo)
=8. Cesare Perdisa - 3
(Trintighant, Castellotti, Behra)
=8. Paul Russo - 3
(Sweikert, Bettenhausen, Davies)
=8. Bob Sweikert - 3
Bettenhausen, Russo, Davies)
=14. Karl Kling - 2
(Moss, Fangio)
=14. Luigi Musso - 2
(Fangio, Moss)
=14. Piero Taruffi - 2
(Fangio, Castellotti)

For a moment there, it looked as if Maurice Trintignant had just scrounged together the scummiest of all alt-championships, only for Fangio to come in clutch by catching Karl Kling at the penultimate round to draw level, then Taruffi and Castellotti at Monza to take the title outright. A true shame, as Trintignant's seven co-podium finishers from the first two rounds of the season is literally unbeatable across any other pair of consecutive races in F1 history.

[Aislabie]

1. Peter Collins - 8
(Moss, Fangio, Behra, Frere, Perdisa, Castellotti, de Portago, Flockhart)
=2. Jean Behra - 7
(Fangio, Musso, Hawthorn, Moss, Collins, Castellotti, de Portago)
=2. Juan Manuel Fangio - 7
(Musso, Behra, Hawthorn, Moss, Collins, de Portago, Flockhart)
4. Stirling Moss - 5
(Fangio, Collins, Behra, Frere, Flockhart)
=5. Alfonso de Portago - 3
(Fangio, Collins, Behra)
=5. Ron Flockhart - 3
(Collins, Fangio, Moss)
=5. Paul Frere - 3
(Collins, Moss, Perdisa)
=5. Mike Hawthorn - 3
(Fangio, Musso, Behra)
=5. Luigi Musso - 3
(Behra, Fangio, Hawthorn)
=5. Cesare Perdisa - 3
(Collins, Frere, Moss)
=11. Eugenio Castelloti - 2
(Colins, Behra)
=11. Pat Flaherty - 2
(Hanks, Freeland)
=11. Don Freeland - 2
(Flaherty, Hanks)
=11. Sam Hanks - 2
(Flaherty, Freeland)

Finally, we have our first big upset! I really didn't see this one coming given that Juan Manuel Fangio finished on the podium in five of the seven races he competed in, but it turned out that Collins did too. And not only did Collins match the quantity of podium finishes, the two he scored that Fangio did not saw him catch Cesare Perdisa, Paul Frere and Eugenio Castellotti. In the first race of the season, Behra and Fangio caught Musso and Hawthorn, but that still left them one behind Collins in the Championship table, and the Briton claimed a memorable title.

[Aislabie]

1. Juan Manuel Fangio - 10
(Behra, Menditeguy, Brooks, Gregory, Musso, Collins, Hawthorn, Moss, Schell, von Trips)
2. Stirling Moss - 6
(Brooks, Musso, Hawthorn, Fangio, Schell, von Trips)
=3. Tony Brooks - 5
(Fangio, Gregory, Moss, Musso, Hawthorn)
=3. Mike Hawthorn - 5
(Moss, Brooks, Musso, Fangio, Collins)
=3. Luigi Musso - 5
(Fangio, Collis, Moss, Brooks, Hawthorn)
6. Peter Collins - 3
(Fangio, Musso, Hawthorn)
=7. Jean Behra - 2
(Fangio, Mendetiguy)
=7. Jimmy Bryan - 2
(Hanks, Rathmann)
=7. Sam Hanks - 2
(Rathmann, Bryan)
=7. Carlos Mendetiguy - 2
(Fangio, Behra)
=7. Jim Rathmann - 2
(Hanks, Bryan)
=7. Harry Schell - 2
(Moss, Fangio)
=7. Wolfgang von Trips - 2
(Moss, Fangio)

Again, not the most dramatic of seasons: Fangio caught everyone else who podiumed (excluding the Indy 500) because he was on all but one podium (excluding the Indy 500). I've no idea if this is something that has happened before because I've honestly only just thought to look for it and haven't checked the other seasons yet. I should probably create a "100%" stat to cover that, and this one will have an Indy 500 shaped asterisk next to it. A truly excellent way to go out in this Championship (because Monza was of course his last visit to the podium).

UPDATE - Looks like Fangio and Ascari have each 100%ed twice - but with asterisks. And they say modern F1 is predictable!

[Aislabie]

1. Mike Hawthorn - 8
(Moss, Musso, Brooks, Lewis-Evans, von Trips, Collins, Salvadori, P. Hill)
2. Stirling Moss - 7
(Musso, Hawthorn, Schell, Behra, von Trips, Lewis-Evans, P. Hill)
=3. Tony Brooks - 4
(Hawthorn, Lewis-Evans, Salvadori, Trintignant)
=3. Luigi Musso - 4
(Moss, Hawthorn, Trintignant, Collins)
=3. Roy Salvadori - 4
(Collins, Hawthorn, Brooks, Trintignant)
=3. Maurice Trintignant - 4
(Musso, Collins, Brooks, Salvadori)
=7. Phil Hill - 3
(Brooks, Hawthorn, Moss)
=7. Stuart Lewis-Evans - 3
(Brooks, Hawthorn, Moss)
=9. George Amick - 2
(Bryan, Boyd)
=9. Jean Behra - 2
(Moss, Schell)
=9. Johnny Boyd - 2
(Bryan, Amick)
=9. Jimmy Bryan - 2
(Amick, Boyd)
=9. Harry Schell - 2
(Moss, Behra)
=9. Wolfgang von Trips - 2
(Hawthorn, Moss)

At last, we have a Championship that goes down to the final lap of the final race. Had Hawthorn failed to make it home, or failed to make the podium, at the Ain-Diab circuit in Morocco, then Stirling Moss (by virtue of Jo Bonnier inheriting Hawthorn's podium place) would have been a co-champion. But it was not to be, and Mike Hawthorn claimed his maiden Championship title before promptly retiring from Grand Prix racing.

The season also saw the loss of multiple drivers who have featured in this Championship, but none more notable than 1956 Champion Peter Collins. In light of his fatal crash at the German Grand Prix, the Championship will be named in his honour: the Peter Collins Cup.