1954 Spanish Grand Prix
The Grand Prix of Spain 1954 took place on 24 October at the Circuit de Pedralbes in Barcelona instead and was the ninth race of the Formula 1 season 1954.
- 3.1 Start -up
- 3.2 race
- 4.1 Drivers' Championship
Reports
Background
The Grand Prix of Spain took place in 1954 for the second time in Formula 1 history after two year break instead. At the Grand Prix of Spain 1951 Fangio won his first Drivers' World Championship. 1955 Another Grand Prix was scheduled at the Circuit de Pedralbes, but was canceled due to the disaster of Le Mans in 1955. Then, there was never again a Formula 1 race on this track. The next Spanish Grand Prix was first held back in 1967, now at the Circuito del Jarama.
At the season finale 1954, the world champion title for Juan Manuel Fangio and the World Championship for his Argentine compatriot José Froilán González had already been decided. Only third place in the drivers' championship was still open between the British Mike Hawthorn and the Frenchman Maurice Trintignant.
Fangio won already this season, six of the previous eight races and thus went my favorites at the start. In the previous race showed the dominance of the Mercedes team, which won a majority of the race, but Ferrari and Maserati had in their previous races well with Mercedes, but decided lack of reliability and lack of top speed of their cars, none of its own.
The Grand Prix of Spain brought the long-awaited debut of Lancia in Formula 1 The Lancia D50 differed from the other Formula 1 car through a rather simple shape and eye-catching side boxes.
They served as fuel tanks, as well as aerodynamic aids for constant discharge of air between the tires. Lancia was the first team as aerodynamic aids used the side boxes and such was the Mercedes in this respect ahead. The V8 engine of the Lancia D50 was installed compared to the competition as a supporting part of the overall design in the car, what car gave additional stability. For the team drove the former world champion Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi his Italian compatriot.
Maserati went with five cars at the start, Ferrari and Gordini only with two cars, Ferrari began no car for González. Furthermore attended many private teams and drivers in part with private cars in the race. The Swiss Ottorino Volonterio drove his first Formula 1 race, Prince Bira and Jacques Swaters finished after the race their F1 careers. The Grand Prix of Spain 1954 was the last race where a driver from Thailand took part (as of July 8, 2013 ).
Training
The training for the Grand Prix of Spain 1954 was dominated by the new Lancia team. Ascari Lancia D50 in 2:18,1 minutes with the fastest lap and was one second faster than second-placed Fangio in the Mercedes. The first two positions on the grid were thus occupied, the two two-time world champion this time, what an exciting race promised. Third place went to Hawthorn in Ferrari, fourth place at Harry Schell in the private Maserati. Schell was the only driver with a private car, which achieved a good starting position. All other starting positions were occupied number 13 from the pole position of the four top teams Lancia, Mercedes, Ferrari and Maserati. Gordini disappointed again with start number 16 by Jacques Pollet. Peter Collins in the Vanwall crashed in training and could not participate in the race.
Race
When starting Schell and Trintignant came off best, winning several positions. Schell, the leadership fought against Hawthorn, Ascari and Trintignant and led for the first time in his career a race. However, he started the race with only half-filled tanks. Already after one round with Villoresi different from the first Lancia for brake problems, while Ascari recaptured the lead in the second Lancia. It carried out superior to the field, but already retired on lap nine with clutch failure from. Schell led again before the two Ferrari drivers Trintignant and Hawthorn. The pressure by the two faster pursuer forced Schell few laps later in a driver error. Schell went on, but dropped back to fourth place behind Fangio. Trintignant was now, also, held the lead for the first time in his career, though only a short time later divorced from due to technical difficulties. The same fate was suffered at this stage of the race, Stirling Moss and both Gordini drivers. The race saw a high failure rate, of 21 cars started only reached 9 the goal. As in the previous race fell from more than half of the drivers, and the reliability was the key factor in the decision for the first places. One of the causes for the high failure rate were flying newspapers that clogged the air intakes of many cars.
In the last few laps to Hawthorn and Fangio dueled for the win. Fangio but had to slow down due to the cockpit penetrating oil and fell back. Hawthorn then won unchallenged, won his second of three races and secured the third place in the drivers' standings. He did not renew his Ferrari contract after the race, however, and withdrew temporarily from Formula 1 back. Later he returned and won in 1958 with Ferrari the World Cup.
Fangio had to fight in the final stage, however, with overheating problems caused by the loss of oil and was overtaken end of the race of the Maserati driver Luigi Musso, who thus won the first points of his career and achieved his first podium finish. For Fangio was the Grand Prix of Spain 1954, the only race of his successful career, in which he finished in third place. Ascari drove the fastest lap. Overall, however, the Lancia debut was disappointing as despite superior pole position and fastest lap of the race, both drivers failed relatively quickly with defects.
The season ended with a World Champion Fangio, who won the most races of the season, the Mercedes dominated throughout the season, but was defeated at some races of Ferrari. Fangio is the only Formula 1 World Champion, who drove in a year for two teams and thereby won the world title.
Message list
Comments
Classifications
Line-up
Race
Standings after the race
The first five of the race were 8, 6, 4, 3, 2 points. The driver with the fastest lap of the race also received 1 point. It included only the five best results from nine races.